FBI Reassigns Two Counterterrorism Leaders After Call Review

The FBI reassigned two senior Washington counterterrorism officials to headquarters on Friday after a review of allegedly harassing phone calls to Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The calls’ contents remain undisclosed, and competing accounts of who ordered the personnel move have not been resolved. Michael Burgwald, who led counterterrorism operations at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were removed from their leadership positions, officials and people familiar with the matter said. FBI assistant director in charge of the Washington office Darren Cox confirmed the reassignments. The agents were not fired, according to reporting on the change. People familiar with the call review told CNN that investigators concluded the calls did not meet the threshold for an FBI investigation and found no connection to terrorism. The callers have not been publicly identified, and the precise messages have not been released. No arrests or charges related to the calls had been announced in the reporting. The accounts differ over the reason for the reassignment and who made the decision.