The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (formerly known as Associate Director) is a senior United States government

Federal government of the United States

The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

 position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...

. The office is second in command to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and takes over responsibilities as Director should his/her office be absent or vacant. The office is also the highest position attainable within the FBI without being appointed by the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

. Responsibilities as Deputy Director include assisting the Director and leading prominent investigations. All other FBI executives and Special Agents in Charge report to the Director through the Deputy Director. The office is currently held by Timothy P. Murphy

Timothy P. Murphy

Timothy Murphy is an American law enforcement officer and current FBI deputy director. Murphy joined the FBI in September 1988. He has formerly served in FBI field posts in cities such as Newark, Tampa, Washington, DC, and Cincinnati along with several post at FBI Headquarters...

, who was promoted to the position in July 2010.

Past Deputy Directors

Past Deputy Directors include John S. Pistole

John S. Pistole

John S. Pistole is the Administrator of the United States Transportation Security Administration and former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.-Education:...

, Bruce J. Gebhardt, Thomas J. Pickard

Thomas J. Pickard

Thomas J. Pickard was an acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 71 days in the summer of 2001 following the tenure of Director Louis Freeh. He was replaced just one week before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers and The Pentagon. Born in Woodside, Queens,...

, William Esposito, Weldon L. Kennedy

Weldon L. Kennedy

Weldon Lynn Kennedy was a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and served for 33 years. He is known for his involvement in the Atlanta Prison Riots and the Oklahoma City bombing.He retired as the FBI's No...

, Larry A. Potts, David G. Binney, Floyd I. Clarke

Floyd I. Clarke

Floyd I. Clarke was a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.Clarke was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a bachelor of arts and later a law degree...

, W. Mark Felt

W. Mark Felt

William Mark Felt, Sr. was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , who retired in 1973 as the Bureau's Associate Director...

 (later revealed to be Deep Throat

Deep Throat

Deep Throat is the pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post in 1972 about the involvement of United States President Richard Nixon's administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal...

), Cartha Deloach

Cartha Deloach

Cartha "Deke" Deloach was the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States, and the third most senior official in charge of the FBI after Hoover....

, and Clyde Tolson

Clyde Tolson

Clyde Anderson Tolson was Associate Director of the FBI, primarily responsible for personnel and discipline. He is best known as the protégé of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.-Early career:...

. From 1978 to 1987, the position of Deputy Director was not filled due to William H. Webster

William Hedgcock Webster

William Hedgcock Webster is an American attorney, jurist, and current Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Previously Webster was the 3rd Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1978 to 1987 and Director of Central Intelligence from 1987 to 1991...

's decision to divide the Deputy's responsibility between three positions.