FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that Paul Abbate has been selected to serve as the associate deputy director. In this role, Abbate oversees all FBI personnel, budget, administration, and infrastructure, as well as the inspection and insider threat programs.
Abbate most recently served since December 2016 as the executive assistant director for the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, with responsibility for overseeing all FBI criminal and cyber investigations worldwide, international operations, critical incident response, and victim assistance.
He began his FBI career as a special agent in March 1996 in the New York Field Office, where he worked in the Criminal Division and served as a member of the SWAT Team. In December 2003, Abbate transferred to the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters as a supervisory special agent in the Iraq Unit, overseeing FBI counterterrorism operations and personnel deployments in Iraq. From February 2006 to December 2009, he served as a supervisory special agent within the Newark Division’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
In December 2009, Abbate returned to the Counterterrorism Division as assistant section chief, providing national-level oversight and guidance of all United States-based international terrorism investigations. In July 2010, Abbate reported to the Los Angeles Field Office and served as assistant special agent in charge for counterterrorism matters, overseeing the primary branch of the Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force. In August 2011, Abbate again returned to the Counterterrorism Division, where he served as section chief, providing oversight of all FBI international terrorism investigations and counterterrorism operations external to the United States.
In October 2012, Abbate was appointed special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division. From October 2013 to September 2015, he served as the special agent in charge of the Detroit Division, covering the state of Michigan. In September 2015, Abbate was appointed assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office.
New Deputy Director of the FBI Named: Read Here
