FBI Director Chris Wray testifies before Congress for the first time since Trump attacks

pulse

December 7, 2017 3:52 PM

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee in his first hearing since President Donald Trump's attacks on the agency.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday in his first congressional hearing since being sworn in as the eighth director of the FBI on August 2.
The committee's chairman, Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte, echoed Trump's remark that Comey had damaged the FBI's reputation.

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday in his first congressional hearing since he was confirmed to replace former FBI Director James Comey in August.

Wray's testimony came days after President Donald Trump tweeted that Comey left the FBI's reputation "in tatters," prompting Wray to send out a morale-boosting memo to the bureau's 35,000 employees.

"There is no shortage of opinions out there," Wray said in his testimony. "What I can tell you is tens of thousands of agents and analysts and staff working their tails off to keep Americans safe from the next terrorist attack, gang violence, child predators, spies from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. The FBI that I see is tens of thousands of brave men and women who are working as hard as they can to keep people that they will never know safe from harm."

"You have a unique opportunity to repair the damage done by Comey to the FBI," Goodlatte said in an opening statement. He asserted that the bureau's decision not to recommend charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server showed that "our nation's system of justice applies differently to the rich, powerful, and well-connected than to anyone else."

He expressed dismay that he the Justice Department has not yet appointed "a second special counsel to review the voluminous unresolved inconsistencies and perceived improprieties" that arose during the Clinton email investigation.

Goodlatte also took a shot at special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia's election interference.

"We do not know the magnitude of insider bias on Mr. Mueller's team," he said.

If Trump targets the bureau, your job is to stand up to Trump

Wray deflected when asked by Goodlatte about news that a former FBI agent, Peter Strzok, softened the language used by Comey in a press conference announcing the conclusion of the Cinton email probe. Wray said the Inspector General is looking into it.

Strzok also sent text messages that could be perceived as anti-Trump before joining Mueller's team of investigators examining Russia's election interference. Asked about that, Wray also deferred to the inspector general.

pulse