The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, will resign from his position before the second term of the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, according to the agency.
In a statement to staff released by the agency on Wednesday, Wray cited a desire to keep the agency out of a protracted dispute with the incoming president, who will take office on Jan. 20.
Wray has been one of Trump's top targets in recent years, with the former president citing the FBI's involvement in several investigations into his conduct. That included an August 2022 execution of a search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in which agents gathered evidence for an eventual federal indictment related to the hoarding of classified White House documents.
The resignation will clear the way for Kash Patel, Trump's controversial pick, to take charge of the agency, although her appointment will still require Senate confirmation. Trump had already all but confirmed his plans to fire Wray, whose 10-year appointment would not end until 2027.
“After weeks of careful thought, I have decided that the right thing for the office is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then resign,” Wray said in his statement.
“In my opinion, this is the best way to avoid dragging the office into a more contentious situation, while at the same time reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to the way we do our work.”
Trump earlier this month nominated Patel, who had previously served as a national security aide and remains a staunch ally of the former president.
Trump called him a “brilliant lawyer, investigator and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice and protecting the American people.”
But the appointment raised concerns, even within Trump's own Republican Party, about Patel's suitability for the job.
The firebrand has regularly issued blatant threats to prosecute political opponents and investigators who have investigated Trump and has vowed to purge the FBI of the so-called “deep state,” a conspiracy phrase that refers to the belief that secret networks of power are embedded within the government. government.
He has also vowed to close the agency's headquarters in Washington, DC.
Legal observers have warned that the agency could lose its independence under Patel and become an arm of the Trump White House.
Trump praises resignation
In a statement on his Truth Social account following Wray's announcement, Trump called the resignation a “great day for America.”
Trump again criticized Wray over the Mar-a-Lago search, writing that FBI agents “illegally attacked my house.” In addition, he accused the director of participating in the “militarization” of the American justice system, although jurists have regularly said that there were legal grounds for the federal cases against Trump.
“We will now restore the rule of law for all Americans,” Trump wrote. Employing his trademark hyperbole, he then praised Patel as “the most qualified candidate to lead the FBI in the agency's history.”
A federal judge has since dismissed the classified federal documents case against Trump. A second federal case involving Trump's role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results was also dismissed at the prosecutor's request. The Justice Department has a long-standing policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.
Trump's conviction in New York state related to hush money payments is also likely to have his sentence suspended, and his lawyers have sought to have another state case in Georgia related to the 2020 election dismissed.
Trump himself had appointed Wray in 2017 to replace then-FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading an investigation into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. At the time, Trump cited that investigation as part of his decision.
It is still unclear whether Republicans, who will hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, will reach the simple majority they will need to confirm Patel next year.
Trump has tapped several controversial figures to run key agencies in his administration, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth, accused of being associated with white nationalist movements and abusing women, and Tulsi Gabbard, who has been the subject of renewed scrutiny. scrutiny for their support. of the overthrown government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as director of national intelligence, among others.
In recent years, opposing parties have used the filibuster to prolong confirmation hearings for polarized candidates.
In November, former congressman Matt Gaetz dropped out of the race after being nominated for attorney general by Trump.
