Nomination and Confirmation of the FBI Director: Process and Recent History

摘要

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The statutory basis for the present nomination and confirmation process was developed in 1968 and 1976 and has been used since the death of J. Edgar Hoover in 1972. Over this time, five nominations have been confirmed and two have been withdrawn by the President before confirmation. The position of FBI director has a fixed 10-year term; the officeholder may not be reappointed. There are no statutory restrictions on the authority of the President to remove the FBI director. One director has been removed by the President since 1972. The current FBI director, Robert S. Mueller III, was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, 2001. This report presents synopses of the nomination, confirmation, and tenure of the seven nominees for Director of the FBI from the death of J. Edgar Hoover in 1973 to 2004. These nominees were J. Patrick Gray III; Clarence M. Kelley; Frank M. Johnson, Jr.; William H. Webster; William S. Sessions; Louis J. Freeh; and Robert S. Mueller III. A table presents the following information for each nominee: Nominee Name, Nominating President, Date of Nomination, Committee Action, Final Disposition, and Elapsed Time. This report will not be updated.