President Obama's plan to keep FBI director Robert Mueller in office beyond his 10-year term has triggered an angry reaction among some agents, who say Mueller imposed term limits on hundreds of supervisors but is failing to abide by legal limits on his own tenure, the Washington Post reports. The accusations of hypocrisy come as Congress is considering whether to allow Mueller two more years in office — an extension the president said would provide stability as other national security agencies undergo major transitions.
“We understand the desire for stability,'' said Konrad Motyka, president of the FBI Agents Association, which is renewing its call for an end to the FBI’s term-limit policy. “But people are saying, 'What about my stability?' It's ironic that this desire for stability did not apply to supervisors within the FBI.'' The FBI's policy, known as “up or out,'' requires supervisors to leave their posts after seven years and compete for other managerial jobs, retire, or accept a demotion in the same field office with lower pay. One agent was “flabbergasted” that Mueller agreed to stay when others have departed. “Most people think it's ironic and hypocritical on his part,'' the agent said. “A lot of really bright people left. It's a shame.”