It was only a matter of time. Even with three years still left in his ten year appointment, if the president doesn’t want him, he’s out.
Wray replaced James Comey. He wasn’t much better at encouraging trust in the department.
FBI officials regularly got their own way. He’s not fighting it. Just hours after a nasty 11 page letter penned from incoming Senate Judiciary Chair Sen. Chuck he was packing his bags.
Wray doesn’t want to be fired
The Washington Times reported,
“He’s going to be gone at the inauguration — on or before the inauguration. Mr. Wray is calling it quits because he doesn’t want to get fired by President-elect Donald Trump, according to sources inside the bureau who are familiar with the director’s thinking. Following Mr. Wray’s departure, Deputy Director Paul Abbate will become acting director and appoint an acting deputy director. Mr. Abbate’s original plan was to stay until May or June, so he could help with the transition to a new FBI director.”
Kash Patel will need to be confirmed by the Senate. After over six years on the job the GOP wanted somebody else in that seat.
Politically motivated actions
Among the reasons for showing him the door was the many political actions against Trump or the GOP. He was slammed for failing his duties.
“The Senate confirmed you to your current position in hopes you’d bring needed change to the FBI after the politicization and scandal presided over by your predecessor, Director James Comey. While I sincerely congratulated you on your nomination, I reminded you that an FBI Director’s ten-year term is a ceiling, not a floor, and laid down my expectations for your service. These included foremost the prompt and thorough compliance with congressional oversight requests and the protection of whistleblowers, whom I’ve spent my career defending. As we stand at the threshold of a new Congress and a new administration, with seven years of water under the bridge, you’ve failed in these fundamental duties as director. Even President Biden, who denied weaponizing his administration against President-elect Trump, has finally admitted that political bias has indeed infected law enforcement.”
No confidence in Wray
The letter continued.
“These failures are serious enough and their pattern widespread enough to have shattered my confidence in your leadership and the confidence and hope many others in Congress placed in you. Rather than turn over a new leaf at the FBI, you’ve continued to read from the old playbook of weaponization, double standards, and a relentless game of hide-and-seek with the Congress.”
He included the raid on Trump’s Mar-a-lago. “This raid occurred despite serious questions about the need for it. President Trump apparently was cooperating with the investigation, notwithstanding liberal press reports. He voluntarily turned over 15 boxes of documents months before the FBI’s drastic escalation.”
