Christopher Wray, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), says he will resign before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.
Wray announced his impending departure at an internal FBI meeting on Wednesday.
President-elect Donald Trump has publicly expressed his desire to replace Wray with Kash Patel, a longtime confidant who has called for “dramatic” cuts to the FBI’s authority.
Wray, who was also nominated by Trump in 2017 for a 10-year term, has faced criticism during his time as a Republican over the FBI’s investigation into Trump after he left office.
Speaking at an FBI meeting on Wednesday, Wray said: “After many weeks of careful consideration, I have decided that the best thing for the bureau is to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down.”
“My goal is to keep us focused on our work – the important work we do for the American people every day,” he told his colleagues.
“In my opinion, this is the best way to avoid dragging the office deeper into the conflict, while strengthening the principles and principles that are very important in the way we do our work,” said Wray.
He also addressed the FBI’s work in his remarks, saying the bureau’s mission to “keep the American people safe and uphold the constitution” will not change.
Trump appointed Wray to lead the FBI after firing his predecessor James Comey following an FBI investigation into. allegations of collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
During his nomination, Trump said Wray – a graduate of Yale Law School – was a man with “good credentials”.
But in recent years, Wray has fallen out of favor with the president-elect after the FBI helped with the federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, a case that has since been dismissed.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the case and said the investigation was politically motivated.
After his second term, Trump said his pick for FBI director would be Patel — a former aide who has been a staunch supporter of the incoming Republican president.
On Wednesday, Patel said he is “looking forward to a smooth transition and I will be ready on day one.”
Trump said Wray’s resignation was “a good day for America”.
“It will end the weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Justice,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Patel needs Senate approval before he can be appointed.
Some considered him a divisive figure because of his criticism of the FBI. In his memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel called for an end to what he called “government oppression” within the FBI by firing “top brass”.
However, some Republican lawmakers welcomed Patel’s nomination.
“There are serious problems at the FBI,” said Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee.
“The American public knows that. They expect to see big changes, and Kash Patel is the kind of person to do it.”
Wray has strongly denied that he was pursuing the Democratic Party’s agenda as FBI director, telling lawmakers in a December 2023 House of Representatives hearing that he has been a lifelong Republican.
“The idea that I’m siding with the conservatives seems crazy to me, given my background,” he said.
US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat, responded to Wray’s resignation by thanking him for his work and saying the FBI “will soon begin a dangerous new era with important questions about its future.”
Wray was also praised by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who said in a statement that Wray “has served our country with honor and integrity for decades, including seven years as FBI Director under presidents of both parties.”
FBI directors are appointed to 10-year terms – a length chosen to overcome political changes in the White House every four years, and therefore the appearance of bias.
Wray’s term was not due to expire until 2027. Trump would not have been able to appoint Patel, his choice, without firing Wray or having him voluntarily resign.
Source link
