By Eric Tucker | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday 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 announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job.
At a town hall meeting with the bureau workforce, Wray said he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought.”
Related Articles
Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him
‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration
Why Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry
Biden approves national security memo on China, Iran, North Korea and Russia ahead of Trump’s return
California’s 2nd largest county aims to further limit cooperation with immigration authorities, but sheriff pushes back
Wray’s intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Trump had picked Patel for the role in his new administration.
Wray had previously been named by Trump and began the 10-year term — a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations — in 2017, after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey.
Trump had telegraphed his anger with Wray on multiple occasions, including after Wray’s congressional testimony in September. But the soft-spoken director rarely seemed to go out of his way to publicly confront the White House.