According to a report from Politico, high-ranking members of Donald Trump's administration are "furious" with FBI Director Christopher Wray for siding with the intelligence community and calling recent revelations about former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
As the New York Post story about the Democratic presidential nominee's son continues to fall apart -- with even Fox News reportedly passing on it before Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani took it to the Post -- Wray, who has had a strained relationship with the president is allowing his department to investigate Russia instead of the Bidens.
That, in turn, has angered White House officials looking for a helping hand to help out the president's cratering re-election campaign.
According to Politico, "Trump’s inner circle was already furious at Wray for echoing the intelligence community's finding that Russia is acting to damage Biden’s candidacy, as well as his description of antifa as 'an ideology' rather than an organized entity. Now, they’re ratcheting up calls for Trump to fire his handpicked director."
The report goes on to note that Republicans had been hoping that Wray would open up a full-scale investigation into the sketchy accusations based upon unverified information reportedly found on the younger Biden's laptop computer.
For his part, Wray is reportedly loath to enter the fray with an eye on the election just two weeks away, and his own future uncertain.
"Other congressional and law enforcement sources noted that Trump might lack the leverage to bend Wray — who, like past FBI directors, was appointed to serve a 10-year term, a setup designed to insulate the bureau from politics — to his will," the report states. "A public offensive against Biden by the FBI would doom Wray’s chances of remaining atop the bureau in a potential Biden administration. Wray, they say, would have no incentive to burn the rulebook in order to score a point for Trump, particularly when he enjoys relatively bipartisan support in the Capitol."
According to those who know Wray, he is unlikely to take the president's side this time.
“Chris does not need my advice,” explained Chuck Rosenberg, a former FBI chief of staff. “He is smart and thoughtful and principled and has the best interests of the FBI and the nation in mind.”
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