By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
When the FBI moves its headquarters, the new building may no longer be graced with J. Edgar Hoover’s name.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, argued that the future headquarters should not be named after Hoover, who has been frequently criticized for targeting civil rights leaders.
In a latter to the Obama administration, Leahy wrote that the former FBI director “routinely violated the law and infringed on the constitutional rights of American citizens by ordering investigations of individuals and groups who were not suspected of any criminal wrongdoing,” according to the Washington Post.
Leahy wrote that Hoover’s FBI “illegally compiled thousands of dossiers on nonviolent civil rights groups” and “waged a concerted campaign against gay and lesbian Americans working for the Federal government and against gay and lesbian organizations.”
He wrote: “Given the systemic abuses carried out under Director Hoover’s leadership, it would be a mistake to associate his name with the new FBI headquarters. If the new building will be named for anyone, the Federal government must consider individuals who represent our values and who have dedicated their public service careers to upholding the rule of law.”
The FBI did not respond for comment.
