Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation explained

Post:Deputy Director
Body:the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Insignia:US-FBI-ShadedSeal.svg
Insigniasize:120
Insigniacaption:Seal of the FBI
Flag:Flag of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.svg
Flagsize:130
Flagcaption:Flag of the FBI
Reports To:Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Incumbent:Paul Abbate
Incumbentsince:February 1, 2021
Appointer:Director of the FBI
Inaugural:Clyde Tolson (BOI)
Formation:1930 (as Associate Director)
Deputy:Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (formerly known as the Associate Director) is a senior United States government position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The office is second in command to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the director is absent or the position is vacant, the deputy director automatically takes on the additional title and role of acting director. The office is also the highest position attainable within the FBI without being appointed by the President of the United States. Responsibilities as deputy director include assisting the director and leading prominent investigations. All other FBI executives and special agents in charge report to the director through the deputy director. From 1978 to 1987, the position of deputy director was not filled due to William Hedgcock Webster's decision to divide the deputy's responsibility between three positions.

Paul Abbate, former associate deputy director of the FBI, was named deputy director on February 1, 2021.

Deputy directors

No.PortraitOfficeholderDirectorPresidentTerm
StartEnd
1Clyde TolsonJ. Edgar HooverHerbert Hoover1930May 2, 1972
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
2Mark FeltVacantRichard NixonMay 3, 1972June 22, 1973
3James B. AdamsClarence M. KelleyRichard NixonJune 22, 1973February 5, 1978
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
4William H. WebsterApril 6, 1978May 11, 1979
5Floyd I. ClarkeMay 11, 1979July 19, 1993
Ronald Reagan
William S. SessionsGeorge H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
6David G. BinneyLouis FreehFebruary 1994December 1994
Larry A. PottsFebruary 1995May 2, 1995
7May 2, 1995July 14, 1995
8Weldon L. KennedyAugust 8, 1995February 1997
9William J. EspositoFebruary 28, 1997September 30, 1997[1]
10Robert M. Bryant[2] October 1,1997October 31, 1999
11Thomas J. PickardNovember 1, 1999November 30, 2001[3]
Thomas J. PickardRobert MuellerGeorge W. Bush
12Bruce J. Gebhardt20022004
13John S. PistoleOctober 1, 2004May 17, 2010
Barack Obama
14Timothy P. MurphyJuly 8, 2010August 31, 2011
15Sean M. JoyceSeptember 1, 2011November 30, 2013
James Comey
16Mark F. GiulianoDecember 1, 2013February 1, 2016
17Andrew McCabeFebruary 1, 2016[4] January 29, 2018[5]
Donald Trump
Christopher A. Wray
18David BowdichJanuary 30, 2018February 1, 2021
Joe Biden
19Paul AbbateFebruary 1, 2021Incumbent

Fictional deputy directors

Notes and References

  1. News: No. 2 Man at F.B.I., Important Manager, Retires This Month. David. Johnston. The New York Times . September 11, 1997 . January 29, 2018. NYTimes.com.
  2. Web site: Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20 - ROBERT M. BRYANT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FED . 2023-12-18 . www.govinfo.gov.
  3. FBI . FBI Deputy Director Thomas J. Pickard Announces his Retirement . May 30, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070522100745/http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/pickard103101.htm . May 22, 2007.
  4. Andrew G. McCabe Named Deputy Director of the FBI . . January 29, 2016 . October 31, 2016.
  5. Web site: FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent target of Trump's ire, steps down: NBC News . Jacob . Pramuk . . January 29, 2018 . January 29, 2018.