Christopher Wray Says He’ll Step Down as F.B.I. Director
President-elect Donald J. Trump had already signaled his intention to replace Mr. Wray with a longtime loyalist, Kash Patel.
transcript
Christopher Wray to Resign as F.B.I. Director
The director said he was intending to step down in January at the end of the Biden administration.
After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down. This is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important in how we do our work. This is not easy for me. I love this place. I love our mission. And I love our people. But my focus is and always has been on us and on doing what’s right for the F.B.I.
Adam Goldman and Devlin Barrett
Reporting from Washington
Follow the latest updates on President-elect Donald Trump.
The F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, said on Wednesday that he intended to resign before the Trump administration took office, bowing to the reality that President-elect Donald J. Trump had publicly declared his desire to replace him.
Mr. Wray announced the move while addressing employees on Wednesday afternoon in remarks that tacitly acknowledged the politically charged position the F.B.I. now faces with an incoming president who openly scorns the agency.
“I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Mr. Wray said, adding, “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 director spoke wistfully about his time at the F.B.I. “This is not easy for me,” he said, addressing a packed conference room at F.B.I. headquarters, as many more watched on video feeds at F.B.I. offices around the country. “I love this place, I love our mission and I love our people.” He left the room to a standing ovation, and some shed tears as Mr. Wray shook employees’ hands on the way out, according to an F.B.I. official.
The announcement comes after Mr. Trump said in late November that he intended to nominate Kash Patel, a longtime loyalist, to run the F.B.I., and more than two years before Mr. Wray’s 10-year term would have expired.
Paul Abbate, the deputy F.B.I. director, is set to retire in late April but would typically serve as acting director until Mr. Patel is confirmed. It is not clear who would replace Mr. Abbate, the most senior agent in the bureau, or whether he would actually stay past the change of the administration.
Advertisement