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The Oath with Chuck Rosenberg

Amy Hess: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

The Oath with Chuck Rosenberg

MSNBC

Chuck Rosenberg, News, Biden, News Commentary, Government, Politics

4.8 β€’ 15.8K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 22 July 2020

⏱️ 79 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Amy Hess dreamed – as a child – of being an astronaut. A star student and athlete in high school, she studied aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue – though poor eyesight dashed her NASA dreams. Instead, Amy got her start in the FBI as a special agent in Kansas City, working violent crime. She rose quickly through FBI ranks to run the Memphis and Louisville field offices, and to run two large FBI divisions at headquarters, where she oversaw FBI technology in one job and the FBI’s criminal and cyber work, in another. Those jobs made her the highest-ranking woman in FBI history. Today, Amy is back home as the Chief of Public Safety for Louisville, Kentucky – across the Ohio River from the small Indiana town in which she grew up. Following the tragic March 13 shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville this year, and after we recorded this episode, Amy was named to lead police reform efforts in that city – to reduce use of force incidents, to review police policies and training, and to make recommendations on police disciplinary matters by establishing an Independent Civilian Review Board. Amy shares with host Chuck Rosenberg fascinating stories of her work as an FBI special agent, including at the site of the horrific 1995 domestic terrorism attack at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. If you have thoughtful feedback on this episode or others, please email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

0:11.0

But I will bear true faith and allegiance to the sea that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will will inflate the lead discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.

0:24.0

So help me God, so help me God.

0:30.0

Welcome to the Oath. I'm Chuck Rosenberg and I am honored to be your host for another compelling conversation with a fascinating guest from the World of Public Service.

0:39.0

This week my guest is Amy Hess, the highest-ranking woman in FBI history.

0:45.0

Amy grew up in Jeffersonville, Indiana, a small town just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.

0:52.0

As a child, Amy dreamed of being an astronaut. She studied aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue.

0:59.0

Amy is a rocket scientist, but poor eyesight dashed her NASA dreams.

1:04.0

Instead, Amy got her start in the FBI as a special agent in Kansas City, working violent crime cases.

1:11.0

She was one of the first agents in her office to be part of a new evidence response team.

1:16.0

And one of her first assignments as part of that team was to Oklahoma City because of the horrific domestic terrorism attack on the Murrow Federal Building in 1995.

1:26.0

Amy rose through FBI ranks to run the Memphis and Louisville field offices and to run two large divisions at headquarters where she oversaw FBI technology in one job and the FBI's criminal and cyber work in another.

1:39.0

Today, she is back home as the chief of public safety for Louisville, Kentucky, where she manages several vital city agencies.

1:47.0

And they're retired from the FBI. Amy continues to serve.

1:52.0

Amy Hess, welcome to the Oath.

1:54.0

Thank you. Great to be here.

1:55.0

Well, it's great to be in your hometown, Louisville, Kentucky.

1:58.0

Welcome to Louisville.

1:59.0

You grew up right across the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

2:03.0

I did. Suburb of Louisville, located right across the Ohio River.

2:06.0

So tell me about that.

2:07.0

Jeffersonville is a great place to grow up.

...

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