- John Pistole/fbi photo
By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
WASHINGTON — The White House has talked to four candidates about filling the top spot at the Drug Enforcement Administration, including FBI deputy director John S. Pistole, according to a source familiar with the selection process.
Pistole has been interviewed for the job along with Michele Leonhart, the DEA acting director; Boyd M. Johnson III, an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York; and former San Diego U.S. Attorney Greg A. Vega, who is in private practice. Leonhart is not likely to get the job.
An unconfirmed rumor circulating Tuesday was that the FBI’s Pistole, who has been an FBI agent since 1983, had been offered the job, but had yet to accept it.
FBI spokesman Michael P. Kortan declined to discuss the matter Tuesday night. Pistole could not be reached for comment. The DEA said it is policy not to comment on personnel matters.
The DEA has been faced with some daunting challenges in recent times, both domestically and abroad, battling the drug trade in Afghanistan and dealing with the violence involving Mexican drug cartels that has spilled over into the U.S.
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