FBI
Director Mueller Names John S. Pistole to be Deputy Director
Washington,
DC – FBI
Director Robert Mueller today named John S. Pistole to be the FBI’s
Deputy Director upon the retirement of current Deputy Director Bruce
J. Gebhardt on October 1, 2004. Mr. Pistole has served as Executive
Assistant Director for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence since
December 18, 2003, and previously served as Assistant Director of
the Counterterrorism Division. As Deputy Director, Mr. Pistole will
oversee all operational and investigative matters in the FBI, with
a particular emphasis oversight of the FBI’s reengineering
efforts.
Director Mueller
said, “John Pistole is a major asset. Our counterterrorism
and counterintelligence capabilities are significantly stronger today
because of his leadership. He successfully steered two critical programs
through periods of heightened threat and institutional change, and
he has been instrumental to our overall transformation efforts. I
look forward to working closely with him as he assumes additional
responsibilities as Deputy Director.”
Mr. Pistole began
his career with the FBI in 1983 as a Special Agent assigned to the
Minneapolis Division, where he investigated organized crime and violent
crimes. In 1985, Mr. Pistole was transferred to the New York Division,
where he focused on La Cosa Nostra investigations. In 1990, he was
promoted to Supervisor in the Organized Crime Section at FBI Headquarters.
In that capacity, Mr. Pistole distinguished himself by coordinating
FBI efforts to assist the Italian National Police in finding those
responsible for the assassinations of two prominent Italian Magistrates.
In 1994, Mr.
Pistole was promoted to field supervisor of a White Collar Crime
and Civil Rights squad in Indianapolis, Indiana. The following year,
Mr. Pistole was the FBI representative to a State Department delegation
sent to Sofia, Bulgaria to assess their laws and police response
to Russian/Eurasian organized crime and financial crime. He also
led FBI training on three occasions at the International Law Enforcement
Academy in Budapest, Hungary.
In 1999, Mr.
Pistole was promoted to the position of Assistant Special Agent in
Charge of the Boston Field Office. In November 1999, he led one aspect
of the investigation into the Egypt Air 990 crash off the coast of
Rhode Island.
In July of 2001,
Mr. Pistole was promoted to the position of Inspector in the Inspection
Division at FBI Headquarters, where he led teams conducting evaluations
and audits of FBI field offices and Headquarters Divisions. That
same year, Mr. Pistole led a team that addressed security issues
in the wake of the arrest of Robert Hanssen.
In April 2002,
Mr. Pistole was appointed by Director Mueller to the position of
Deputy Assistant Director for the Counterterrorism Division, where
he oversaw operations in international and domestic terrorism, and
terrorist financing. He was also responsible for directing the National
Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force,
and the Terrorism Reports and Requirements Section. His authority
was expanded to include leadership and oversight of the FBI’s
overall counterterrorism efforts when he was named Assistant Director
of the Counterterrorism Division in September 2003.
He was appointed
Executive Assistant Director for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence
in December 2003.
Mr. Pistole practiced
law for two years prior to joining the FBI. He is married and has
two daughters.