Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said Wednesday that he thinks it would be a mistake for President-elect Trump to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director.
But Ivey added that he understands why Ray felt compelled to announce his departure on Wednesday.
“I don't think he had much of a choice,” Ivey said in a Bloomberg TV interview when asked about Ray's decision. “President-elect Trump has made it clear that he intends to replace Secretary Wray with Patel.”
President Trump recently nominated Kash Patel to head the FBI, hinting that he plans to replace Wray as director. Wray was first nominated by President Trump to head the FBI in 2017, but his term otherwise would not have ended until 2027.
“I think that was a mistake,” Ivey said of President Trump's decision to nominate Patel. “Typically, the FBI director's term is 10 years, but the goal is to depoliticize the FBI director's term so that it doesn't necessarily coincide with the birth of a new president. But President Trump… , decided against this, even though he had previously appointed Mr. Ray when he was president.
“It's kind of ironic, but I think a lot of the candidates he's putting forward and the way he approaches them are consistent,” Ivey added.
Wray announced Wednesday that he plans to resign from the agency ahead of President Trump's apparent plan to fire him.
“After several weeks of careful consideration, I have decided that the right thing for the department is to serve until the end of this administration in January and then resign,” Wray said during a town hall meeting.
“My goal is to remain focused on our mission, the essential work we do every day for the American people, while, in my opinion, avoiding drawing the office further into the fray. It is the best way to reinforce the values and principles that are so important to the way we work.”
Patel has proven to be a controversial figure to lead the agency, especially among those concerned about comments that reflect President Trump's calls for retaliation.
Mr. Ivey praised Mr. Wray, saying he “seemed like he was just trying to do things the right way,” adding: “I'm concerned that Mr. Patel's nomination will be very different.” Ta.
“If the FBI director comes in with a list of enemies, that's not going to work,” Ivey said. “So we'll see what happens as it unfolds.”
