Earlier this month, our presidential embarrassment tweeted his nomination for FBI Director—former assistant attorney general Christopher Wray—without alerting Congress or the White House beforehand. But presumably everybody knows now, and so Trump has officially submitted Wray’s name to the U.S. Senate for confirmation.
According to The Hill, the Justice Department has also released a statement from Wray regarding his nomination. He is “honored and humbled” to be singled out by Trump for this position:
“From my earliest days working with agents as a line prosecutor to my time working with them at the Department of Justice in the aftermath of 9/11, I have been inspired by the men and women of the FBI—inspired by their professionalism, integrity, courage, and sacrifice for the public.
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If confirmed, it will be a privilege and honor to once again work with them. America faces grave threats both here and abroad, and the FBI, in concert with its federal, state, and local partners, continues to work steadfastly to prevent and hold accountable those responsible for these threats.”
Wray originally held the position of assistant attorney general under George W. Bush and more recently served as Chris Christie’s attorney for the Bridgegate debacle. But while he’s no stranger to government, the ACLU has issued a warning regarding “his firm’s legal work for the Trump family, his history of partisan activity, as well as his history of defending Trump’s transition director during a criminal scandal.”
In other words, Wray sounds like the sort of guy who will readily pledge loyalty to Trump—something former FBI Director James Comey refused to do. That aforementioned refusal was likely related to his unceremonious dismissal: the reason we’re making Mr. Wray’s acquaintance in the first place.
Anyway, Trump is not likely to put people into power if he believes they will question his authority or ethics. If he calls Wray “a man of impeccable credentials,” we probably shouldn’t expect much—or rather, we should remain, as ever, on guard.