Biden to keep Christopher Wray as FBI director

President Joe Biden trusts FBI Director Christopher Wray and plans to keep him in his role, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.

Psaki raised a few eyebrows in law enforcement and intelligence circles on Wednesday when she declined to say in a press briefing whether Biden trusted Wray.

In a tweet Thursday, Psaki clarified that his response had “caused an unintentional ripple” and “wanted to state very clearly” that Biden intended to keep Wray at work.

Yesterday I caused an involuntary ripple so I wanted to state very clearly that President Biden intends to keep FBI Director Wray in his role and he has confidence in the job he does.

– Jen Psaki (@PressSec) January 21, 2021

Inspectors General from the Department of Justice and other federal agencies are examining how the FBI, Pentagon, and other law enforcement agencies prepared for security at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month when rioters broke out. burst in and disrupted the electoral vote count. The FBI is investigating the attack.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz said last week he would review what kind of threat information available in advance and to what extent it has been shared with the United States Capitol Police and other agencies. law enforcement.

Wray, who is over six years into his 10-year tenure, had no indication that Biden or his team were unhappy with him, a senior FBI official said Wednesday evening, adding that “the mixed feelings were all positive” .

Some influential voices, however, criticized the FBI’s response to the riot. David Lauffman, a senior Justice Department official under the Obama administration, said the FBI is supposed to thwart domestic terrorism, and “it is not clear whether the FBI has exercised the urgent national leadership needed to maximize the protection of the Capitol. “

Wray and his entourage had previously feared he would be sacked by former President Donald Trump, who publicly pressured him to take action in some investigations – such as the announcement of an investigation into the son of Biden, Hunter Biden – and then expressed his frustration that Wray didn’t. followed his suggestions.

Hunter Biden announced in December that federal officials in Delaware were investigating his taxes, and a source familiar with the investigation said it involved his business dealings in China. The US attorney for the Delaware office declined to comment on the investigation.

The Biden campaign also declined to comment as the investigation came to light. Hunter Biden has been the target of relentless attacks during the campaign by Trump and his allies, who have claimed to have used his father’s influence to enrich themselves through trade deals in Ukraine and China.

These relationships came under close scrutiny throughout the campaign, but no evidence emerged that he or his father had committed any wrongdoing. He pledged during the campaign not to work for any foreign company if his father won the presidency.