6 things to watch in the search for a new FBI director

The FBI typically keeps its investigations private. But in the weeks since President Trump fired FBI director James Comey, news about the FBI has been making top headlines.

MPR News host Tom Weber talked to two former members of the FBI to answer questions about how the bureau works, and what we should be looking for in the search for a new director to replace James Comey.

Weber's guests were Ron Hosko, who spent more than 30 years at the FBI and is now president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, and Lauren C. Anderson, who spent more than 25 years with the FBI and now runs an international geopolitical consultancy firm called LC Anderson International Consulting.

Here six insights on the FBI from Hosko and Anderson:

1. How important a role does the director of the FBI have? Does it matter who President Trump appoints? Although the FBI is larger than one person, Hosko said, "the director position, that is the face of the organization. That ethos, their work ethic, how they work with the work force, how they work with the Department of Justice, how they manage oversight by Congress, I think is critically important to the reputation of the organization ... picking the wrong person could result in substantial failure."

2. How does FBI decide what to investigate? Most investigations start from the bottom up when an FBI agent discovers a situation in which he or she thinks a crime has been committed, Hosko said. "The question is always going to be," he said, "If this is true, has federal law been violated? Or is there a suggestion that federal law may be violated? Or national security interests? Is there a jurisdictional basis for the FBI to look at it?"

3. The FBI is supposed to be apolitical, but lately it seems to be mixed up in a lot of politics. Is this hurting the bureau's reputation? "We have to recognize that Jim Comey, for reasons that were his and I think shared with several in senior leadership, did some things last year that put the FBI within the political realm," Hosko said. "When FBI decisions are mixed in with these hot political gases, it will bend the FBI's reputation too."

Said Anderson: "[Leaks] have also undermined some of the credibility of the FBI."

4. Despite its past mistakes, should we trust the FBI now? "It's part of the ethos of incoming and senior FBI employees alike that we are a rule of law organization that must be independent," Hosko said.

5. Why is the FBI inside the Justice department? Doesn't that inhibit independence? "This is the structure that we inherited," Hosko said. "There have to be checks and balances on the FBI. And today part of that check and balance is that it's a component within the DOJ."

6. Who should the next FBI director be? "Someone who has enormous integrity, someone who has a demonstrated career with some experience in law enforcement," Anderson said. "Someone who is not afraid to speak his or her mind ... and someone who is viewed as very trustworthy by everyone around him.

"Any politicians — no matter how highly regarded they are — would [be] a huge mistake."