MARYLAND SELECTED FOR NEW FBI HEADQUARTERS, DRAWING CRITICISM FROM VIRGINIA LEADERS
The GSA, for its part, said it chose the site because of its lower prices and ease of public transportation. Support the process.
The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, home to the FBI headquarters, is seen on June 9, 2023, in Washington. A federal watchdog will investigate how the Biden administration chose a site for a new FBI headquarters following a contentious competition and allegations of conflict of interest. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Consideration for a new headquarters has been discussed for more than a decade, and the nearby states of Virginia and Maryland competed fiercely for the project. The announcement earlier this month choosing Maryland brought sharp criticism from Virginia. The state’s senators and representatives said in a joint statement Thursday there was “overwhelming evidence” suggesting the process was influenced by politics. They called on the GSA to pause anything related to the relocation until the review is complete.
MARYLAND GAINS EDGE OVER VIRGINIA BY SECURING SITE OF NEW FBI HEADQUARTERS IN LIGHT OF GSA’S UPDATED CRITERIA
“We applaud the inspector general for moving quickly and encourage him to move forward to complete a careful and thorough review,” Virginia’s delegation said in a joint statement.
Maryland lawmakers, meanwhile, said their state selected only because it had the most productive site and that the allocation would go ahead.
“Any objective evaluation will find that the GSA arrived at this decision after a thorough and transparent process,” its leaders said in their own joint statement.
Evaluation of the agency’s procedure and settlement procedures will begin immediately, the acting inspector general said in his letter to Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia.
The GSA, which manages the government’s real estate portfolio, said it welcomes the review and pointed out that it had already released decision-making materials and a legal review of concerns raised by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“We have conscientiously followed the GSA’s needs and procedure and final resolution for choosing the site,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
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The review comes after Wray told staff in an internal message earlier this month that he was involved in a “possible clash of interests” in the case of a GSA executive opting for a site owned by a former employer, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Wray said his objections were about the process rather than the site itself.
The GSA denied any conflict and said the site about 13 miles (21 kilometers) northeast of Washington was cheaper, had greater access to public transportation and could be completed quickly.