By Gary Fields
USA Today
June 6, 1997, Friday

WASHINGTON -- In an unusual move for an FBI director, Louis Freeh said Thursday that his agency needs more congressional oversight.

"We are potentially the most dangerous agency in the country if we are not scrutinized carefully," Freeh told members of the House crime subcommittee.

While acknowledging the agency's problems, Freeh said the FBI doesn't get much credit for its successes. The problems, ranging from miscues at the crime lab to the theft this week of an FBI SWAT team van carrying high-powered weapons, brought biting reproaches from subcommittee members.

"How stupid can anybody in America be to leave an unguarded truck with weapons that are banned from the general public," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. "I mean, is this comic-strip time?"

Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., said the FBI was now seen as an agency of "highly paid bureaucrats who conduct shoddy, sloppy investigations."

In an interview after the hearing, Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., said he'll prepare legislation giving Justice Department Inspector General Michael Bromwich more authority to investigate the FBI. In an interview last month, Bromwich said his office should be able to investigate immediately possible misconduct at the FBI -- without the permission of the deputy attorney general -- when the case involves "high-level managers" and the public might doubt the ability of the internal-affairs unit to be objective.

The question of FBI oversight has been the subject of several congressional hearings, including Thursday's.

The critical reception that Freeh received from House members was in stark contrast to the complimentary one he got Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

His chief critic during that hearing, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday that he was encouraged by Freeh's comments about oversight but, "I hope he also would agree that actions speak louder than words. Sticking to the status quo would be as effective as letting the fox guard the chicken house."