Inspector general launches probe into decision to move FBI headquarters to Maryland

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ABC News

 

A federal watchdog is investigating how the Biden administration chose the site for a new FBI headquarters following a contentious competition marked by allegations of conflict of interest from the bureau’s director

 

 

WASHINGTON -- A federal watchdog is investigating how the Biden administration chose a site for a new FBI headquarters following a contentious competition marked by allegations of conflict of interest from the bureau's director.

The inspector general for the General Services Administration is probing the decision to replace the FBI’s crumbling headquarters in Washington, D.C., with a facility in Greenbelt, Maryland, rather than a site in Virginia, according to a letter released Thursday by Virginia lawmakers.

The GSA, for its part, said it chose the site due to lower costs and easy access to transit. It stands behind the process.

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.