Christopher Wray is departing his post before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has announced his resignation following President-elect Donald Trump’s intention to replace him with Kash Patel.
Wray made the announcement during a Wednesday staff meeting.
Trump appointed Wray in 2017, succeeding James Comey who was dismissed amidst the ‘Russiagate’ controversy.
Wray’s resignation follows a letter from Senator Chuck Grassley criticizing his leadership and alleging mismanagement.
Earlier this month, Trump, re-elected in November, nominated Patel to lead the FBI in his next term. Democrats opposed this, citing Wray’s remaining tenure.
FBI directors can serve up to ten years, a law enacted after J. Edgar Hoover’s lengthy tenure.
Despite being a Republican and a Trump appointee, the incoming president criticized Wray’s perceived allegiance to the Biden administration.
“He raided my home,” Trump stated on NBC’s Meet the Press, referring to the 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago property.
“I’m not happy” with the FBI, Trump added, referencing Wray’s congressional testimony about a shrapnel injury in July.