Kash Patel vs. the job as FBI director

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Here are some highlights from Andrew McCabe's Substack on the Atlantic's reports of Patel's dereliction of duty. (Snips between points)
therealmccabe.com - Kash patel and the lessons of FBI

I served under four FBI directors, each of whom I knew personally and had the opportunity to observe closely under stressful conditions. At the end of my 21-year career, while serving as deputy director, I was Acting FBI Director for three months. I can tell you without reservation that it is a tough job that requires 110 percent of everything you have, every day. There are no breaks—it comes before weekends, vacations, holidays, family, and even your health. It is an immense responsibility, one in which you may be required to make consequential decisions at any time, day or night.

1. The Director Must Be Present
Let’s start with availability. If you want to lead the world’s premier law enforcement agency, you must be physically and mentally present. There is no autopilot for the director. FBI employees watch the director closely, so any indication that you are “phoning it in” sends a clear message to the workforce that the job is not urgent. This is a problem because the job is urgent—at all times.

2. The Director Must Make Decisions
When you run an organization that investigates every federal criminal law in the U.S. Code and serves as the nation’s first line of defense against spies and terrorists, tough decisions arise constantly. The director is viewed as the primary leader of the nation’s law enforcement community and a de facto expert on the Bureau’s work.

3. The Director Must Manage Crisis
Every director faces crises. Major cases bring major challenges, and the most difficult issues inevitably reach the director’s desk. During the week of the Boston Marathon bombing, Director Mueller received multiple daily briefings. Each evening, when I held a conference call with the Boston field office for detailed updates, Mueller joined anonymously to listen in from his office. If he was dissatisfied, I was called in to explain our progress, or the lack of it, and discuss adjustments.

4. The Director Must Push Back
Although appointed by the president, FBI directors since the Hoover era have been expected to maintain independence from the White House. The reason is simple: the FBI must follow the facts and the law, not politics.

5. The Director Must Protect the FBI Workforce
The FBI’s greatest asset is its people—more than 37,000 employees serving around the world in demanding and often dangerous roles. They are drawn to the FBI mission and typically remain in the FBI until retirement. They work on diverse matters such as crimes against children, money laundering, espionage, terrorism, organized crime, and community outreach. They do not choose their work based on politics; they carry out assignments in service of protecting the American public.

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