Interviews for next FBI director starting today
WASHINGTON — The search for a new FBI director has moved in the direction of installing a leader who would be viewed as independent from the White House amid the backlash over President Donald Trump’s abrupt dismissal of James Comey.
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe — who on Thursday contradicted the White House’s characterization of the Russian meddling probe as a low priority — will interview today to serve as the FBI’s permanent director, according to sources.
McCabe is one of at least four people who will interview to replace Comey, the people said. The others are Alice Fisher, a white-collar defense lawyer who previously led the department’s criminal division; Michael J. Garcia, a judge on the New York State Court of Appeals; and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the No. 2 Republican in that chamber.
All four will be interviewed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
It is possible other candidates could be considered, officials said.
Earlier Friday, The New York Times reported that several candidates, including Cornyn and Fisher, were under consideration. Among them were Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, who led the most recent congressional investigation into the Benghazi attacks, and a darkhorse candidate, Raymond Kelly, a former New York City police commissioner.
It is thought that a lack of deep ties to Trump is desirable, to avoid the appearance that he wants to install a crony at the top of an agency that is investigating the activities of his presidential campaign. Another concern is that the Senate confirmation process go smoothly, which requires selecting and vetting a nominee who is acceptable to both parties.
Other candidates mentioned by the Times included:
J. Michael Luttig
Luttig is a former Justice Department lawyer and federal appeals court judge who was appointed by President George W. Bush. Widely admired by conservatives, Luttig left the bench in 2006 to become general counsel of Boeing, a position he still holds.
Luttig would be a throwback pick. Judges were long selected to run the FBI because they were seen as likely to keep agents within constitutional boundaries and were steeped in criminal law. But the FBI mission has changed drastically since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with the bureau now as much a part of the nation’s intelligence apparatus as it is a law enforcement body.
Rep. Trey Gowdy
Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, oversaw the Benghazi special investigation in the House. Many FBI agents saw that inquiry as a boondoggle and view Gowdy as highly partisan.
Mike Rogers
Rogers is a former chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee. He represented Michigan and once served as an agent in the bureau. Respected among agents who felt he was a straight shooter, he probably has the credibility to steer the FBI out of a hurricane of bad publicity.
Raymond Kelly
Trump and his advisers have asked some people whether they think that Kelly would be ‘‘loyal,’’ language similar to what he used in questioning Comey’s effectiveness, according to people briefed on the discussions. In Kelly’s case, those briefed said, the White House appeared to be trying to assess whether Kelly would seek to advance his own image, as Trump accused Comey of doing.
Kelly is said to be seen as outside the top tier of candidates because the job is a 10-year appointment and, at 75, he is older than many of the other prospects. And as police commissioner, he had a combative relationship with the FBI, with the two agencies frequently engaged in turf wars. He was widely disliked among agents.
Other possibilities mentioned by the Times included Kelly Ayotte, a former New Hampshire attorney general who lost her seat in the U.S. Senate last year. But Trump has remained leery of Ayotte, who publicly broke with him during his presidential campaign and criticized him, according to people close to the White House.
George Terwilliger, who helped lead the Bush campaign’s recount efforts in 2000 and served for a time as deputy attorney general under Bush’s father, is another name being batted about.