FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the controversial move to DC’s Reagan Building, closing the J. Edgar Hoover Building, sparking legal battles with Maryland.
WASHINGTON — Months after confirming a move to the Ronald Reagan Building in DC, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Dec. 26 that the agency’s historic home in the J. Edgar Hoover Building is no more.
“December 26: Shutting down the Hoover Building,” Patel announced on X. “After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility. Working directly with President Trump and Congress, we accomplished what no one else could.”
The move hasn’t been without resistance.
The state of Maryland and Prince George’s County announced a lawsuit in November, saying the administration hijacked a planned move from the Hoover building to a new facility in Greenbelt.
According to Patel, the move to Greenbelt would have cost “$5 billion” and would have forced the agency to wait until 2035 to move.
By moving into the Reagan Building, Patel says, the move can be done immediately and with a significantly reduced cost to the taxpayer.
While the facility will host most of the FBI workforce, the rest will relocate to the field.
“This decision puts resources where they belong: defending the homeland, crushing violent crime, and protecting national security. It delivers better tools for today’s FBI workforce at a fraction of the cost,” he said.