By Allan Lengel
The FBI is facing extremely challenging times, undertaking highly-sensitive investigations while dealing with intense and sometimes very harsh criticism from outside and within.
We can think of no better No. 2 person than Paul Abbate to try to help steady the ship. Unflappable and low key, Abbate, with more than 26 years on the job, brings a wealth of knowledge, level-headedness and integrity to the FBI. He’s also worked diligently to increase diversity within.
From his early days as a street agent in New York, to heading up the Detroit and Washington field offices, and playing key operational roles for the FBI in Iraq and Afghanistan, Abbate understands the FBI’s mission as well as anyone.
With that in mind, we choose Paul Abbate as the ticklethewire.com Fed of the Year Award for 2022.
Previous recipients of the ticklethewire.com Fed of the Year Award include: Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (2008): Warren Bamford, who headed the Boston FBI (2009), Joseph Evans, regional director for the DEA’s North and Central Americas Region in Mexico City (2010); Thomas Brandon, deputy Director of ATF (2011); FBI agent John G. Perren, who was assistant director of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Directorate (2012); David Bowdich, special agent in charge of counterterrorism in the Los Angeles FBI Field Office(2013); Loretta Lynch, who was U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn at the time (2014); John “Jack” Riley, the DEA’s acting deputy administrator (2015); D.C. U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips (2016); Joe Rannazzisi, a retired DEA deputy assistant administrator (2017); Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (2018); DEA agent Joe Piersante (2019); Geoffrey S. Berman, the ex-U.S. Attorney in New York (2020); Eugene Goodman and U.S. Capitol Police officer (2021).
