FBI Director Christopher Wray is making preparations to resign in the middle of his 10-year term, clearing the way for Kash Patel after his expected confirmation by the U.S. Senate next month.
Allies who have spoken with Wray said the Trump appointee sees the writing on the wall and realizes, despite the tradition of allowing FBI directors to serve a full decade, that President-elect Donald Trump has his heart set on appointing a loyalist who will end the “weaponization” of the Bureau against political opponents. Trump has long denounced the FBI for targeting him since agents raided Mar-a-Lago in 2022 as part of the classified documents probe. “He’s going to be gone at the inauguration. On or before the inauguration,” a source told the Washington Times.
In his stead will be Deputy Director Paul Abbate who is expected to manage FBI affairs until the Senate can officially confirm Patel, a former intelligence specialist, as the agency’s new director. Patel is meeting with Republican senators this week in a bid to shore up support which already appears to be robust. Some of the caucus’s key members have announced their support for his nomination, including Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the incoming chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “He wants to make sure that congressional oversight works,” Grassley said of Patel, CNN reported.
The Iowa Republican has also been an outspoken critic of Wray and previously called for his resignation. On Monday he sent a scathing letter to the director saying he has “no confidence” in his ability to lead. “For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,” Sen. Grassley wrote in the letter to Mr. Wray. “I therefore must express my vote of no confidence in your continued leadership of the FBI. In that raid, roughly 30 armed agents entered the home of a former president of the United States, with full authorization to use lethal force if needed to execute its warrant, and even searched the former First Lady’s clothing drawers.”
Cornyn, the former majority whip, said he expects Patel to be confirmed without delay. “I assume that Mr. Patel will be confirmed as the next FBI director. We talked about the importance of restoring the reputation of the FBI as a nonpartisan law enforcement investigative agency,” the Texas Republican said.
The FBI responded to the news report in a statement rebuffing allegations that Wray had failed to lead the FBI. “The FBI has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people. Director Wray and Deputy Director Abbate have taken strong actions toward achieving accountability in the areas mentioned in the letter and remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work of the FBI,” the statement said.
