Congress Reconsiders Maryland Site for New FBI Headquarters

WASHINGTON — A congressional panel took another look Tuesday at the choice for a new FBI headquarters that critics of the site selection describe as suspicious.

“The American people smell a rat here,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., during the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing.

A site selection committee recommended locating the multibillion-dollar facility in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Springfield, Virginia.

The three-person committee’s recommendation was overridden in July by Nina Albert, who was then director of real estate for the U.S. General Services Administration.

Before her GSA job, she was the top real estate official for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority. She instead chose an FBI headquarters site in Greenbelt, Maryland, owned by WMATA.

At the same time, WMATA officials say they plan to drastically cut back service and lay off more than 2,000 employees if they cannot find more funding soon.

A new FBI headquarters at the Greenbelt site would bring the transit agency at least a $26 million windfall from sale of the land.

The GSA, which manages the federal government’s real estate, had been deciding among Greenbelt, Maryland; Landover, Maryland; and Springfield, Virginia. The GSA already owns the 58-acre site in Springfield.

The current FBI headquarters has been located in downtown Washington since 1974. The agency reports its walls, plumbing and electrical systems are crumbling. The building also is too small for the agency’s operations, FBI officials say.

The Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management called the hearing in response to complaints from Virginia political officials.

They say Albert’s apparent conflict of interest raises questions about whether she chose the Greenbelt site based on her own favoritism rather than to help the FBI.

“What we should be focused on is what serves the mission of the FBI,” said Scott, the subcommittee’s chairman.

Lawmakers seemed skeptical of Albert’s decision to alter the scoring system for determining the best headquarters site.

Albert placed a higher priority on advancing social equity, similar to a policy goal of President Joe Biden to ensure low-income and underprivileged communities get equal access to government services. Albert was a Biden administration appointee to the GSA.

The Greenbelt site is in a relatively low income neighborhood. The Springfield site is in a wealthier suburb.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., said Greenbelt appears to have been chosen “to promote politics instead of the mission of the FBI.”

Albert defended her decision during a press conference last week with Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. She now works for the city.

“GSA on their website has all of the documents that explain what my decision-making process was, what the site selection process was,” she said in reference to her report explaining the choice of the Greenbelt site.

It says Greenbelt is most accessible by transit, provides the lowest acquisition costs and provides the greatest return on investment to the local economy.

Nicholas Dimos, an FBI assistant director of finance and facilities, said the agency consulted with the site selection committee in selecting Springfield as the best site. Among its advantages is close proximity to the FBI training facility at Quantico, Virginia.

FBI officials reported they were surprised and upset when Albert overrode the site selection committee’s choice, prompting the suspicions about a conflict of interest.

“It is exceedingly rare,” for such a committee’s decision to be ignored, he told lawmakers.

Elliot Doomes, a GSA commissioner of public buildings, denied any improprieties in the site selection. 

“GSA followed a fair and transparent process,” he said.

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