Tuesday, December 17, 2024
On December 11, Christopher A. Wray, FBI Director of the US announced in an internal meeting that he will resign prior to US President-elect Donald Trump taking office. The decision came after Trump has asserted previously that he will fire Wray upon taking office in January. According to Reuters, Trump was aiming to limit the authority of FBI, connecting this decision to FBI's investigation into Trump after he left his office in 2020.
Wray said the decision was made after careful deliberation. He said he would continue his work in his current role until the end of current administration, January of next year. Wray commented, "In my view, 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."
In response to Wray's decision, Trump called the resignation "a great day for America."
On November 30, Trump announced the nomination of his former aide, Kash Patel, as the new head of the FBI, a decision set to take effect when Trump assumes office.
During his first term in 2017, Trump nominated Wray to replace former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired after Comey fell out of favor over investigations into alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
