WASHINGTON DC – Several GOP senators told Fox News that FBI Director Christopher Wray should resign because of how he has run the bureau.
“Christopher Wray should absolutely resign,” Ohio Sen. JD Vance told Fox News. “What has happened in the last four or five years is that the American people have seen the leadership of the FBI engage in political hacking.”
But Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, disagreed.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer is leading an investigation into the business dealings of Hunter Biden and other members of the Biden family. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post, Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images for the US World Food Program)
“The FBI is doing its job with integrity and efficiency, and I think the FBI deserves support,” the Connecticut senator said. “It is a law enforcement agency that protects us from violent extremism in this country, as well as from many other deeply troubling crimes.”
Conservatives have complained that the FBI has become a political weapon in recent years, even under Wray’s leadership. They have argued that the office has not been transparent about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and criticized the office’s raid of former President Trump’s home for classified documents and its alleged retaliation against whistleblowers.
SENATORS QUESTION WHETHER FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY SHOULD RESIGN:
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“He should have resigned a long time ago,” Sen. Josh Hawley told Fox News.
The Missouri Republican said FBI reports targeting parents at school board meetings were proof the bureau is “riddled with abuse.” He also said the bureau has taken an uneven approach to its investigation into President Biden and Trump’s handling of classified documents.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Thursday threatened to hold Wray in contempt of Congress for withholding a classified document alleging Biden was involved in a bribery scheme, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News. But Comer canceled the hearing Wednesday afternoon after accepting an offer from the FBI that would allow the full committee of nearly 50 lawmakers to review the document and some related files.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has been criticized by Republican lawmakers for being too political during his tenure. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Sen. Lummis of Wyoming said she wanted to consider the House Oversight findings before judging the FBI director.
“If their evidence leads them to believe it’s time for Mr. Wray to go, I would be inclined to side with the House committee,” he told Fox News.
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Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Christopher Wray should not resign and that lawmakers should support law enforcement. (Fox News Digital/Jon Michael Raasch)
Some Republicans said Wray and the FBI need to regain the trust of the American public.
“Most of the country recognizes that too many of these guys are interested in politics, not law enforcement,” Vance told Fox News. “You can’t make that coexist with trust in the FBI.”
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Senator Mike Braun told Fox News: “I’m a believer in transparency. You can never have too much.”
“Anytime you try to hide something as much as Director Wray, there has to be something,” the Indiana Republican said. “We should be able to see him.”
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.
To view the full interviews with senators on Wray, click here.
Isabelle McDonnell contributed to the attached video.
Jon Michael Raasch is a producer/associate writer for Fox News Digital Originals.
