Michael Burgwald FBI – Google Search google.com/search?q=Michael+…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 28, 2026
NEW!! NATO commander Gen. Alexus Grynkewich warns European lawmakers that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are increasingly cooperating, while hybrid attacks and threats to critical infrastructure are growing.
“We are all eastern flank nations now,” he says.
— @ralexdc Sep 28, 2026
The White House says two agents stifled the investigation, but CNN reports their team found no terrorism center
Two veteran FBI counterterrorism officials were demoted after investigators determined allegedly harassing calls to a top White House aide’s wife did not warrant further investigation, according to multiple reports.Michael Burgwald, who led counterterrorism operations at the FBI’s Washington Field O
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Two veteran FBI counterterrorism officials were demoted after investigators determined allegedly harassing calls to a top White House aide’s wife did not warrant further investigation, according to multiple reports.
Michael Burgwald, who led counterterrorism operations at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were removed from their leadership positions Friday and reassigned to FBI headquarters.
The shakeup followed an investigation into allegedly threatening and harassing calls received by Katie Miller, a conservative podcaster married to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
A field office team reviewed the calls but found they did not meet the threshold for an FBI investigation and identified no connection to terrorism, CNN reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
That conclusion reportedly caused friction with FBI leadership.
Bloomberg Law, which first reported the demotions, said Washington Field Office leadership was dissatisfied with the pace of the investigation and that the Miller family shared those frustrations. FBI Director Kash Patel was also displeased with the office’s progress, according to the outlet.
The FBI and White House have pushed back on suggestions that the Millers or Patel ordered the personnel changes.
Washington Field Office chief Darren Cox said he made the decision himself.
“Director Patel did not order this decision,” Cox said. “This was a personnel decision made at the Washington field office level alone based on our constant evaluation of mission needs.”
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said the Millers had never met or interacted with Burgwald or Rae.
“Senior leadership at the FBI determined they were stifling investigations into very serious threats and made a unilateral decision to remove them,” Bis said.
Details about the calls themselves have not been made public, leaving unclear what investigators reviewed or why they concluded the messages did not warrant further FBI action.
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The reassignments also remove decades of counterterrorism experience from the Washington office as the United States remains at war with Iran.
Burgwald is a West Point graduate who has received multiple attorney general’s awards. Rae helped oversee the FBI’s response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Both officials also worked on investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
The Millers and their children moved from their Virginia home into military housing last year amid what the White House has described as a campaign of stalking, doxing and threats against the family.
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“Very serious threats”: FBI officials demoted after Katie Miller theats probe yahoo.com/news/politics/arti…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 28, 2026
What was the specific content of threats to Kathie Miller? – Google Search google.com/search?q=What+was…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 28, 2026
AI Mode Conversation: What was the specific content of threats to Kathie Miller?What was the specific content of threats to Kathie Miller?AI Mode reply for What was the specific content of threats to Kathie Miller?The specific content of the threats targeting prominent conservative podcaster Katie M
#FBI #DOJ #ShinyHunters
What is the connection between the ShinyHunters FBI Hack 2026 (September 21 – 23) and demotion of agents Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae (September 25)?There is no direct connection between the ShinyHunters cyberattack and the demotion of FBI agents Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae; their timing in late September 2026 is coincidental. [1, 2, 3]
Both events represent entirely separate matters handled by different units within federal law enforcement:
The ShinyHunters CyberattackNature of the Incident: Cybercrime group ShinyHunters claimed to have breached systems associated with the FBI (specifically targeting the FBIjobs.gov portal via an Oracle PeopleSoft vulnerability), alleging theft of employee personally identifiable information and medical records. [1, 4, 5]
Motive & Handling: The group stated the attack was retaliatory—demanding the FBI retract an advisory issued in May—rather than financially motivated. The incident is being handled by the bureau’s cyber and counterintelligence divisions. [1, 4, 6, 7]The Reassignment of Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae
Nature of the Action: Special Agent in Charge Michael Burgwald and his deputy Courtland Rae, who led the counterterrorism division at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, were reassigned to FBI headquarters on September 25, 2026. [8, 9]
Underlying Cause: According to reports from Bloomberg Law and CNN, the reassignments followed internal friction over the handling of alleged harassing calls made to Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. Their team determined the calls did not meet the necessary threshold or have a nexus to terrorism, leading FBI leadership and field office management to make personnel changes over the pace and handling of that specific domestic threat probe. [3, 9, 10, 11]Neither the FBI, the Department of Justice, nor public reporting has linked the internal personnel decisions at the Washington Field Office to the external ShinyHunters breach. [1, 2, 3]
[1] reuters.com
[2] cbs12.com
[3] cnn.com
[4] theregister.com
[5] washingtonpost.com
[6] nytimes.com
[7] lawfaremedia.org
[8] independent.co.uk
[9] kpax.com
[10] news.bloomberglaw.com
[11] cbs12.com– Google Search google.com/search?q=What+is+…
Search also:Dates of ShinyHunters FBI Hack 2026
When were FBI Agents Burgwald and Rae demoted and transferred?
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 28, 2026
🚨 BREAKING:
Hillary Clinton makes a stunning claim:
“Trump and the Department of Justice destroyed the Epstein files in an epic cover-up, erasing all traces of his sick relationships.
“He started the war on Iran to bury the stench of Epstein.”
Video
— @X_Global_tv Sep 28, 2026