FBI Director Chris Wray resigning amid pressure from Trump

(WASHINGTON) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told employees at an internal town hall on Wednesday that he is resigning, according to sources familiar with the meeting.

He said he is stepping down at the end of the current 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. My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. 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,” he said in his remarks.

“It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — 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 doing what’s right for the FBI,” he said.

“When you look at where the threats are headed, it’s clear that the importance of our work –  keeping Americans safe and upholding the Constitution — will not change. And what absolutely cannot, must not change is our commitment to doing the right thing, the right way, every time. Our adherence to our core values, our dedication to independence and objectivity, and our defense of the rule of law — those fundamental aspects of who we are must never change,” he said.

 “That’s the real strength of the FBI — the importance of our mission, the quality of our people, and their dedication to service over self. It’s an unshakeable foundation that’s stood the test of time, and cannot be easily moved. And it — you, the men and women of the FBI — are why the Bureau will endure and remain successful long into the future,” Wray continued.

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kash Patel to replace Wray at the FBI, pending Senate confirmation.

Trump reacted to the news shortly after in a statement railing against Wray and praising Patel, who was on Capitol Hill Wednesday to shore up support among Republican senators.

“The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans.”

Trump specifically took aim at the Justice Department’s investigations against him by special counsel Jack Smith.

“Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” Trump wrote. “They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them.”

Patel told ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce just after Wray’s announcement he’ll be ready on “Day 1.”

“We look forward to a very smooth transition and I’ll be ready to go on day one,” he said.

Patel declined to answer any additional questions about retribution, his message to Trump or whether he’s spoken to the president-elect.

Wray, who was appointed by then-President Trump to a 10-year term and confirmed in August 2017, oversaw the agency in a “heightened threat environment” and number of high-profile cases, including the investigation of the man who appointed him.

Congress changed the FBI director’s tenure to 10 years to years to address concerns about political interference.

As FBI director, Wray oversaw the investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, hundreds of Chinese espionage cases, the probes into Trump’s and President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents as well as thousands more criminal investigations.

Wray was nominated by Trump after Trump fired his predecessor, James Comey.

Republican critics have accused Wray’s FBI of political interference, a lack of transparency and a lack of responsiveness to Congress.

Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Wray on Dec. 9, expressing a “vote of no confidence” in Wray and his deputy director.

“For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter of your life,” Grassley wrote.

Grassley quickly responded to Wray’s resignation announcement.

“Wray’s departure is an opportunity for a new era of transparency and accountability at the FBI. Future FBI Directors ought to learn a lesson from Wray’s mistakes. Stonewalling Congress, breaking promises, applying double standards and turning your back on whistleblowers is no longer going to cut it,” the senator said.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.