FBI Director Christopher Wray announced plans to step down from his post at the end of the Biden administration.
Fox News learned just moments before the announcement that Wray would make the announcement during an FBI town hall in Washington, D.C., during which thousands of FBI employees are expected to join virtually across the country.
"After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down," Wray said during the town hall. "My goal is to keep the focus on our mission – the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work."
The FBI director said the decision was not easy for him, adding he loves the FBI, its mission, and people.
Wray also said his focus is, and always has been, on the FBI doing what is right for the FBI.
"When you look at where the threats are headed, it’s clear that the importance of our work – keeping Americans safe and upholding the Constitution – will not change. And what absolutely cannot, must not change is our commitment to doing the right thing, the right way, every time," Wray said.
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"Our adherence to our core values, our dedication to independence and objectivity, and our defense of the rule of law – those fundamental aspects of who we are must never change. That’s the real strength of the FBI – the importance of our mission, the quality of our people, and their dedication to service over self.
"It’s an unshakeable foundation that’s stood the test of time, and cannot be easily moved. And it – you, the men and women of the FBI – are why the Bureau will endure and remain successful long into the future."
Wray was seven years into his 10-year term.
The Republican lawyer in D.C. was hired by then President Trump in 2017 after he fired former Director James Comey.
Since being re-elected to a second term in the Oval Office, Trump has nominated Kash Patel to succeed Wray, giving the current director two options: leave on his own or be fired.
While Wray’s last day is still undecided, it is expected to be in January before Trump’s inauguration.
The moment Wray officially leaves, Deputy Director Paul Abbate will become acting director until a new director – Patel if confirmed – is in place. Abbate is a career official who is eligible to retire from the bureau very soon. He planned months ago to retire in the new year.
