Quick question: Can you name the last Democrat to be appointed Director of the FBI?
It’s a trick question. There has never been a Democratic director of the FBI. Before Republican Christopher Wray, there was Republican James Comey. Before that it was Republican Robert Mueller. And before Mueller was Republican Louis Freeh, who was preceded by Republican William Session. Session followed in the footsteps of Republican William Webster, who took over the agency from Republican Clarence Kelley, who followed J. Edgar Hoover.
When Barack Obama nominated an FBI Director in 2013, he did exactly what Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter had done before — look for a Republican who would satisfy calls for bipartisanship and help to stress the independence of the agency. Comey wasn’t selected because he was a friend of either Obama or either Clinton, but because he was not.
When Donald Trump put Christopher Wray in charge, he did what Republicans going back to Richard Nixon had done — install a Republican. Apparently Republicans are never plagued by concerns that they need to put members of the opposing party in important positions, or that they need to ensure distance between the incredible investigatory power of the FBI, the prosecutorial strength of the Justice Department, and personal service to the president.
The FBI has been a strongly right-leaning organization from its inception. It’s been dominated by a Republican leadership and felt itself closely aligned with both Republican administrations and Republicans on the intelligence committees in Congress.
That the Republicans under Trump are willing to declare the agency subject to a ‘deep state’ culture inclined toward Democrats is one of the most extraordinary claims of an extraordinary time. It shows more clearly than ever that Republicans are willing to sacrifice anyone, or anything, for even a chance to help Trump. And it shows that the few remaining barriers that keep the FBI from being used as the personal instrument of the executive are no longer tolerable.
There’s no doubt that the FBI, as it already stands, has served Republicans well, especially in the way it has gleefully taken apart groups seeking such radical ends as racial justice, fair wages, and a cleaner environment. In 2002 the FBI did admit that it had begun to focus more on right-wing domestic terror groups, but there was a pretty good reason. Right wing groups were growing and becoming more violent, and the FBI found itself called on to stop …
… potentially large-scale, high-casualty attacks being planned by organized right-wing extremist groups.
At the same time, actions against leftists groups were decreasing, for an equally good reason — there weren’t any violent leftist groups to fight. This has been an unsatisfying situation to Republicans, who want to preach fear of polling places overrun by scary Black Panthers and gentle oil workers threatened by crazy environmental zealots. The sheer lack of any leftist scalps to hang has helped Republicans to insist that the FBI is going easy on the commies they just know are still out there, while picking on the poor alt-Reich.
And of course, the FBI has failed to catch a Clinton. Despite having been given a clear assignment.
But really, the problem that the FBI represents is that the government is supposed to contain not only checks and balances, but agencies and departments protected against political influence. The FBI isn’t the only one of those. The same is true of the FDA. The EPA. For any number of agencies for which the executive has the duty to execute, not for their personal gain, but the good of the nation.
That’s no longer a tolerable position. If the Republicans succeed in destroying the FBI, despite the fact that the department has been closely aligned with their party from inception, it’ll be one helluva demonstration that any sign of independence or political neutrality can’t be accepted. That a loyalty oath isn’t just tolerable, but mandatory.
The next time some director or agent or, let’s say, general, refuses to bend the knee … they’ll know what’s coming.
But if they purge it now, don’t expect Republicans to bring back the FBI in a new, more radicalized role. Because they don’t need to. They already have ICE.