# Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

The deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (formerly known as the associate director) is a senior United States government position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The office is second in command to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the director is absent or the position is vacant, the deputy director automatically takes on the additional title and role of acting director. The office is also the highest position attainable within the FBI without being appointed by the president of the United States. Responsibilities as deputy director include assisting the director and leading prominent investigations. All other FBI executives and special agents in charge report to the director through the deputy director. From 1978 to 1987, the position of deputy director was not filled due to William Hedgcock Webster's decision to divide the deputy's responsibility between three positions.

## Deputy directors

| No. | Portrait | Officeholder | Director | President | Term | Term |
| No. | Portrait | Officeholder | Director | President | Start | End |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | Herbert Hoover | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | Franklin D. Roosevelt | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | Harry S. Truman | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | John F. Kennedy | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | Lyndon B. Johnson | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 1 | | Clyde Tolson | J. Edgar Hoover | Richard Nixon | 1930 | May 2, 1972 |
| 2 | | Mark Felt | Vacant | Richard Nixon | May 3, 1972 | June 22, 1973 |
| 3 | | James B. Adams | Clarence M. Kelley | Richard Nixon | June 22, 1973 | February 5, 1978 |
| 3 | | James B. Adams | Clarence M. Kelley | Gerald Ford | June 22, 1973 | February 5, 1978 |
| 3 | | James B. Adams | Clarence M. Kelley | Jimmy Carter | June 22, 1973 | February 5, 1978 |
| 4 | | James B. Adams | William H. Webster | Jimmy Carter | April 6, 1978 | May 11, 1979 |
| 5 | | Floyd I. Clarke | William H. Webster | Jimmy Carter | May 11, 1979 | July 19, 1993 |
| 5 | | Floyd I. Clarke | William H. Webster | Ronald Reagan | May 11, 1979 | July 19, 1993 |
| 5 | | Floyd I. Clarke | William S. Sessions | George H. W. Bush | May 11, 1979 | July 19, 1993 |
| 5 | | Floyd I. Clarke | William S. Sessions | Bill Clinton | May 11, 1979 | July 19, 1993 |
| 6 | | David G. Binney | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | February 1994 | December 1994 |
| 7 | | Larry A. Potts | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | February 1995 | May 2, 1995 |
| 7 | | Larry A. Potts | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | May 2, 1995 | July 14, 1995 |
| 8 | | Weldon L. Kennedy | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | August 8, 1995 | February 1997 |
| 9 | | William J. Esposito | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | February 28, 1997 | September 30, 1997 |
| 10 | | Robert M. Bryant | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | October 1,1997 | October 31, 1999 |
| 11 | | Thomas J. Pickard | Louis Freeh | Bill Clinton | November 1, 1999 | November 30, 2001 |
| 11 | | Thomas J. Pickard | Robert Mueller | George W. Bush | November 1, 1999 | November 30, 2001 |
| 12 | | Bruce J. Gebhardt | Robert Mueller | George W. Bush | 2002 | 2004 |
| 13 | | John S. Pistole | Robert Mueller | George W. Bush | October 1, 2004 | May 17, 2010 |
| 13 | | John S. Pistole | Robert Mueller | Barack Obama | October 1, 2004 | May 17, 2010 |
| 14 | | Timothy P. Murphy | Robert Mueller | Barack Obama | July 8, 2010 | August 31, 2011 |
| 15 | | Sean M. Joyce | Robert Mueller | Barack Obama | September 1, 2011 | November 30, 2013 |
| 15 | | Sean M. Joyce | James Comey | Barack Obama | September 1, 2011 | November 30, 2013 |
| 16 | | Mark F. Giuliano | James Comey | Barack Obama | December 1, 2013 | February 1, 2016 |
| 17 | | Andrew McCabe | James Comey | Barack Obama | February 1, 2016 | January 29, 2018 |
| 17 | | Andrew McCabe | James Comey | Donald Trump | February 1, 2016 | January 29, 2018 |
| 17 | | Andrew McCabe | Christopher A. Wray | Donald Trump | February 1, 2016 | January 29, 2018 |
| 18 | | David Bowdich | Christopher A. Wray | Donald Trump | January 30, 2018 | February 1, 2021 |
| 18 | | David Bowdich | Christopher A. Wray | Joe Biden | January 30, 2018 | February 1, 2021 |
| 19 | | Paul Abbate | Christopher A. Wray | Joe Biden | February 1, 2021 | January 20, 2025 |
| – | | Robert Kissane Acting | Kash Patel | Donald Trump | January 20, 2025 | March 17, 2025 |
| 20 | | Dan Bongino | Kash Patel | Donald Trump | March 17, 2025 | Incumbent |

## Fictional deputy directors

* Alvin Kersh, the deputy director of the FBI on The X-Files.
* Avery Ryan, the deputy director of the FBI and the director of the FBI's Cyber division. She is the protagonist of CSI: Cyber.
* Miranda Shaw, the deputy director of the FBI on Quantico.
* Owen Hall, the deputy director of the FBI on Quantico.
* Gordon Cole, the deputy director of the FBI on Twin Peaks.
* Victor Fitzgerald, deputy director of the FBI on Without a Trace.
* Jason Atwood, the deputy director of the FBI on Designated Survivor.
* Douglas Bailey, the deputy director of the FBI on Criminal Minds.
* Harold Cooper, the deputy director of the FBI on The Blacklist.