FBI May Close Offices for 10 Days to Deal with Budget Cuts

Sequestration blamed

The FBI may shut down offices around the country for as many as 10 days spread over the next fiscal year to manage the effects of federal spending cuts, according to two officials briefed on the matter.

The decision, which is not final, comes as the Federal Bureau of Investigation welcomes its new director, James B. Comey, and after months of back and forth among senior officials over how to handle the automatic cuts, known as sequestration.

"I was surprised to learn about the impact that sequestration is having on the FBI," Comey said yesterday at a press conference in Richmond.