18 hours ago Nadine Yousif BBC News Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray has said he will resign before President-elect Donald Trump, who has indicated he would fire him, takes office next month.
Wray announced at an internal FBI meeting on Wednesday that he had decided to step aside after weeks of consideration.
Trump appointed Wray to lead the FBI after firing his predecessor James Comey following the FBI’s investigations into alleged contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.
When appointing him, Trump said Wray – a Yale Law School graduate – was a man of “impeccable credentials”.
In the meantime, FBI deputy director Paul Abbate, a veteran FBI agent, will run the bureau after Wray’s departure, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.
18 hours prior.
Yousif Nadine.
The BBC News.
Before President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to fire him, takes office next month, Christopher Wray, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has announced that he will step down.
Following weeks of deliberation, Wray announced his decision to resign at an internal FBI meeting on Wednesday.
Kash Patel, who has advocated “dramatically” reducing the FBI’s power, has already been nominated by Trump to head the law enforcement organization.
Republicans have criticized Wray, who Trump nominated in 2017 for a 10-year term, because of the FBI’s post-election investigations into the former president.
Wray stated during the FBI meeting on Wednesday: “I have determined that it would be best for the bureau if I remained in my position until the end of the current administration in January and then resigned. “,”.
Wray continued, “I think this is the best way to reinforce the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work, without drawing the bureau further into the conflict.”.
An unidentified official told the Associated Press that he was given a standing ovation following his remarks, with some audience members crying.
Trump fired James Comey, his predecessor, after the FBI’s investigations into suspected ties between the Trump campaign in 2016 and Russia, and then appointed Wray to head the agency.
As a Yale Law School graduate, Trump claimed that Wray had “impeccable credentials” when he appointed him.
The FBI’s assistance with a federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, which has since been dropped, has caused Wray to lose favor with the president-elect in recent years.
Wray’s resignation, according to Trump, was “a great day for America”.
According to his statement on Truth Social, “It will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.”. “All Americans will once again be subject to the rule of law. “..”.
Patel, a former aide who has been a staunch supporter of the incoming Republican president, was stated by Trump as his choice for FBI director after he was elected to a second term.
Patel stated that he was “looking forward to a smooth transition and I’ll be ready to go on day one” on Wednesday.
Through the advice and consent process, he said, “I look forward to earning the trust and confidence of senators, who have been wonderful, and restoring law and order and integrity to the FBI.”.
Before Patel can be appointed, the Senate must approve him. According to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, Wray will leave the FBI, and a seasoned FBI agent named Paul Abbate will take over as deputy director.
Patel has criticized the FBI harshly. In his memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel advocated firing “the top ranks” in order to end “government tyranny” within the FBI.
Critics have questioned Patel’s suitability to head one of the most prestigious law enforcement organizations in the world.
Nonetheless, his nomination has been praised by some Republican lawmakers.
After learning of Wray’s resignation, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote on X, “The FBI needs reform badly.” He also added that the American people should be held accountable and transparent.
During a House of Representatives hearing a year ago, Wray told lawmakers that he had been a lifelong Republican and vehemently denied he permitted a Democratic partisan agenda to run amok while he was the director of the FBI.
He remarked, “Given my own personal background, I find it somewhat insane that I am biased against conservatives.”.
Democrat Dick Durbin, the majority whip for the US Senate, responded to Wray’s resignation by expressing gratitude for his service and stating that the FBI “will soon embark on a perilous new era with serious questions about its future.”. “..”.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland also commended Wray, saying that he had “served our country honorably and with integrity for decades, including for seven years as Director of the FBI under presidents of both parties.”. “.”.
Wray guided the FBI officers “through difficult times with a steady focus on doing the work that keeps our country safe,” according to the FBIAA, the organization that represents the agents in the bureau. “.
Ten-year terms are chosen for FBI directors in order to outlast the appearance of bias and the political turnovers that occur in the White House every four years.
It was not until 2027 that Wray’s term was scheduled to end. Trump could not have appointed his choice, Patel, unless Wray was fired or resigned willingly.
