By Allan Lengel, The Washington Post
Van Harp, who took over the FBI’s Washington field office in July 2001 and has been at the forefront of the nation’s battle against terrorism and anthrax, said yesterday that he is retiring next month.
Harp, who turns 58 next month, was scheduled to step aside last year when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 57. But FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III gave him a one-year extension to head the office of 700 agents.
“It’s been an extraordinary time,” said Harp, whose last day is May 5. His replacement has not be named.
The Washington field office, the second largest in the country, has been one of the key FBI offices involved in the fight against terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, and Harp often has been the public face of its investigations. He headed the nation’s probe into the anthrax attacks that killed five people and infected 13 in fall 2001.
Harp said he is disappointed that he was not able to solve the anthrax mystery before he left.
“It’s frustrating that it’s taking as long as it has,” he said. “On the other hand, when you look where we’ve started, compared to where we are, we’re light-years ahead.”
Harp began his FBI career in Little Rock in 1970. Before coming to Washington, he headed the Cleveland office, where he oversaw work on the investigation of Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. (D-Ohio), who was eventually convicted on racketeering and related federal charges. Harp had planned to make public corruption one of his priorities in Washington, but that changed when the FBI shifted its primary focus to combating terrorism.
An amicable man with a mild midwestern demeanor, Harp has a good rapport with others in the Washington area’s law enforcement community. He devoted a great deal of time to making sure that federal and local agencies shared anti-terrorism leads.
“After 9/11, we needed to share secret information and Van made that happen in our region,” said D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey.
Michael Stenger, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Washington field office, said Harp “was exactly what was needed in these times. When I spoke to him I always felt I was getting a straight answer.”
Many agents also gave Harp high marks, characterizing him as someone who passionately cared about cases and supported their work.
But Harp was not without detractors. Some agents thought he micromanaged and meddled in certain cases.
Mueller could have extended Harp’s time on the job another two years -- until Harp reached age 60 -- but Harp said it was time to move on. He said he hasn’t decided what he will do next and might return to the Cleveland area.