William S. Sessions - FBI Career

FBI Career

In 1987 Sessions was nominated to succeed William H. Webster as FBI Director by President Ronald Reagan and was sworn in November 2, 1987.

Sessions was applauded for pursuing a policy of broadening the FBI to include more women and minorities. He was viewed as combining tough direction with fairness and was respected even by the Reagan administration’s critics, although he was sometimes ridiculed as strait-laced and dull. Despite being appointed by Reagan, Sessions enjoyed the strongest support among liberal Democrats in Congress.

Sessions became associated with the phrase "Winners Don't Use Drugs", which appeared on idle arcade game screens during demos or after a player finished playing a game. By law it had to be included on all imported arcade games and continued to appear long after Sessions left office. The quote normally appeared in gold against a blue background between the FBI seal and Sessions' name.

Sessions was FBI director during the controversial 1992 confrontation at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, at which the unarmed Vicky Weaver was shot dead by an FBI sniper. This incident provoked heavy criticism of the Bureau as did the deadly assault on the Branch Davidian church that lasted from February 28 to April 19, 1993. These incidents were also related to the discovery of severe procedural shortcomings at the FBI's crime laboratory.

Just before Bill Clinton was installed as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993, allegations of ethical improprieties were made against Sessions. A report by outgoing Attorney General William P. Barr presented to the Justice Department that month by the Office of Professional Responsibility included criticisms that he had used an FBI plane to travel to visit his daughter on several occasions and had had a security system installed in his home at government expense. Janet Reno, the 78th Attorney General of the United States, announced that Sessions had exhibited "serious deficiencies in judgment." Although Sessions denied that he had acted improperly, he was pressured to resign in early July and when he refused to do so he was fired on July 19. Sessions was five and a half years into a ten year term as FBI director, however this post is served at the pleasure of the President.

Clinton nominated Louis Freeh to the FBI directorship at a Rose Garden ceremony on July 20. Former Deputy Director Floyd I. Clarke served as Acting Director until September 1, 1993 when Freeh was sworn in.

He returned to Texas where on December 7, 1999 he was named the state chair of Texas Exile, a statewide initiative aimed at reducing gun crime.