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.

Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Seal of the FBI
Flag of the FBI
Incumbent
Paul Abbate
since February 1, 2021
Reports toDirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
AppointerDirector of the FBI
Inaugural holderClyde Tolson (BOI)
Formation1930 (as Associate Director)
DeputyAssociate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

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

Deputy directors

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No. Portrait Officeholder Director President Term
Start End
1   Clyde Tolson J. Edgar Hoover Herbert Hoover 1930 May 2, 1972
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
2   Mark Felt Vacant Richard Nixon May 3, 1972 June 22, 1973
3   James B. Adams Clarence M. Kelley Richard Nixon June 22, 1973 February 5, 1978
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
4 William H. Webster April 6, 1978 May 11, 1979
5   Floyd I. Clarke May 11, 1979 July 19, 1993
Ronald Reagan
William S. Sessions George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
6 David G. Binney Louis Freeh February 1994 December 1994
Larry A. Potts February 1995 May 2, 1995
7 May 2, 1995 July 14, 1995
8 Weldon L. Kennedy August 8, 1995 February 1997
9 William J. Esposito February 28, 1997 September 30, 1997[1]
10 Robert M. Bryant[2] October 1,1997 October 31, 1999
11   Thomas J. Pickard November 1, 1999 November 30, 2001[3]
Thomas J. Pickard Robert Mueller George W. Bush
12 Bruce J. Gebhardt 2002 2004
13   John S. Pistole October 1, 2004 May 17, 2010
Barack Obama
14   Timothy P. Murphy July 8, 2010 August 31, 2011
15   Sean M. Joyce September 1, 2011 November 30, 2013
James Comey
16   Mark F. Giuliano December 1, 2013 February 1, 2016
17   Andrew McCabe February 1, 2016[4] January 29, 2018[5]
Donald Trump
Christopher A. Wray
18   David Bowdich January 30, 2018 February 1, 2021
Joe Biden
19   Paul Abbate February 1, 2021 Incumbent

Fictional deputy directors

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References

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  1. ^ Johnston, David (September 11, 1997). "No. 2 Man at F.B.I., Important Manager, Retires This Month". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ^ "Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20 - ROBERT M. BRYANT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FED". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "FBI Deputy Director Thomas J. Pickard Announces his Retirement" (Press release). FBI. Archived from the original on May 22, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2007.
  4. ^ "Andrew G. McCabe Named Deputy Director of the FBI" (Press release). Federal Bureau of Investigation. January 29, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  5. ^ Pramuk, Jacob (January 29, 2018). "FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent target of Trump's ire, steps down: NBC News". CNBC. Retrieved January 29, 2018.