Jan 9 (Reuters) – Christopher Raia, the head of the FBI’s office in New York, will become the deputy director of the bureau, succeeding Dan Bongino, an FBI spokesperson confirmed on Friday.

Raia, a career agent, is expected to start the job as early as next week. 

Bongino, a former New York City police officer and right-wing podcaster who was an unconventional pick for the role, ended his short tenure as the bureau’s second-highest-ranking official last week.

The move will restore the post – one traditionally occupied by someone who rose internally within the FBI – to a career agent. Raia, who was most recently assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office, has been with the FBI since 2003 and previously served as a top counterterrorism official.

He will serve as co-deputy director with Andrew Bailey, a former Missouri state attorney general who was named in August to be co-deputy director with Bongino, the FBI spokesperson said.

The New York Times first reported the move.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward, Costas Pitas and Bhargav Acharya; editing by Scott Malone, Andy Sullivan and Rosalba O’Brien)