FBI Director Christopher Wray announced his resignation on Wednesday during an all-hands town hall attended by thousands of FBI agents, Fox News reported.
Wray’s departure comes just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president. Trump has already nominated Kash Patel, a close ally, to lead the agency during his second term.
Christopher Wray has RESIGNED leaving the place for Kash Patelpic.twitter.com/OvmmQeKp2C
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) December 11, 2024
According to the Washington Times, Wray’s resignation was a preemptive move to avoid being fired by Trump. Wray, who was appointed during Trump’s first term, has faced mounting criticism, particularly from Republican lawmakers.
Deputy Director Paul Abbate will serve as acting director until a permanent replacement is confirmed, with an acting deputy director to be appointed soon.
Wray, a former prosecutor, took over the FBI in 2017 after James Comey’s controversial firing. His tenure became increasingly fraught, especially after the FBI’s 2022 raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
The raid, conducted as part of a classified documents investigation by President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice, sparked outrage among Trump’s supporters and the former president himself.
Trump, who was not present during the raid, labeled the