Obama to pick former Bush official, to Lead FBI

Breaking News: According to the New York Times, President Obama plans to nominate James Comey, a hedge fund executive and a former senior Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, to replace Robert Mueller as the longtime director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Citing sources with knowledge of the selection process, he Times reported that Comey, 52, was chosen for the top FBI post over the other finalist for the job, Lisa Monaco, who has served as the White House’s top counterterrorism adviser since January. By choosing Comey, a Republican, the Times asserts that Obama made a strong statement about bipartisanship at a time when he faces constant criticism from Republicans in Congress and has had difficulty confirming some important nominees. Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan, a former FBI man and the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, had also thought to be in the running, due to backing by numerous rank-and-file FBI agents.

As deputy attorney general in the Bush administration, Comey was a critical player in the infamous 2004 hospital room incident in which White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and Bush’s Chief of Staff Andrew Card tried to persuade then-Attorney General John Ashcroft — who was ill and disoriented — to reauthorize a warrantless eavesdropping program.