FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that he will resign from his post at the end of the current administration. He will leave the bureau before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next month.
He made the announcement during a town hall with FBI employees on Wednesday.
He said, “After weeks of careful consideration, I have decided that the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down.” “My goal is to remain focused on our mission – the indispensable work you are doing every day on behalf of the American people. In my view, it is best to avoid digging deeper into the fight while simultaneously strengthening the Bureau.” The values and principles that are core to the way we work.”
Ray continued, “It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway – it's not easy for me.” “I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people – but my focus is on us and has always been on doing what's right for the FBI.”
trump Ray was appointed – a former federal prosecutor and counterterrorism official – elected to a 10-year term as FBI director in 2017 firing james comeyBut Wray has faced criticism from Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill over the FBI's investigation into the president-elect. He remains director under President Biden, but Trump previously said he wanted to remove Wray and replace him as director. Kash Patel, A former GOP congressional staffer who was handpicked by Trump for roles in the Defense Department and the office of the Director of National Intelligence during his first term.
FBI directors are appointed to 10-year terms, the historical purpose of which was to ensure that the position remained insulated from political considerations. But the President has the power to fire and nominate directors at will, and many FBI directors have not served their full terms. The Senate must also vote to confirm a presidential nominee to serve as FBI Director.
Ray's announcement clears the way Patel To lead the FBI in Trump's second term. Patel is meeting at the Capitol with senators who will vote on his confirmation.
Wray and FBI leadership became targets of Trump's anger in 2022, when FBI agents carried out a court-authorized search warrant At his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The discovery revealed an ongoing federal investigation into Trump's handling of classified records after leaving office. The investigation culminated in criminal charges against Trump filed by special counsel Jack Smith, but they have since been dismissed by a federal judge. Trump pleaded innocent and denied wrongdoing.
If confirmed, Patel would be the third FBI director to serve under the Trump administration and take over the nation's premier federal law enforcement apparatus, amid years of intense criticism from Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill. While Wray was largely expected to step down from the job, Trump's announcement that he planned to nominate Patel to the position increased speculation among federal law enforcement whether Wray would resign or resign before Trump's inauguration. Will remain in post.
Wray took over the position after Trump fired then-director James Comey because of the FBI's investigation into the 2016 election. appointment of robert mueller As special counsel for that case. Comey, who has since become a vocal critic of the president-elect, found himself at odds with Democrats and Republicans over his departure from the top FBI post.
Since his confirmation in 2017, Wray has spent much of his tenure focusing on internal affairs such as national security issues, including countering agent recruitment and China's espionage operations. He sounded the alarm on foreign efforts to target US infrastructure and warned of aggressive stances by Iran and Russia.
The FBI employs approximately 35,000 people – including thousands of field agents – who are tasked with enforcing federal laws and investigating crimes across the country, including terrorism, espionage and child exploitation.
Patel, who may soon be Wray's replacement, has been vocal in his criticism of the federal agency and has said he will implement massive reforms and seek retribution for Trump, saying at one point, “We are going to come after.” The media that lied about American citizens, that helped Joe Biden rig the presidential election.”
Patel will report directly to the Attorney General of the United States – Trump's current choice for the position is former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Trump's announcement that he planned to nominate Patel, 44, as FBI director, faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill and some former officials from Trump's first term.
John Bolton, who served as national security adviser in Trump's first term and was Patel's boss, compared the nomination to Joseph Stalin's secret police chief.
Bolton said, “Fortunately, the FBI is not Stalin's secret police.” “The Senate should reject this nomination 100-0,” a response that prompted pushback from Trump allies and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.
But Republicans on Capitol Hill seemed open to the choice, arguing he could bring about change at the FBI.