WASHINGTON, June 22: US President Barack Obama has nominated James Comey, a Bush-era Justice Department official, as the next FBI Director.
If confirmed by the Senate, the 52-year-old former hedge fund executive would succeed Robert Mueller.
Comey is best known for facing off against White House officials over the legality of the eavesdropping program of the National Security Agency (NSA).
Praising his FBI nominee, Obama said Comey is a rarity in Washington who doesn’t care about politics.
“Comey understands that in time of crisis, America is judged not only by how many plots or how many criminals are bring to justice, but also by commitment to the Constitution and civil liberties espoused in the Constitution,” Obama said.
“As we’ve seen in recent days, this work of striking a balance between our security but also making sure we are maintaining fidelity to those values that we cherish is a constant mission. I have confidence not only in his experience, but his integrity, that Jim will be a leader who understands how to keep America safe and stay true to our founding ideals no matter what the future may bring,” he added.
Mueller, who took over as FBI director just the week before the September 11 attacks in 2001, will retire after heading the FBI for 12 years.
“Mueller has embodied those values through decades of public service and lived them every day as FBI director during an extraordinary period in our nation’s history. He began one of the biggest transformations of the FBI in history to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again,” Obama said. (PTI)
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