Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: At FBI Director James Comey’s installation ceremony at FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C., President Barack Obama expressed why Comey is the “perfect” man to lead the Bureau.

President Barack Obama: What gave me confidence that this was the right man for the job—it wasn’t his degrees, it wasn’t his résumé—it was in talking to him and seeing his amazing family, a sense that this is somebody who knows what’s right and what’s wrong and is willing to act on that basis every single day.

Halpern: Director James Comey….

Director James Comey: Fidelity, bravery, and integrity capture the essence of the FBI and its people. And they also explain why I am here. I wanted to be here to work alongside those people to represent them, to help them accomplish their mission.

Halpern: The president pledged he’d fight for the resources needed for the FBI to meet that mission.

Obama: The least we can do is make sure you’ve got the resources for it and that your operations are not disrupted because of politics in this town.

Halpern: Comey echoed a similar sentiment, saying the FBI must be independent of all political forces in this country.

I’m Mollie Halpern with FBI, This Week.