Richard C. Powers Named Assistant Director of Congressional Affairs

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, announced the appointment of Richard C. Powers, a 17-year veteran of the FBI, as Assistant Director of the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs. Most recently, Mr. Powers served as Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Denver Division, including providing oversight for all FBI operations in the states of Colorado and Wyoming. Immediately prior, he served as Inspector and Section Chief in the Office of Congressional Affairs at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Mr. Powers' other FBI assignments have included Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Houston Division, overseeing the counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and cybercrime programs; Supervisory Senior Resident Agent, Texas City Resident Agency, overseeing FBI efforts along the Texas Gulf coast; supervising an FBI sponsored violent crime task force, including being detailed to the Drug Enforcement Administration to supervise a multi-agency major case squad; and coordination of interagency policy issues, international initiatives, and major investigations in the Organized Crime/Drug Section, FBIHQ. Mr. Powers was a recipient of the Director's Award for Distinguished Service to the Law Enforcement Community in 2004.

Mr. Powers served in special assignments related to crisis management and law enforcement hostage/crisis negotiations. He completed initial and advanced negotiation training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and is a graduate of the National Negotiators Course at Scotland Yard, London. In addition to training state and local officers, his assignments have included terrorist kidnappings in Kashmir, India, and numerous U.S. hostage/barricade incidents.

Before his appointment to the FBI, Mr. Powers served as a police officer and drug task force supervisor in the Chicago area. He was also a college legal instructor, state prosecutor, and a civil litigation attorney in Florida.

Mr. Powers earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of West Florida and a Juris Doctor degree from the Florida State University College of Law. He is married and has three children.