Obama To Nominate Republican James Comey To Head FBI [PHOTO]

President Barack Obama is expected to tap James Comey to succeed Robert Mueller as FBI director on Friday, Politico reported Thursday afternoon.

Comey, 52, is a Republican who served as deputy U.S. attorney general in George W. Bush’s administration from 2003 to 2005. Before that, he was the Manhattan U.S. attorney from January 2002 to December 2003.

Obama will nominate Comey during an afternoon ceremony on Friday, according to Politico. Comey will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. If Comey’s nomination goes through, he’ll replace Mueller, who has been FBI director since 2001.

The FBI is overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, which is operating during a tumultuous time for the agency. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who leads Justice, is facing criticism from the AP and IRS scandals.