FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday defended his agency against Republican accusations of political bias, dismissing claims that it was “protecting” Democratic President Joe Biden’s family while pursuing former President Donald Trump, a Republican and other conservatives.
“Absolutely not,” Wray responded during a combative House Judiciary Committee hearing when asked by Republican member and staunch Trump supporter Matt Gaetz if he was “protecting the Bidens.”
“The FBI has no interest in protecting anybody politically,” Wray said.
The hearing marked Wray’s first appearance before the oversight panel since Republicans took back the House of Representatives after the 2022 midterm elections.
Wray, who was appointed by Trump and retained by Biden, has become a lightning rod for Republican criticism that the Biden administration has “weaponized” the FBI and Justice Department against its political enemies.
Criticism has intensified over the past year, particularly after the FBI executed a search of Trump’s Florida residence last August as part of an investigation into the mishandling of classified documents by the former president after leaving the White House in 2021.
The unprecedented search, which led to Trump’s indictment last month, has fueled Republican accusations that the FBI is out to get Trump.
Republican criticism of the FBI is not limited to the Mar-a-Lago search. During Wednesday’s hearing, Republicans aired a litany of old complaints about the FBI, from the bureau’s alleged failure to investigate the Biden family for alleged corruption to its propensity to target activists pro-life and work with social media companies to “censor”. conservative speech
Wray, a longtime Republican, scoffed at the idea that he was hostile to conservatives.
“The idea that I’m biased against conservatives seems a little crazy to me, given my personal background,” Wray said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before a House Committee on Judiciary Oversight hearing in Washington, on July 12, 2023.
In his prepared testimony, Wray highlighted the FBI’s critical investigative and national security work, citing the arrest of more than 20,000 violent criminals and child predators and investigations into cartels and malicious Chinese activity.
Those highlights fell by the wayside, however, as the hearing turned into what has become a familiar display of partisanship before the House Judiciary Committee in recent years.
The panel’s Republican chairman, Jim Jordan of Ohio, a staunch Trump supporter, said there is a “two-tier justice system” in the United States.
Jerry Nadler, the panel’s ranking Democrat, said it’s “absurd that House Republicans are attacking the FBI and the DOJ for doing their job and making sure that no one is above the law.” .
Republicans angered by the perceived “politicization” of the FBI have threatened to “defund” the bureau. However, Wray warned that cutting the office’s funding would be disastrous.
“We would have hundreds more violent criminals on the streets,” he said in response to a question. “Dozens more violent gangs terrorizing communities. Hundreds more child abusers on the loose. Hundreds more children left at the mercy of these predators instead of being rescued. Dozens of Communist Party threats left unanswered Chinese. Hundreds of ransomware attacks did not mitigate. Terrorist attacks, both jihadi-inspired and domestic violent extremists did not stop it from succeeding against Americans.”
