Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray said Sunday he will leave his post when President-elect Donald Trump takes office to avoid throwing the bureau “deep into the fray” as he defended the agency's 2022 raid of the 45th president's Florida estate.
The FBI chief addressed his impending resignation, the controversial search for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, and how China is the “defining threat of our generation” in a wide-ranging interview on CBS' “60 Minutes” Sunday night.
Ray, 58, said deciding to step down before completing his 10-year term was “one of the most difficult decisions” he had ever faced. He announced his resignation from the position last month.
“I care deeply, deeply — about the FBI, our mission — and especially about our people. But you know the president-elect has made it clear that he intends to make a change, and the law says he can do that for any reason or no reason at all,” Wray told Scott Pelley.
“My conclusion is that the best thing for the Bureau is to try to do this in an organized way, so as not to drag the FBI deeper into the fray.”
While Trump appointed Wray to lead the FBI during his first term in office, the Republican was angered when federal agents raided Mar-a-Lago in 2022 searching for classified documents that the former and now incoming president has been accused of mishandling.
Wray, who served as director for more than seven years, also came under intense pressure when the FBI was investigating alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election results.
Trump faced federal charges brought by a special prosecutor before both cases were dropped after he won the election in November.
Wray defended his clients in both cases, insisting that the office's mission was to “follow the facts wherever they lead, regardless of who likes them.”
He said that searching Trump's vast properties was the last option.
“And when we know that confidential information and materials are not being stored properly, it is our duty to act. And I can tell you that in investigations like this, there was no search warrant, and that was not anyone’s first choice.”
Wray said there has been no discussion with the Biden administration about any investigation into Trump, and he does not believe anyone else at the FBI has been in contact with the current White House.
Wray also defended the FBI in its investigation of President Biden's son Hunter, who was convicted on weapons and tax charges before his father pardoned him last month. Biden described the trial as the result of “crude politics.”
“This is a tough job,” he told Billy. “It will inevitably make different people angry, often very powerful people.”
Wray also warned that the United States faces a growing threat from the Chinese government, including its cyber program that has stolen personal and corporate data from Americans, and its targeting of critical American infrastructure.
“Things like water treatment plants. We're talking about transportation systems.” “We're talking about targeting our energy sector, the power grid, and natural gas pipelines. “We have recently witnessed the targeting of our communications systems.”
Challenges posed by China and other adversaries may fall to former Justice Department National Security Attorney Kash Patel, who was nominated by Trump to lead the FBI, but will need the approval of the US Senate.
