The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Monday, January 01, 2018 12:43 PM
President Trump's Pick For FBI Christopher Wray Confirmed By Senate 92-5
The Senate voted 92 to 5 to approve Wray’s nomination.
Trump announced his selection of Wray to lead the FBI in early July after abruptly firing FBI Director James Comey in May.
Comey was fired by the president amid tensions over the Russia investigation. During his confirmation hearing, Wray testified that he'd conduct his job "without regard to any partisan political influence."
“I believe to my core that there’s only one right way to do this job,” Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “And that is with strict independence. By the book. Playing it straight. Faithful to the Constitution."
Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Wray’s nomination and was praised by Republicans and Democrats alike.
Wray has worked on white-collar crime and regulatory cases as a partner at the King & Spalding law firm. From May 2001 to May 2005, he held various high-ranking positions in the Justice Department, rising to the head of the criminal division in September 2003. He also served as principal associate deputy attorney general.
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President Donald Trump's choice to
replace James Comey as head of the FBI headed toward Senate confirmation
on Tuesday
The Senate was slated to vote on the nomination of Christopher Wray, the
former high-ranking official in President George W. Bush's Justice
Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud. Once
confirmed, the 50-year-old Wray would inherit the FBI at a particularly
challenging time given Trump's firing of Comey, who was admired within
the bureau.
Wray won unanimous support from the Senate Judiciary Committee last
month, with Republicans and Democrats praising his promise never to let
politics get in the way of the bureau's mission.
"Beyond credentials, I believe Mr. Wray has the right view of the job,"
said Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Wray would replace Comey, who was abruptly fired by Trump in May amid an
investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible
ties to Trump's campaign. The Judiciary panel is also investigating
Russian interference.
At his confirmation hearing, Wray told senators he "sure as heck" would
not offer a pledge of loyalty to the president.
Asserting his independence, he said, "My loyalty is to the Constitution
and the rule of law. Those have been my guideposts throughout my career,
and I will continue to adhere to them no matter the test."
Democrats said Wray has the qualifications and independence to lead the
bureau.
The top Democrat on the panel, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said
Wray "has the strength and fortitude to stand up and do what it is right
when tested."
She added: "We need leaders with steel spines, not weak knees, and I am
hopeful that Mr. Wray will be just such a leader."
Wray has worked on white-collar crime and regulatory cases as a partner
at the King & Spalding law firm. From May 2001 to May 2005, he held
various high-ranking positions in the Justice Department, rising to the
head of the criminal division in September 2003. He also served as
principal associate deputy attorney general.
He was a federal prosecutor in the U.S. attorney's office for the
Northern District of Georgia from May 1997 to May 2001.
Wray had represented New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the so-called
Bridgegate scandal.
