Tony Mattivi was named the 13th director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), when the Kansas Senate confirmed his appointment Thursday.
According to the KBI, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach nominated Mattivi to be KBI director on January 9, 2023, citing his decades of experience working with law enforcement to put away some of the nation’s most violent and dangerous offenders.
Director Mattivi served as a federal prosecutor for over 20 years, prosecuting drug trafficking, violent crime, racketeering, organized crime, gangs, money laundering and terrorism cases.
As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mattivi was the lead prosecutor for the capital case against the al Qaeda operative who masterminded the bombing of the USS Cole, in 2000. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice’s (USDOJ) Regime Crimes Liaison Office in Iraq, advising the Iraqi High Tribunal as they tried members of Saddam Hussein’s regime for committing war crimes.
Mattivi led a team of USDOJ prosecutors who convicted three Kansas militia members for plotting to slaughter Somali Muslim immigrants living and worshipping at an apartment building and mosque in Garden City. He also prosecuted Terry Lee Loewen, a former U.S. Marine who attempted to detonate high explosives at the Wichita airport on behalf of al Qaeda, and John T. Booker, who conspired to detonate a truck bomb at Fort Riley in support of ISIS.
Over the years, he also worked for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, and as legal counsel for Medcor, an international healthcare company.
Mattivi is a graduate of Metropolitan State College of Denver, and Washburn University School of Law. He was the Antiterrorism and National Security Coordinator for the District of Kansas, and recently served as president of the Federal Bar Association chapter of Kansas and Western Missouri.
“The Senate’s confirmation of Tony Mattivi as KBI Director is a reflection and recognition of his exceptional career in law enforcement. He will be a great asset to the state of Kansas in his new role, and I am honored to have him as a leading member of my team,” said Attorney General Kris Kobach.
“Under my leadership, the Bureau will be committed to aggressively investigating criminal activity while upholding the integrity, professionalism, and objectivity that makes it a valued resource to Kansas law enforcement,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi.
“Our absolute priority will be to work hard each day for Kansas citizens, and to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, and our criminal justice partners who rely on the expertise and services the KBI produces every day,” Mattivi said.
