FBI Director Christopher Wray plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term.
Mark Schiefelbein The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate Kash Patel for the job.
Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations, including two that led to separate indictments of Trump last year as well as inquiries into Biden and his son.
“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”
The intended resignation was not unexpected considering that Trump had settled on Patel to be director and had repeatedly aired his ire at Wray, whom he appointed during his first term.
“It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me,” Wray said. “I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.”
Trump applauds news
Trump applauded the news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice” and saying that Patel’s confirmation will begin “the process of Making the FBI Great Again.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Patel would herald a leadership transformation at the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. He has advocated shutting down the FBI’s Washington headquarters and called for ridding the federal government of “conspirators.”
Patel said Wednesday that he was looking forward to “a smooth transition.
I will be ready to serve the American people on day one.”
Despite having appointed Wray, Trump had telegraphed his anger with the FBI director on multiple occasions throughout the years, including as recently as the past week.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Trump said, “I can’t say I’m thrilled with him.
He invaded my home,” a reference to the FBI’s 2022 search of Trump’s Florida property, Mar-a-Lago, for classified documents from Trump’s first term as president.
That search, and the recovery of boxes of sensitive government records, paved the way for one of two federal indictments against Trump.
The case, and another one charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, have both been dismissed by the Justice Department special counsel that brought them in light of Trump’s November victory.
Attorney General Merrick Garland praised Wray for having “served our country honorably and with integrity for decades.” He said: “Under Director Wray’s principled leadership, the FBI has worked to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to keep our country safe, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law.”
Natalie Bara, the president of the FBI Agents Association, said in a statement that Wray had led the FBI “through challenging times with a steady focus on doing the work that keeps our country safe.”
Leaving at time of threats
Wray repeatedly sought to keep the focus on the FBI’s day-to-day work, using the bulk of his resignation announcement to praise the bureau’s efforts in countering everything from violent crime and cyberattacks to Chinese espionage and terrorism.
“The most sacred responsibility of government is — and will remain — protecting its citizens,” Wray said.
“You all are on the front lines of that effort every day, and I know you will continue to adapt and evolve and innovate to stay ahead.”
Yet even as he leaves office at a time of heightened threats, much of the public focus has been on the politically sensitive investigations of his tenure.
Besides the inquiries into Trump, the FBI in recent years also investigated Biden’s handling of classified information as well as Biden’s son Hunter for tax and gun violations.
Hunter Biden was pardoned by his father last week.
A particular flashpoint came in August 2022, when FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago — an action officials defended as necessary given the boxes of documents that were being concealed at the Palm Beach property and the evidence of obstruction that the Justice Department said had been gathered.
Trump railed against the FBI over that search and has kept up his criticism ever since. The president-elect, for instance, was angered by Wray’s comment at a congressional hearing that there was “some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel” that struck Trump’s ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July. The FBI later stated unequivocally that it was indeed a bullet.