'Nothing given, everything earned': Md. Gov. Moore celebrates FBI move amid site selection debate
GREENBELT, Md. - At a press conference Friday celebrating the Biden administration's decision to make Greenbelt the new home of the FBI's headquarters, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore addressed criticism of the site selection process by invoking his U.S. Army ethos.
"Nothing given, everything earned," said the governor, who served as a paratrooper and captain in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Moore spoke while surrounded by Maryland's elected leaders who applauded the General Services Administration's decision.
"And in this time, and in this moment there is absolutely no question that the FBI belongs in the state of Maryland, and it belongs in Prince George's County," Moore said.
The GSA selected the D.C. suburb of Greenbelt as the home for the new facility that will replace the crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building. Consideration for a new headquarters has been going on for more than a decade. In recent months the FBI has expressed concern about the site selection process.
READ MORE: Letter From FBI Regarding Headquarters Facility Site Selection Process
On Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray criticized the decision saying he was concerned about a "potential conflict of interest" in the site selection. Wray's objections came in an internal email to agency employees obtained by the Associated Press. He said his objections were about the process rather than the Greenbelt site itself.
His note continued that a board that included representatives from the GSA and the FBI unanimously agreed on Springfield. But a senior GSA executive changed course and went with Greenbelt, the FBI director said.
According to Wray's note, the land in Greenbelt is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which once employed the senior GSA executive.
The White House has defended the process of selecting a new site as "fair and transparent." GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan supported his agency's work, saying officials followed all laws and ethical considerations. "Any suggestion that there was inappropriate interference is unfounded," Carnahan said.
News of the choice brought frustrated criticism from Virginia leaders. In a joint statement with Sen. Tim Kaine, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said he was disappointed that the "clear case" for Virginia, home to the FBI Academy, was set aside.
Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer said Wray has previously indicated he would prefer to stay in Washington, but maintained that experts found a suburban location is a better choice for the agency's long-term security. "To say somehow this process was skewed is wrong," Hoyer told the Associated Press.
Moore said the decision will bring over 7,500 jobs to the state and will generate over $4 billion in economic activity. "This is going to solidify our state as the tech and the cyber-capital of the United States," he said.
Governor Wes Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, and Glenn Ivey, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks at a press conference celebrating the Biden admini
The Associated Press contributed to this report