Under Fire at the FBI

Accused of abusing the perks of his job, the director fiercely defended himself. But he has succeeded only in sparking a rebellion from within.

Long past midnight, top government officials worked feverishly inside the FBI's Washington headquarters to launch an assault by the elite Hostage Rescue Team. At stake were the lives of nine employees at the Talladega federal prison, in Alabama, who were being held captive by a mob of prisoners armed with spears, knives and crossbows. Suddenly FBI Director William Sessions walked in and began marching around the room, "making noise, strutting around, being somewhat pompous, and engaging in non sequiturs," as one official recalls. Instead of dealing with the crisis at hand, the officials were forced to humor Sessions, who was oblivious...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!