WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday plans to announce the nomination of James B. Comey, a senior Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, to become the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to a White House official.
The Senate, which will not be in session in August, is bracing for a significant fight over nominations in July, and it is not clear whether the administration has allotted enough time for the Senate to confirm him by Sept. 3, when Robert S. Mueller III, the F.B.I. director, is mandated to leave his post.
F.B.I. officials in Washington had expressed concern that if Mr. Obama did not nominate a new director by the beginning of June, the bureau would probably have an interim director for some time.
Mr. Comey is best known for his role in a 2004 incident in which, as the acting United States attorney general, he refused to acquiesce to aides to Mr. Bush, who wanted Mr. Comey to reauthorize a controversial National Security Agency surveillance program.
The program was ultimately reauthorized, but under a different legal framework. As part of Mr. Comey’s confirmation, he is expected to be questioned about his views on that program and the ones that have been disclosed in recent weeks.
“He has worked tirelessly to strengthen our nation’s legal framework,” a White House official said. “In moments of debate and decision, he asks the tough questions and insists on rigorous standards. Jim knows what it takes to investigate and enforce the laws of the United States, protect our citizens, and has always done so with the utmost integrity.”
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