Trump to nominate ex-Justice Department official Christopher Christopher Wray to lead FBI
Wray was named a day before the man Trump fired from the post, James Comey, testifies before the Senate
The timing suggests the White House is interested in trying to turn the page on Comey’s era at the FBI before the former director testifies to a Senate committee on whether Trump pressured him to ease off his investigation of Russian meddling in last year’s election and whether anyone on his campaign colluded in that effort.
Wray is best known as a white-collar defence attorney after serving as the US assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s criminal division from 2003 to 2005. More recently, he represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in the so-called “Bridgegate” scandal investigation after traffic delays in 2013 on the George Washington Bridge.
During his tenure at the Justice Department, Wray was involved in the prosecution of HealthSouth Corp. founder Richard Scrushy on accounting fraud charges and of former Enron Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling for fraud, conspiracy and insider trading.
Trump called Wray a man of “impeccable credentials” in announcing his choice on Twitter.
Initial reaction to Trump’s pick included praise from some of the president’s frequent critics, a positive sign of Wray’s potential to win bipartisan support in the Senate and right the FBI’s course after a tumultuous start to Trump’s presidency.