Dec. 11 (UPI) — FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday he will resign when the Biden administration turns over executive control to President-elect Donald Trump in January.
Trump is scheduled to become president on Jan. 20, and Wray said he will do “what’s right for the FBI” and resign, ABC News reported.
“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray told attendees of an internal town hall held Wednesday.
“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,” Wray said.
Trump appointed Wray to his current position in August 2017 to replace former FBI Director James Comey.
Trump on Wednesday lauded Wray’s pending resignation.
“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 said in a post on X. “We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans.”
Trump said Wray abused his power as FBI director while targeting innocent people.
“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 said. “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.”
Critics have accused the FBI of engaging in political interference, ignoring Congress and a lack of transparency.
“For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter of your life,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said on Monday in a letter to Wray.
Trump earlier said he will nominate Kash Patel to replace Wray, who has more than two years remaining in his 10-year term as FBI director.
Trump has accused Wray of politicizing the search for classified documents at his home by sending a team of heavily armed personnel and investigators to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in 2022.
Wray also oversaw the federal investigations into Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results and the accusations of Russian collusion with Trump’s 2016 election campaign.
The FBI’s subsequent investigations, including alleged Russian collusion, the Capitol riot, classified documents possessed by Trump and President Joe Biden, Chinese espionage and various criminal investigations, raised questions about Wray’s ability to competently lead the FBI.
Wray’s pending resignation would elevate Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate to interim director until Patel or another person is nominated and confirmed to replace Wray.
Patel was a federal prosecutor and has criticized Wray and others in FBI leadership roles as being part of the “deep state.”