WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), representing over 13,000 active duty and retired Agents, urges President Donald Trump to nominate former House Intelligence Committee Chairman and FBI Special Agent Mike Rogers to serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
"Chairman Rogers exemplifies the principles that should be possessed by the next FBI Director,” said FBIAA President Thomas F. O’Connor. “It is essential that the next FBI Director understand the details of how Agents do their important work. Mike Rogers’ background as a Special Agent, veteran of the armed forces and former member of Congress sets him apart as someone capable of confronting the wide array of challenges facing our help ensure that the Bureau remains the world’s premiere law enforcement agency.
“Rogers’ unique and diverse experience will allow him to effectively lead the men and women of the Bureau as we work to protect our country from criminal and terrorist threats,” said O’Connor. “During his time in Congress he showed a commitment to confronting threats to our country in a nonpartisan and collaborative manner.”
O’Connor set forth principles for the selection of a new Director that are supported by the thousands of FBIAA-member Agents across the country. The four principles include:
- FBI Special Agents are central to the core mission of the Bureau.
- Effectively combating 21st century crimes requires bridging counterterrorism and traditional criminal investigation efforts.
- Understanding and respecting the work of Agents enables the Director to advocate more effectively for the Bureau.
- Seeking Agent input on issues that impact lives in the field strengthens the Bureau.
“Agents are essential to the Bureau’s primary mission of protecting our country from a wide array of threats ranging from street gangs and mortgage fraud to cyber-espionage and foreign and domestic terrorists,” said O’Connor. “The next Director must remain committed to the centrality of the Special Agent to the Bureau's mission.”
“Although then-Special Agent Rogers left the FBI in 1995 to start his political career, he has never forgotten the men and women of the Bureau and was a champion for Agents during his Congressional career, said O’Connor.
Chairman Rogers (R-MI) served in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2104 and as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2014. A 1985 graduate of Adrian College, he was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at the University of Michigan, and then served as a FBI Special Agent before being elected to the Michigan Senate in 1995.
The FBIAA is a professional association with a membership of more than 13,000 active and retired agents nationwide. The FBIAA was founded over three decades ago in response to the growing recognition that agents needed to join together in order to protect and advance the interests of agents both within the Bureau, as well as in the public domain. The FBIAA works diligently to promote and facilitate the intelligent, skillful, and efficient discharge of the professional duties of all FBI agents. The Association works hard to advance and safeguard the careers, economic interests, conditions of employment, and welfare of active and retired FBI agents. For additional information, visit the FBIAA website at www.fbiaa.org. Follow FBIAA on Twitter @FBIAgentsAssoc.
