Donald Trump Nominates Former Justice Department Official to Lead FBI

The President of the United States has nominated a former Justice Department official and former lawyer for Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey, as his candidate to manage the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump introduced Christopher Wray, an experienced lawyer, in a two-sentence message on Twitter early Wednesday morning, June 7. This decision was announced just one day before the first public testimony session of James Comey, the ousted FBI director, in the Senate. In his message, Donald Trump described Christopher Wray as a man with "an outstanding record" and did not provide any further explanation about the selection process, concluding with the statement that "more details will be provided later." Christopher Wray was a senior official in the U.S. Department of Justice during George W. Bush's presidency. At a time when James Comey was the Deputy Attorney General, Wray headed the Criminal Division and investigations related to corruption in large corporations. He led the FBI's special unit investigating the financial scandal at Enron. Given his extensive background in U.S. judicial and law enforcement agencies, Christopher Wray is a conventional choice for leading the FBI. In addition to him, Donald Trump had considered other options among current and former politicians, including former Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut. Although Lieberman was Trump's preferred choice, he would certainly have faced difficulties in the confirmation process by Congress, which is why he withdrew from the nomination. James Comey is set to testify before the Senate Security Committee, detailing his meetings and conversations with Donald Trump a few weeks before his dismissal on May 9. This testimony could reveal new angles regarding the FBI's investigations into possible contacts and cooperation between Donald Trump's campaign team and Russian government officials. The White House and its allies have attempted to downplay Comey's testimony and undermine his credibility. The Associated Press reminds that Christopher Wray is currently working for a private law firm. He was the defense attorney for Governor Chris Christie in a case of abuse of power. Christie was accused of blocking a state road to punish a Democratic mayor who refused to support his candidacy. At the end of the trial, two of Christie's aides were convicted. Christie, who has been an informal advisor to Donald Trump, was not convicted in this case. Christie and Wray became acquainted when Christie was the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey during George W. Bush's presidency. Last week, Christie stated in a press conference that he has collaborated extensively with Wray.