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“REASSIGNMENT OF DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR POTTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S9984-S9985 on July 14, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REASSIGNMENT OF DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR POTTS
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, about an hour ago, I had a phone conversation with the Director of the FBI, Louis Freeh. At that time, he told me that he permanently reassigned Larry Potts, his immediate assistant, Deputy Director, to a new assignment in the FBI pending an investigation that is now underway in the Justice Department as it relates to the performance of certain FBI personnel with the Ruby Ridge incident in Idaho.
For over 2 years, I have pursued open, factual airing of the events of that incident. At the time Mr. Freeh had recommended Potts for his appointment, I asked that be deferred and the man not be considered until such time as the cloud over the FBI was cleared up. It appears we now may be moving in the direction of full public disclosure of
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this incident and the activities of the Federal agents involved.
I say this on behalf of the FBI and its reputation, which is critically important as the major law enforcement community of our country, Federal law enforcement community, and I also say this for the families of the victims of Ruby Ridge, that it is time we move now openly and publicly with hearings both here, in the Senate, and with the activities of the Justice Department to clear this issue.
Mr. Freeh, in that conversation, pledged full cooperation in all activities that will occur in the Senate and in the House in the hearings that may come about. I certainly hope we can move late this summer or early this fall to full and thorough investigative hearings, oversight hearings on this incident. I think the American people now demand it, and I think it is important we once again reestablish the credibility of the FBI by the cleansing of this issue.
I yield back the remainder of my time.
Mr. EXON addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska is recognized.
Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I compliment my colleague from the State of Idaho. I probably was nearly as shocked and surprised as he was to hear a few moments ago on national television that the Deputy Director of the FBI has been ``reassigned.''
It seems to me that the Senator from Idaho has made a very good point. I do not claim to have any inside information with what happened at Idaho. It is entirely possible my colleague from that State knows much more about this than I do.
If I understand it correctly, the Deputy Director of the FBI has been reassigned. I do not know what that means, but I hope that the Senate will move forthwith and speedily for a thorough investigation of this matter. I reserve the right to exercise my final judgment on this after I know more about it than I do at this particular moment.
But I think the Senator from Idaho has put his finger on the matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is something that must be beyond reproach. Again, I do not know at this moment what the reason for this was, but as I understand it, the Director of the FBI has determined that, for the good of the service and because Mr. Potts is under some investigation that I believe started in the House of Representatives, that he thought it was best for him to be reassigned.
I do not agree with that matter at all. If Mr. Potts has not done anything wrong, not done anything improper, not violated the law, not violated the Federal Bureau of Investigation rules, then the Director of the FBI and the administration should stand square behind him and fight out the matter.
If, on the other hand, that is not the case and he did do something wrong in any area that I just mentioned, or any other area, he should be fired, because it appears to me that this is a tremendously serious matter. I certainly agree with my colleague from Idaho that I hope the proper committee of jurisdiction, which I assume would be the Judiciary Committee, should move aggressively on this matter in the Senate so we can, too, make sure that we have a full explanation of what is or is not going on.
This is a serious matter that has had a very adverse effect on this Senator's view of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and what it does or does not do properly.
I thank my friend from Idaho for bringing this up. I wish to associate myself with his remarks.
I yield the floor.
Mr. GORTON addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington is recognized.
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