Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

<h2 id="term-of-office">Term of office</h2>
The FBI director is appointed by the <a href="/facts/President_of_the_United_States/oMsfmLb1">president</a> and, since 1972, subject to <a href="/facts/Advice_and_consent/oKJFKzFg">confirmation</a> by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Senate/VyzXHE01">Senate</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> <a href="/facts/J._Edgar_Hoover/5DvT2I3D">J. Edgar Hoover</a>, appointed by President <a href="/facts/Calvin_Coolidge/Lx8Bwc6p">Calvin Coolidge</a> to the predecessor office of Director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924, was by far the longest-serving director, holding the position from its establishment under the current title in 1935 until his death in 1972. In 1976, in response to Hoover's lengthy tenure and during the <a href="/facts/Watergate_scandal/7fEhrNXM">Watergate era</a>, by an amendment to the <a href="/facts/Omnibus_Crime_Control_and_Safe_Streets_Act_of_1968/yPQW4KJk">1968 Omnibus Crime Control Act</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> <a href="/facts/United_States_Congress/mJlU46K7">Congress</a> <a href="/facts/Term_limit/PTy9KLlz">limited the term</a> of future FBI directors to ten years, "an unusually long tenure that Congress established to insulate the director from political pressure."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> This rule was waived by the Senate for <a href="/facts/Robert_Mueller/w7u2kzjJ">Robert Mueller</a> on July 27, 2011, due to serious security concerns at that time.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> Since 1976, directors serve a ten-year term unless they resign, die, or are removed, but in practice, since Hoover, none have served a full ten years, except Mueller who served twelve years with the leave of Congress.
The director of the FBI can be removed from office by the president of the United States. After removal and until a replacement is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the <a href="/facts/Deputy_Director_of_the_Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation/QdWWtA09">deputy director</a> automatically acts in the role. The appointment of the deputy director is not a presidential appointment and does not require Senate confirmation. The president can appoint an interim director pending Senate confirmation<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> or nominate a permanent director.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a>

<h2 id="responsibilities">Responsibilities</h2>
Along with the deputy director, the director ensures that cases and operations are handled correctly. The director also is in charge of staffing the leadership in any one of the FBI <a href="/facts/List_of_FBI_field_offices/CaSqMStH">field offices</a> with qualified agents.

<h2 id="nominations">Nominations</h2>
The <a href="/facts/President_of_the_United_States/oMsfmLb1">President of the United States</a> appoints the director of the FBI, with the <a href="/facts/United_States_Senate/VyzXHE01">Senate</a>'s <a href="/facts/Advice_and_consent/oKJFKzFg">advice and consent</a>. The President's nominees are referred to the <a href="/facts/Senate_Judiciary_Committee/6dWBF71y">Senate Judiciary Committee</a>. The Committee arranges hearings, and thereafter votes on whether to advance the nomination to the consideration of the entire Senate.

<table><tbody><tr><th>Image</th><th colspan="2">Name</th><th>Announced</th><th colspan="2">Nominated by</th><th>Hearing date(s)</th><th>Committee vote result</th><th>Committee vote date</th><th>Cloture vote result</th><th>Cloture vote date</th><th>Floor vote result</th><th>Floor vote date</th><th>Further Details</th></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/William_S._Sessions/r2v6mGU0">William S. Sessions</a></td><td>Jul 24, 1987</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Ronald_Reagan/z6AaKAad">Ronald Reagan</a></td><td>Sep 9, 1987</td><td>Reported Favorably</td><td>Sep 15, 1987</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>90–0</td><td>Sep 25, 1987</td><td><a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/100th-congress/564">Congress.gov Page</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Louis_Freeh/5fyvX6pz">Louis Freeh</a></td><td>Jul 20, 1993</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Bill_Clinton/x5mwYkVh">Bill Clinton</a></td><td>Jul 29, 1993</td><td>Reported Favorably</td><td>Aug 3, 1993</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>Confirmed by <a href="/facts/Voice_vote/TDSflf1Y">voice vote</a></td><td>Aug 6, 1993</td><td><a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/103rd-congress/487">Congress.gov Page</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Robert_Mueller/w7u2kzjJ">Robert Mueller</a></td><td>Jul 5, 2001</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/George_W._Bush/mYSgM515">George W. Bush</a></td><td>Jul 30, 2001 –Jul 31, 2001</td><td>Reported Favorably</td><td>Aug 2, 2001</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>98–0</td><td>Aug 2, 2001</td><td><a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/107th-congress/668">Congress.gov Page</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/James_Comey/5bYC2Fkd">James Comey</a></td><td>Jun 21, 2013</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Barack_Obama/76wUMgL1">Barack Obama</a></td><td>Jul 9, 2013</td><td>Reported Favorably</td><td>Jul 18, 2013</td><td>Withdrawn by unanimous consent</td><td>Jul 29, 2013</td><td>93–1</td><td>Jul 29, 2013</td><td><a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/113th-congress/586">Congress.gov Page</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Christopher_A._Wray/4gSvIKS5">Christopher A. Wray</a></td><td>Jun 7, 2017</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Donald_Trump/pqqKY21P">Donald Trump</a></td><td>Jul 12, 2017</td><td>20–0</td><td>Jul 20, 2017</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>92–5</td><td>Aug 1, 2017</td><td><a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/115th-congress/696">Congress.gov Page</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Kash_Patel/zFlNbXCW">Kash Patel</a></td><td>Nov 30, 2024</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Donald_Trump/pqqKY21P">Donald Trump</a></td><td>Jan 30, 2025</td><td>12–10</td><td>Feb 13, 2025</td><td>51–47<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a></td><td>Feb 20, 2025</td><td>51–49</td><td>Feb 20, 2025</td><td><a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/12/35">Congress.gov Page</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
<h2 id="lists-of-officeholders">Lists of officeholders</h2>
<h3>Bureau of Investigation chiefs and directors (1908–1935)</h3>
When the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was established in 1908, its head was called Chief of the Bureau of Investigation.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a> It was changed to the director of the Bureau of Investigation in the term of <a href="/facts/William_J._Flynn/tDp0JaIa">William J. Flynn</a> (1919–1921) and to its current name when the BOI was renamed FBI in 1935.
The following persons served as chief of the Bureau of Investigation:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a>

<table><tbody><tr><td>No.</td><th>Image</th><th colspan="2">Name</th><th>Start</th><th>End</th><th>Duration</th><th>Refs.</th><th colspan="2">President(s)</th></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Stanley_Finch/TPAGTs5N">Stanley Finch</a></td><td rowspan="2">July 26, 1908</td><td rowspan="2">April 30, 1912</td><td rowspan="2">3 years, 279 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Theodore_Roosevelt/WzUPbcbo">Theodore Roosevelt</a>(1901–1909)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/William_Howard_Taft/FJDwdLsn">William Howard Taft</a>(1909–1913)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">2</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/A._Bruce_Bielaski/E3QNaCVS">A. Bruce Bielaski</a></td><td rowspan="2">April 30, 1912</td><td rowspan="2">February 10, 1919</td><td rowspan="2">6 years, 286 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Woodrow_Wilson/zE4yxK2X">Woodrow Wilson</a>(1913–1921)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/William_E._Allen/MrMGIfLa">William E. Allen</a>Acting</td><td>February 10, 1919</td><td>June 30, 1919</td><td>140 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20">20</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">3</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/William_J._Flynn/tDp0JaIa">William J. Flynn</a></td><td rowspan="2">July 1, 1919</td><td rowspan="2">August 21, 1921</td><td rowspan="2">2 years, 51 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21">21</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Warren_G._Harding/v9zaPPvS">Warren G. Harding</a>(1921–1923)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">4</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/William_J._Burns/wYQvlQbK">William J. Burns</a></td><td rowspan="2">August 22, 1921</td><td rowspan="2">May 10, 1924</td><td rowspan="2">2 years, 262 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22">22</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Calvin_Coolidge/Lx8Bwc6p">Calvin Coolidge</a>(1923–1929)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">5</td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/J._Edgar_Hoover/5DvT2I3D">J. Edgar Hoover</a></td><td rowspan="3">May 10, 1924</td><td rowspan="3">June 30, 1935</td><td rowspan="3">11 years, 51 days</td><td rowspan="3"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23">23</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Herbert_Hoover/9vdabkqa">Herbert Hoover</a>(1929–1933)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Franklin_D._Roosevelt/HtG9vMQv">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>(1933–1945)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<h3>Federal Bureau of Investigation directors (1935–present)</h3>
The FBI became an independent service within the Department of Justice in 1935.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24">24</a> In the same year, its name was officially changed to the present-day Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with J. Edgar Hoover receiving the current title of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since 1972, the United States Senate has had to confirm the nomination of a permanent officeholder. <a href="/facts/Frank_Minis_Johnson/XlHrlUs3">Frank Johnson</a> had been nominated by <a href="/facts/Jimmy_Carter/Rr4UyAVX">Jimmy Carter</a> in 1977, but withdrew for health reasons.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25">25</a>
The following persons served as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:26" href="#fn:26">26</a>

<table><tbody><tr><th>No.</th><th>Image</th><th colspan="2">Name</th><th>Start</th><th>End</th><th>Duration</th><th>Refs.</th><th colspan="2">President(s)</th></tr><tr><td rowspan="6">1</td><td rowspan="6"></td><td rowspan="6"></td><td rowspan="6"><a href="/facts/J._Edgar_Hoover/5DvT2I3D">J. Edgar Hoover</a></td><td rowspan="6">July 1, 1935</td><td rowspan="6">May 2, 1972</td><td rowspan="6">36 years, 306 days</td><td rowspan="6"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:27" href="#fn:27">27</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Franklin_D._Roosevelt/HtG9vMQv">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>(1933–1945)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Harry_S._Truman/2E2LmMoB">Harry S. Truman</a>(1945–1953)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Dwight_D._Eisenhower/a21WXe8r">Dwight D. Eisenhower</a>(1953–1961)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/John_F._Kennedy/1cdDaswg">John F. Kennedy</a>(1961–1963)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Lyndon_B._Johnson/PKNthHX1">Lyndon B. Johnson</a>(1963–1969)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="5"><a href="/facts/Richard_Nixon/HS8uXAoC">Richard Nixon</a>(1969–1974)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Clyde_Tolson/JLqDFlgk">Clyde Tolson</a>Acting</td><td>May 2, 1972</td><td>May 3, 1972</td><td>1 day</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/L._Patrick_Gray/fGALEbMw">L. Patrick Gray</a>Acting</td><td>May 3, 1972</td><td>April 27, 1973</td><td>359 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:28" href="#fn:28">28</a></td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/William_Ruckelshaus/FdQ6uW39">Bill Ruckelshaus</a>Acting</td><td>April 30, 1973</td><td>July 9, 1973</td><td>70 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:29" href="#fn:29">29</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">2</td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Clarence_M._Kelley/b7LuMLAF">Clarence M. Kelley</a></td><td rowspan="3">July 9, 1973</td><td rowspan="3">February 15, 1978</td><td rowspan="3">4 years, 221 days</td><td rowspan="3"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:30" href="#fn:30">30</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Gerald_Ford/AdMS7jGW">Gerald Ford</a>(1974–1977)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Jimmy_Carter/Rr4UyAVX">Jimmy Carter</a>(1977–1981)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/James_B._Adams/f1GLBD3e">James B. Adams</a>Acting</td><td>February 15, 1978</td><td>February 23, 1978</td><td>8 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:31" href="#fn:31">31</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">3</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/William_H._Webster/53KsfK7M">Bill Webster</a></td><td rowspan="2">February 23, 1978</td><td rowspan="2">May 25, 1987</td><td rowspan="2">9 years, 91 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:32" href="#fn:32">32</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Ronald_Reagan/z6AaKAad">Ronald Reagan</a>(1981–1989)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/John_E._Otto/K8sa3RT0">John E. Otto</a>Acting</td><td>May 25, 1987</td><td>November 2, 1987</td><td>160 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:33" href="#fn:33">33</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">4</td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/William_S._Sessions/r2v6mGU0">William S. Sessions</a></td><td rowspan="3">November 2, 1987</td><td rowspan="3">July 19, 1993</td><td rowspan="3">5 years, 259 days</td><td rowspan="3"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:34" href="#fn:34">34</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/George_H._W._Bush/Xk5UxRqp">George H. W. Bush</a>(1989–1993)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Bill_Clinton/x5mwYkVh">Bill Clinton</a>(1993–2001)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Floyd_I._Clarke/JDTJKMwv">Floyd I. Clarke</a>Acting</td><td>July 19, 1993</td><td>September 1, 1993</td><td>44 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:35" href="#fn:35">35</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">5</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Louis_Freeh/5fyvX6pz">Louis Freeh</a></td><td rowspan="2">September 1, 1993</td><td rowspan="2">June 25, 2001</td><td rowspan="2">7 years, 297 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:36" href="#fn:36">36</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/George_W._Bush/mYSgM515">George W. Bush</a>(2001–2009)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Thomas_J._Pickard/IEnqE4m3">Thomas J. Pickard</a>Acting</td><td>June 25, 2001</td><td>September 4, 2001</td><td>71 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:37" href="#fn:37">37</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">6</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Robert_Mueller/w7u2kzjJ">Robert Mueller</a></td><td rowspan="2">September 4, 2001</td><td rowspan="2">September 4, 2013</td><td rowspan="2">12 years, 0 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:38" href="#fn:38">38</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Barack_Obama/76wUMgL1">Barack Obama</a>(2009–2017)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">7</td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/James_Comey/5bYC2Fkd">James Comey</a></td><td rowspan="2">September 4, 2013</td><td rowspan="2">May 9, 2017</td><td rowspan="2">3 years, 247 days</td><td rowspan="2"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:39" href="#fn:39">39</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="4"><a href="/facts/Donald_Trump/pqqKY21P">Donald Trump</a>(2017–2021)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Andrew_McCabe/Wp89oWYr">Andrew McCabe</a>Acting</td><td>May 9, 2017</td><td>August 2, 2017</td><td>85 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:40" href="#fn:40">40</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">8</td><td rowspan="3"></td><td></td><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Christopher_A._Wray/4gSvIKS5">Christopher A. Wray</a></td><td rowspan="3">August 2, 2017</td><td rowspan="3">January 19, 2025</td><td rowspan="3">7 years, 171 days</td><td rowspan="3"><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:41" href="#fn:41">41</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:42" href="#fn:42">42</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:43" href="#fn:43">43</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Joe_Biden/fe2ThfUp">Joe Biden</a>(2021–2025)</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Paul_Abbate/f2Xoo8a4">Paul Abbate</a>Acting</td><td>January 19, 2025</td><td>January 20, 2025</td><td>1 day</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:44" href="#fn:44">44</a></td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Brian_Driscoll/wshRw9v4">Brian Driscoll</a>Acting</td><td>January 20, 2025</td><td>February 21, 2025</td><td>32 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:45" href="#fn:45">45</a></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Donald_Trump/pqqKY21P">Donald Trump</a>(2025–present)</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Kash_Patel/zFlNbXCW">Kash Patel</a></td><td>February 21, 2025</td><td>Incumbent</td><td>107 days</td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:46" href="#fn:46">46</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
<h2 id="line-of-succession">Line of succession</h2>
The line of succession for the director of the FBI is as follows:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:47" href="#fn:47">47</a>

<ol><li><a href="/facts/Deputy_Director_of_the_Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation/QdWWtA09">Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Associate_Deputy_Director_of_the_Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation/je7crwDE">Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation</a></li>
<li>Executive Assistant Director of the <a href="/facts/FBI_National_Security_Branch/dUaHYH6Q">National Security Branch</a></li>
<li>Executive Assistant Director for <a href="/facts/FBI_Criminal%2c_Cyber%2c_Response%2c_and_Services_Branch/MsIM90uI">Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services</a>, Houston, TX</li>
<li>Assistant Director of Counterterrorism Division</li>
<li>Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Division</li>
<li>Assistant Director, Washington Field Office</li>
<li>Assistant Director, New York Field Office</li>
<li>Assistant Director, Los Angeles Field Office</li></ol>
<h2 id="dismissals">Dismissals</h2>
Since the office's inception, only two directors have been dismissed: <a href="/facts/William_S._Sessions/r2v6mGU0">William S. Sessions</a> by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and <a href="/facts/James_Comey/5bYC2Fkd">James Comey</a> by President Donald Trump in 2017. 

<h3>William S. Sessions</h3>
Just before <a href="/facts/Bill_Clinton/x5mwYkVh">Bill Clinton</a> was inaugurated as the 42nd <a href="/facts/President_of_the_United_States/oMsfmLb1">president of the United States</a> on January 20, 1993, allegations of ethical improprieties were made against Sessions. A report by outgoing Attorney General <a href="/facts/William_P._Barr/z9zBuVGn">William P. Barr</a> presented to the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Justice/2SuTuevo">Justice Department</a> that month by the <a href="/facts/Office_of_Professional_Responsibility/om1DES2V">Office of Professional Responsibility</a> included criticisms that he had used an FBI plane to travel to visit his daughter on several occasions, and had a security system installed in his home at government expense.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:48" href="#fn:48">48</a> <a href="/facts/Janet_Reno/f3nmLJQP">Janet Reno</a>, the 78th <a href="/facts/Attorney_General_of_the_United_States/8VaY1rlI">Attorney General of the United States</a>, announced that Sessions had exhibited "serious deficiencies in judgment."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:49" href="#fn:49">49</a>
Although Sessions denied that he had acted improperly, he was pressured to resign in early July, with some suggesting that President Clinton was giving Sessions the chance to step down in a dignified manner. Sessions refused, saying that he had done nothing wrong, and insisted on staying in office until his successor was confirmed. As a result, President Clinton dismissed Sessions on July 19, 1993, five and a half years into a ten-year term. Clinton's public explanation was that there had been a loss of confidence in Sessions' leadership, and then-Attorney General Reno recommended the dismissal.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:50" href="#fn:50">50</a>
Clinton nominated <a href="/facts/Louis_Freeh/5fyvX6pz">Louis Freeh</a> to be FBI Director on July 20. Then-FBI deputy director <a href="/facts/Floyd_I._Clarke/JDTJKMwv">Floyd I. Clarke</a>, who Sessions suggested had led a coup to force his removal, served as acting director until September 1, 1993, when Freeh was sworn in.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:51" href="#fn:51">51</a>

<h3>James Comey</h3>
Main article: <a href="/facts/Dismissal_of_James_Comey/z92Aer6E">Dismissal of James Comey</a>
On May 9, 2017, President Trump dismissed Comey after the recommendation of <a href="/facts/United_States_Attorney_General/8VaY1rlI">United States Attorney General</a> <a href="/facts/Jeff_Sessions/ahb29t8f">Jeff Sessions</a> and <a href="/facts/United_States_Deputy_Attorney_General/jfUQ34U2">Deputy Attorney General</a> <a href="/facts/Rod_Rosenstein/XnQbH9to">Rod Rosenstein</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:52" href="#fn:52">52</a> Rosenstein's memorandum to Sessions objected to Comey's conduct in the investigation into <a href="/facts/Hillary_Clinton_email_controversy/PpEFDadJ">Hillary Clinton's emails</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:53" href="#fn:53">53</a> This was contradicted by multiple unnamed sources to news outlets, who said that Trump and high-level officials personally asked for Comey to be fired.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:54" href="#fn:54">54</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:55" href="#fn:55">55</a> Comey was fired after he asked for more money for the investigations into <a href="/facts/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_elections/joyqKPf7">Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:56" href="#fn:56">56</a> Many members of Congress, mostly Democrats, expressed concern over the firing and argued that it would put the integrity of the investigation into jeopardy.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:57" href="#fn:57">57</a>
Comey's termination was immediately controversial, even being characterized as corrupt by news commentators. It was compared, by the aforementioned news outlets, to the <a href="/facts/Saturday_Night_Massacre/v3SgRTQv">Saturday Night Massacre</a>, President <a href="/facts/Richard_Nixon/HS8uXAoC">Richard Nixon</a>'s termination of special prosecutor <a href="/facts/Archibald_Cox/4TSPvDdu">Archibald Cox</a>, who had been investigating the <a href="/facts/Watergate_scandal/7fEhrNXM">Watergate scandal</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:58" href="#fn:58">58</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:59" href="#fn:59">59</a> and to the firing of Acting Attorney General <a href="/facts/Sally_Yates/JlP5HjAY">Sally Yates</a> in January 2017.
In the dismissal letter Trump stated that Comey had asserted "on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation" which was later confirmed by Comey to the Senate while under oath.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:60" href="#fn:60">60</a> This is disputed by reporting from multiple news agencies with multiple sources. According to the reporting, Trump had been openly talking about firing Comey for at least a week before his dismissal. Trump and <a href="/facts/Democratic_Party_(United_States)/MNe3nDrL">Democratic</a> leaders had long questioned Comey's judgment. Moreover, Trump was angry that Comey would not support his claim that President <a href="/facts/Barack_Obama/76wUMgL1">Barack Obama</a> had his campaign offices wiretapped, was frustrated when Comey revealed in Senate testimony the breadth of the counterintelligence investigation into Russia's effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election and that Comey was giving too much attention to the Russia probe and not to internal leaks within the government. On May 8, 2017, he gave Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein a directive to explain in writing a case against Comey. That directive was forwarded to Trump as a recommendation to dismiss Comey the following day, which Trump did.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:61" href="#fn:61">61</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:62" href="#fn:62">62</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:63" href="#fn:63">63</a>
Comey first learned of his termination from television news reports that flashed on screen while he was delivering a speech to agents at the Los Angeles Field Office.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:64" href="#fn:64">64</a> Sources said he was surprised and caught off guard by the termination. Comey immediately departed for Washington, D.C., and was forced to cancel his scheduled speech that night at an FBI recruitment event at the <a href="/facts/Directors_Guild_of_America/sr6kD2qY">Directors Guild of America</a> in Hollywood.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:65" href="#fn:65">65</a>
In the absence of a Senate-confirmed FBI director, Deputy Director <a href="/facts/Andrew_McCabe/Wp89oWYr">Andrew McCabe</a> automatically became the acting director, serving until the confirmation of <a href="/facts/Christopher_A._Wray/4gSvIKS5">Christopher Wray</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:66" href="#fn:66">66</a>

<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li>United States portal</li></ul>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Chief%2c_IRS_Criminal_Investigation/cVQDW6FE">Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Director_of_the_Central_Intelligence_Agency/vSERrIF8">Director of the Central Intelligence Agency</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Director_of_the_United_States_Marshals_Service/cIN3gzpp">Director of the United States Marshals Service</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Director_of_the_United_States_Secret_Service/GzVzIHa5">Director of the United States Secret Service</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Federal_law_enforcement_in_the_United_States/UJvsMwEk">Federal law enforcement in the United States</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Directors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

<ul><li><a href="https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/executives/director">Official website</a> </li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Directors, Then and Now". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved March 21, 2017. On October 15, 1976, in reaction to the extraordinary 48-year term of J. Edgar Hoover, Congress passed Public Law 94-503, limiting the FBI Director to a single term of no longer than 10 years. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"28 U.S. Code § 532 - Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/532" target="_blank">https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/532</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"FBI Director: Appointment and Tenure" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41850.pdf" target="_blank">https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41850.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Organization, Mission & Functions Manual: Attorney General, Deputy and Associate". US Department of Justice. August 27, 2014. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170131085617/https://www.justice.gov/jmd/organization-mission-and-functions-manual-attorney-general#ag" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20170131085617/https://www.justice.gov/jmd/organization-mission-and-functions-manual-attorney-general#ag</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11, 2001: Issues and Options for Congress". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL32336.html#n_30_" target="_blank">https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL32336.html#n_30_</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"28 U.S. Code § 532 - Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/532" target="_blank">https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/532</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"FBI Director: Appointment and Tenure" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41850.pdf" target="_blank">https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41850.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">Hogue, Henry B. (May 29, 2018). FBI Director Nominations, 1973-2017 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved June 14, 2018. <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44842.pdf" target="_blank">https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44842.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Kutner, Max (May 4, 2017). "Can President Donald Trump Fire FBI Director James Comey". Newsweek. <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/can-president-fire-fbi-director-trump-comey-594716" target="_blank">http://www.newsweek.com/can-president-fire-fbi-director-trump-comey-594716</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Chesney, Robert (May 10, 2017). "Backgrounder: The Power to Appoint & Remove the FBI Director". Lawfare Blog. <a href="/wiki/Robert_M._Chesney" target="_blank">/wiki/Robert_M._Chesney</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Shear, Michael D.; Apuzzo, Matt (May 9, 2017). "F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump". The New York Times. <a href="/wiki/Matt_Apuzzo" target="_blank">/wiki/Matt_Apuzzo</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">"Senate Extends Term of F.B.I. Director". The New York Times. July 27, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2011. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/us/28brfs-SENATEEXTEND_BRF.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/us/28brfs-SENATEEXTEND_BRF.html</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Wilber, Del Quentin (May 11, 2017). "Top Officials Being Interviewed for Interim FBI Director After James Comey's Ouster". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via www.wsj.com. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-officials-being-interviewed-for-interim-fbi-director-after-james-comeys-ouster-1494433033" target="_blank">https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-officials-being-interviewed-for-interim-fbi-director-after-james-comeys-ouster-1494433033</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"Interim FBI director likely to be named as soon as Wednesday". MSN. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/interim-fbi-director-likely-to-be-named-as-soon-as-wednesday/ar-BBAYQ9O" target="_blank">https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/interim-fbi-director-likely-to-be-named-as-soon-as-wednesday/ar-BBAYQ9O</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">A procedural vote to move Patel's nomination forward passed 48–45 on February 18, 2025. <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">"The FBI Director: Background on the Position". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved February 7, 2011.[dead link] <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/directors/the-position-of-fbi-director" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/directors/the-position-of-fbi-director</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">"Previous Directors". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:18">"Stanley W. Finch, July 26, 1908 - April 30, 1912". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/stanley-w-finch" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/stanley-w-finch</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">"Alexander B. Bielaski, April 30, 1912 - February 10, 1919". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/alexander-b-bielaski" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/alexander-b-bielaski</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:20">"William E. Allen (Acting), February 10, 1919 - June 30, 1919". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-e-allen" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-e-allen</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:21">"William J. Flynn, July 1, 1919 - August 21, 1921". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-j-flynn" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-j-flynn</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:22">"William J. Burns, August 22, 1921 - June 14, 1924". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-j-burns" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-j-burns</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:23">"J. Edgar Hoover, May 10, 1924 - May 2, 1972". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/j-edgar-hoover" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/j-edgar-hoover</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:24">"Timeline of FBI History". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150316145041/http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/intelligence/timeline/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150316145041/http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/intelligence/timeline/</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:25">Smith, J. Y. (July 25, 1999). "Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. Dies". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 8, 2023. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/07/25/judge-frank-m-johnson-jr-dies/db3794fd-6ffa-4d1f-9ed2-2de2e813eeaf/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/07/25/judge-frank-m-johnson-jr-dies/db3794fd-6ffa-4d1f-9ed2-2de2e813eeaf/</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:26">"Previous Directors". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors</a> <a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:27">"J. Edgar Hoover, May 10, 1924 - May 2, 1972". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/j-edgar-hoover" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/j-edgar-hoover</a> <a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:28">"L. Patrick Gray (Acting), May 3, 1972 - April 27, 1973". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/l-patrick-gray" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/l-patrick-gray</a> <a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:29">"William D. Ruckelshaus (Acting), April 30, 1973 - July 9, 1973". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-d-ruckelshaus-acting" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-d-ruckelshaus-acting</a> <a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:30">"Clarence M. Kelley, July 9, 1973 - February 15, 1978". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/clarence-m-kelley" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/clarence-m-kelley</a> <a href="#fnref:30" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:31">"James B. Adams (Acting), February 15, 1978 – February 23, 1978". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-adams" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-adams</a> <a href="#fnref:31" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:32">"William H. Webster, February 23, 1978 - May 25, 1987". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-h-webster" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-h-webster</a> <a href="#fnref:32" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:33">"John E. Otto (Acting), May 26, 1987 - November 2, 1987". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/john-e-otto-acting" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/john-e-otto-acting</a> <a href="#fnref:33" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:34">"William S. Sessions, November 2, 1987 - July 19, 1993". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-s-sessions" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-s-sessions</a> <a href="#fnref:34" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:35">"Floyd I. Clarke (Acting), July 19, 1993 - September 1, 1993". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/floyd-i-clarke" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/floyd-i-clarke</a> <a href="#fnref:35" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:36">"Louis J. Freeh, September 1, 1993 - June 25, 2001". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/louis-j-freeh" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/louis-j-freeh</a> <a href="#fnref:36" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:37">"Thomas J. Pickard (Acting), June 25, 2001 - September 4, 2001". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/thomas-j-pickard" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/thomas-j-pickard</a> <a href="#fnref:37" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:38">"Robert S. Mueller, III, September 4, 2001- September 4, 2013". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/robert-s-mueller-iii" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/robert-s-mueller-iii</a> <a href="#fnref:38" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:39">"James B. Comey, September 4, 2013 - May 9, 2017". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey</a> <a href="#fnref:39" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:40">"Andrew McCabe (Acting Director), May 9, 2017 - August 2, 2017". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/andrew-mccabe" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/andrew-mccabe</a> <a href="#fnref:40" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:41">"Christopher Wray, August 2, 2017 - January 20, 2025". FBI. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/christopher-wray" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/christopher-wray</a> <a href="#fnref:41" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:42">"New FBI Director". FBI. August 2, 2017. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/christopher-wray-sworn-in-as-fbi-director" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/christopher-wray-sworn-in-as-fbi-director</a> <a href="#fnref:42" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:43">Yousif, Nadine (December 11, 2024). "FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign before Trump takes office". BBC. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce902z8lp81o" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce902z8lp81o</a> <a href="#fnref:43" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:44">Johnson, Carrie (January 20, 2025). "The deputy FBI director is retiring today". NPR. <a href="https://www.klcc.org/2025-01-20/the-deputy-fbi-director-is-retiring-today" target="_blank">https://www.klcc.org/2025-01-20/the-deputy-fbi-director-is-retiring-today</a> <a href="#fnref:44" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:45">Goldman, Adam; Rashbaum, William K.; Haberman, Maggie (January 20, 2025). "In Shake-Up, Trump Administration Jolts F.B.I. by Installing Acting Leader". The New York Times. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/paul-abbate-fbi-director.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/paul-abbate-fbi-director.html</a> <a href="#fnref:45" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:46">"New FBI Director Kash Patel Takes Oath of Office". FBI. February 25, 2025. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/new-fbi-director-takes-oath-of-office" target="_blank">https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/new-fbi-director-takes-oath-of-office</a> <a href="#fnref:46" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:47">"Designation of Officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation". Federal Register. February 14, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2016. <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2007/02/14/07-714/designation-of-officers-of-the-federal-bureau-of-investigation" target="_blank">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2007/02/14/07-714/designation-of-officers-of-the-federal-bureau-of-investigation</a> <a href="#fnref:47" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:48">Johnston, David (January 19, 1993). "F.B.I. Chief Plans to Fight for Job". The New York Times. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/19/us/fbi-chief-plans-to-fight-for-job.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/19/us/fbi-chief-plans-to-fight-for-job.html</a> <a href="#fnref:48" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:49">"Time's Up for William Sessions". The New York Times. January 22, 1993. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/22/opinion/time-s-up-for-william-sessions.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/22/opinion/time-s-up-for-william-sessions.html</a> <a href="#fnref:49" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:50">"How independent is the FBI's director? - National Constitution Center". National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018. <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-independent-is-the-fbis-director" target="_blank">https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-independent-is-the-fbis-director</a> <a href="#fnref:50" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:51">Johnston, David (July 20, 1993) "Defiant FBI chief removed from job by the President", The New York Times. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/20/us/defiant-fbi-chief-removed-from-job-by-the-president.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/20/us/defiant-fbi-chief-removed-from-job-by-the-president.html</a> <a href="#fnref:51" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:52">Michael D. Shear; Matt Apuzzo (May 10, 2017). "Trump Fires Comey Amid Russia Inquiry – Clinton Email Investigation Cited – Democrats Seek Special Counsel". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="/wiki/Matt_Apuzzo" target="_blank">/wiki/Matt_Apuzzo</a> <a href="#fnref:52" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:53">Smith, David (May 9, 2017). "Donald Trump fires FBI director Comey over handling of Clinton investigation". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 9, 2017. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/09/james-comey-fbi-fired-donald-trump" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/09/james-comey-fbi-fired-donald-trump</a> <a href="#fnref:53" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:54">Sommer, Will (May 9, 2017). "Sessions was told to find reasons to fire Comey: reports". The Hill. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/332651-sessions-was-told-to-find-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports/" target="_blank">https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/332651-sessions-was-told-to-find-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports/</a> <a href="#fnref:54" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:55">Pramuk, Jacob (May 9, 2017). "Justice Department was told to come up with reasons to fire Comey, reports say". CNBC. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/09/justice-department-was-told-to-come-up-with-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports-say.html" target="_blank">https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/09/justice-department-was-told-to-come-up-with-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports-say.html</a> <a href="#fnref:55" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:56">Rosenberg, Matthew; Apuzzo, Matt (May 10, 2017). "Days Before He Was Fired, Comey Asked for Money for Russia Investigation". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/comey-russia-investigation-fbi.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/comey-russia-investigation-fbi.html</a> <a href="#fnref:56" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:57">"Comey firing: Reaction from members of Congress on FBI director's dismissal". The Washington Post. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/09/comey-firing-reaction-from-members-of-congress-on-fbi-directors-dismissal/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/09/comey-firing-reaction-from-members-of-congress-on-fbi-directors-dismissal/</a> <a href="#fnref:57" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:58">Wilstein, Matt (May 9, 2017). "CNN's Jeffrey Toobin Goes Off on Trump for Firing Comey: 'What Kind of Country Is This?'". The Daily Beast. <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/09/white-house-fires-fbi-director-james-comey.html" target="_blank">http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/09/white-house-fires-fbi-director-james-comey.html</a> <a href="#fnref:58" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:59">Abbruzzese, Jason (May 9, 2017). "Everyone is comparing Donald Trump to Richard Nixon". The Silicon Times. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170730011516/http://thesilicontimes.com/everyone-is-comparing-donald-trump-to-richard-nixon/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20170730011516/http://thesilicontimes.com/everyone-is-comparing-donald-trump-to-richard-nixon/</a> <a href="#fnref:59" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:60">"FBI Director James Comey fired by President Trump". Fox59. Associated Press. May 9, 2017. <a href="http://fox59.com/2017/05/09/fbi-director-james-comey-fired-by-president-trump/" target="_blank">http://fox59.com/2017/05/09/fbi-director-james-comey-fired-by-president-trump/</a> <a href="#fnref:60" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:61">Haberman, Maggie; Thrush, Glenn (May 10, 2017). "'Enough Was Enough': How Festering Anger at Comey Ended in His Firing". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2017. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/how-trump-decided-to-fire-james-comey.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/how-trump-decided-to-fire-james-comey.html</a> <a href="#fnref:61" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:62">Dawsey, Josh. "'He got tired of him'". Politico. Retrieved May 11, 2017. <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/10/comey-firing-trump-loyalty-238239" target="_blank">http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/10/comey-firing-trump-loyalty-238239</a> <a href="#fnref:62" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:63">Rucker, Philip; Parker, Ashley; Barrett, Devlin; Costa, Robert. "Inside Trump's anger and impatience – and his sudden decision to fire Comey". The Washington Post. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-trumps-anger-and-impatience-prompted-him-to-fire-the-fbi-director/2017/05/10/d9642334-359c-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-trumps-anger-and-impatience-prompted-him-to-fire-the-fbi-director/2017/05/10/d9642334-359c-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html</a> <a href="#fnref:63" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:64">The Associated Press (May 9, 2017). "The Latest: Comey Learned of Ouster as He Spoke at FBI in LA". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/05/09/us/politics/ap-us-trump-comey-the-latest.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/05/09/us/politics/ap-us-trump-comey-the-latest.html</a> <a href="#fnref:64" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:65">Winton, Richard; Queally, James (May 9, 2017). "Comey was 'caught flat-footed' and learned of firing from TV while talking to FBI agents in L.A., source says". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-comey-los-angeles-20170509-story.html" target="_blank">https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-comey-los-angeles-20170509-story.html</a> <a href="#fnref:65" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:66">"Trump fires Comey: McCabe takes over as FBI's acting director". Fox News. May 9, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fires-comey-mccabe-takes-over-as-fbis-acting-director" target="_blank">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fires-comey-mccabe-takes-over-as-fbis-acting-director</a> <a href="#fnref:66" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation open-in-new

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation