Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

FBI Searches for New Director in Wake of Resignation Announcement

Aired May 02, 2001 - 10:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As we reported earlier, the White House is searching for a new FBI director -- that after Louis Freeh said he plans to retire next month. President Bush says the announcement caught him by surprise.

But already, a number of names are surfacing as possible replacements for Mr. Freeh. Joining us now from Washington to talk about it is Nina Totenberg, a correspondent for National Public Radio.

Nina, hello.

NINA TOTENBERG, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: Hi.

KAGAN: Heard you talking about this on NPR yesterday afternoon, I said, "We've got to have Nina in to talk about it with us, as well." Were you surprised by this announcement?

TOTENBERG: I was, although everybody really did expect Louis Freeh to leave sometime before his tenure was up in about two -- 2 1/2 years. He has six children, between the ages of -- I think -- 6 and 16 and he talked a lot about the fact that he couldn't send them to college on his $145,000-a-year salary. But he talked to a lot of people recently and seemed to be in, at least, for the short haul.

So something apparently happened in the family, I'm told, that made him decide, "Look, I just need to leave now."

KAGAN: Well, being Director of the FBI is a long haul, a 10-year term, so if you think about whoever does fill this position, they're probably -- good chance they'll be there -- even if President Bush serves two terms -- they would even outlast President Bush.

TOTENBERG: That's right. And, so this is halfway between a lifetime tenure and just a cabinet officer, I guess you'd have to say. So you have to assume that the Senate, which is divided 50/50, Democrats to Republicans will be giving whoever President Bush nominates particular scrutiny.

KAGAN: A very good look. Well let's look at some of the names that are floating out there. Probably top on the list, we're hearing, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating -- why would he be a choice?

TOTENBERG: Well, the reason he'd be a choice is because he was an FBI agent, he was associate attorney general -- I think in -- it was the Bush administration, and head of enforcement for housing matters in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and, of course, governor at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing. And I think the Justice Department found working with him -- I've talked to -- Democratic officials found that he was very helpful.

The reason -- the arguments against him are that he was mentioned as a running mate often for President Bush, mentioned as a potential attorney general, there were some leaks about -- saying that there might be some ethical difficulties, but mainly he's been a political figure lately and his wife is running for Congress. So, do you really want somebody that political in a job that's supposed to be apolitical? That's probably the main drawback.

KAGAN: Interesting -- two-career couple there -- another governor who was very verbal, very vocal for President Bush in the campaign and especially in that time right after the election: Mark Racicot, who was out there, former Montana governor -- another governor and someone who's out there for President Bush who wasn't really actually able to, kind of, cash it in, you might say, with a cabinet position.

TOTENBERG: He's another name that's floating around, but, as in other names I started to hear yesterday, I also started to hear, "Probably not." Another name in that category is the former DEA chief Jack Lawn, who -- there were reports that he had a lock on the job if Freeh left, way back in January. I got a little less of that yesterday when I was calling around.

The other names I was hearing were Bob Mueller, who's not known to most Americans. He's the acting deputy attorney general and he's a career prosecutor who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations. George Terwilliger is a -- served as deputy attorney general in the Bush administration -- was very active in the Bush forces during the Florida election legal campaign, so to speak. He's often on the air here, I think.

KAGAN: Another one that caught my attention -- I was listening to you yesterday -- is the idea of a woman heading up the FBI.

TOTENBERG: Well, as you know, President Bush has tried very hard to recruit women and minorities to top positions. The only woman's name I heard mentioned, was an insider from the FBI, a woman named Kathleen McChesney, who is special agent in charge of the San Francisco office -- a Ph,D., a 20-year veteran. But most people seem to think that it is unlikely that somebody from within the bureau would have the kind of instant credibility on Capitol Hill and elsewhere for coming into the FBI and looking at it with an independent view.

KAGAN: In any case, it's probably going to be a quick selection, I'd imagine.

TOTENBERG: Well, you have to think of it from a self- preservation point of view. Do you want the most important and powerful law enforcement organization in the country going around essentially headless in your administration, with a bureaucracy that's not completely under control and accountable to you? And the answer has to be no.

KAGAN: They probably do not -- Nina Totenberg, thanks for your insight, good to have you on.

TOTENBERG: My pleasure.

KAGAN: Thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com