Joe Biden will not remove Christopher Wray as FBI director, if Wray is still in that role when the new president takes office in January 2021, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing a senior adviser to Biden with insider knowledge.
Specifically, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Biden’s team was “not removing the FBI director unless Trump fired him.”
If Biden does not replace Wray, that would signal a return to typical procedure around tenures for FBI directors, who are confirmed by the Senate, have 10-year-terms, and are rarely fired, the Times detailed.
Trump made an atypical decision when he dismissed Comey, the seventh director of the FBI, in 2017, after criticizing him for the FBI investigation into a Hillary Clinton email controversy and claims of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Earlier this month, there were reports that Trump was considering firing Wray. According to the Hill, which cited people familiar with the matter, Trump and his allies are frustrated with Wray for not launching an investigation into the business dealings of Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son, with Ukrainian gas firm Burisma Holdings, and for being resistant to firing officials linked to the 2016 Russia probe.
Two senior White House officials in October also revealed that Trump was considering firing Wray, if reelected.
“Advisers have consistently told POTUS to wait until after the election if he wants to replace Wray,” one official told Fox News at the time.
Also in October, the FBI Agents Association sent letters to Biden and Trump stating their support for Wray completing his ten-year term.
“Collectively, our members strongly support Director Wray continuing his 10-year term,” the association wrote. “FBI special agents respect Director Wray’s leadership and look forward to continuing to work with him to protect this great country from national security and criminal threats.”
