When President Obama announced plans to have FBI Dir. Robert S. Mueller III stay on two years beyond his 10-year term, the FBI Agents Association quickly issued a very positive statement even though some of its members were not very happy.
Nonetheless, some of the unhappiness seems to be coming out.
The Washington Post reports some agents are angry that Mueller, who imposed term limits on hundreds of supervisors, is getting an extension himself. They find some hypocrisy in the whole matter, the Post reported.
President Obama has said that he wants Mueller to stay on past his 10-year term, which expires in September, to provide some stability and continuity. Congress will have to pass some type of legislation to keep Mueller on because the law states the FBI director should serve no more than 10 years.
“We understand the desire for stability,’’ Konrad Motyka, president of the FBI Agents Association told the Post. “But people are saying, ‘What about my stability?’ It’s ironic that this desire for stability did not apply to supervisors within the FBI.’’
The policy that has so irritated agents surfaced after Sept. 11, 2001. It requires FBI supervisors to move on after seven years and compete for another managerial post, retire or get demoted at the same field office with a pay decrease, the Post reported.
The FBI has defended the policy, saying it has resulted in strong managers being brought in to various posts, the paper reported.
“People are up in arms about this,’’ one agent, who likened the news to “a shot in the kneecaps,” told the Post.
“We have lost valuable experience,’’ the agent said. “I’ve seen people, some really significant contributors to this organization and to this country, who are questioning their self-worth now and who are basically bitter.’’
The Post reported that Mueller did not seek the 2-year extension, but agreed to go along with it.
Though Mueller has enforced the term limits on supervisors, he has also given extensions to a number of agents who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 57.
The announcement of the proposed two-year extension for Mueller, has been met with mixed reaction within the bureau, ranging from ecstatic to mad to mixed.
Some say he’s been a great leader. But others want him to go. They say he’s drifted too far from the core mission of the agency and doesn’t relate to, or truly understand the mindset of the street agents.
Mueller, 66, started on the job just days after the Sept. 11 attacks, forcing him to retool the agency to focus more on terrorism.
To read more of the Washington Post story click here.
