Bush nominates veteran government official to head FBI

President Bush nominated a longtime Justice Department official to head the country's top law enforcement agency Thursday. Two weeks after the departure of former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, Bush nominated Robert S. Mueller III, a U.S. attorney in California, to lead the scandal-plagued agency. "Agents of the bureau prize three virtues above all: fidelity, bravery and integrity," Bush said. "This new director is a man who exemplifies them all." Mueller, who would serve a 10-year term if confirmed by the Senate, was acting deputy attorney general from January to May of this year. He also served in the first Bush administration as assistant attorney general in charge of the criminal division at the agency. During his remarks, Bush said the growing threat of cybercrime presents new challenges for the FBI. "The tools of law enforcement will change. The FBI must be ready to protect Americans from new types of criminals who will use modern technology to defraud and disrupt our society," he said.

The FBI has faced a series of controversies in recent months, ranging from the arrest of veteran agent Robert Hanssen, who is accused of spying for Russia and the Soviet Union for 15 years, to the agency's failure to turn over all the documents on the Oklahoma City bombing to lawyers for Timothy McVeigh. Last month, the House Judiciary Committee approved legislation that included a provision that would result in greater oversight of the FBI by the Justice Department. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who joined Bush during Thursday's announcement, has also called for a sweeping internal review of the agency, including an evaluation of the bureau's information technology.