Congressman Cohen Introduces Bill to Take Hoover’s Name Off FBI Building in Washington, DC

[Washington, D.C.] – Citing J. Edgar Hoover’s deplorable treatment of civil rights leaders, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today introduced legislation to take the former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director’s name off the FBI building in Washington, DC. Congressman Cohen was joined by Reps. John Lewis (D-GA), John Conyers (D-MI), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Karen Bass (D-CA).

“The civil rights we enjoy today are in spite of J. Edgar Hoover, not because of him. Yet, his name adorns one of the most prominent buildings in our nation’s capital and one that houses one of the agencies of government responsible for justice.” said Congressman Cohen. “Given his well-documented abuses and prejudices towards African Americans, gays, and lesbians, I believe it is past time to remove his name from this place of honor.”

This morning, Congressman Cohen questioned the current FBI Director James Comey about the need to remove J. Edgar Hoover’s name from the FBI building at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. “His [J. Edgar Hoover’s] efforts to silence Dr. King and out homosexuals working for the government were deplorable and a stain on our nation’s history and on the FBI,” said Congressman Cohen during the hearing. Video of Congressman Cohen’s remarks to FBI Director Comey at this morning’s hearing is available here.

Additional background on the FBI’s abuses under J. Edgar Hoover can be found at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/magazine/what-an-uncensored-letter-to-mlk-reveals.html

https://news.yahoo.com/uniquely-nasty-j-edgar-hoover-fbi-war-on-gays-152550068.html

According to today’s FBI, J. Edgar Hoover’s infamous counter intelligence program, named “COINTELPRO,” “was rightfully criticized by Congress and the American people for abridging first amendment rights and for other reasons.” See: https://vault.fbi.gov/cointel-pro