
President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning announced that he is nominating Christopher Wray as the next director of the FBI.
"I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI," the president wrote on Twitter. "Details to follow."
I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI. Details to follow.— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1496835877.0
Prior to being nominated as FBI director, Wray served as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's personal attorney during his "Bridgegate" controversy in which Christie's aides shut down lanes on the George Washington Bridge to retaliate against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for not endorsing their boss during his 2013 reelection bid.
Wray, a graduate of Yale Law School, was appointed as head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division in 2003 before leaving to join the private firm of King & Spalding in 2005.
During his time heading the Criminal Division, Wray led investigations into "securities fraud, healthcare fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and trade sanctions violations, bank secrecy and money laundering offenses, public corruption, intellectual property piracy and cybercrime, and RICO," according to his profile on King & Spalding's official website.
Trump's nomination of Wray drew praise from some of his toughest critics, as former Obama White House ethics czar Norm Eisen and former Obama Department of Defense spokesman Matthew Miller both said he was as good a choice as could be expected from Trump.
.@maggieNYT wray is a good choice, lawyers sometimes rep controversial clients, that's r job! as for staff recs, th… https://t.co/wmXqW3kttw— Norm Eisen (@Norm Eisen) 1496837031.0
Wray probably the best choice from the WH short list. His record in the Bush DOJ deserves scrutiny, but he's a serious, respectable pick.— Matthew Miller (@Matthew Miller) 1496837197.0
Trump's nomination of Wray comes roughly one month after he fired former FBI Director James Comey, who is scheduled to testify about his interactions with Trump on Capitol Hill on Thursday.