Christopher A. Wray | |
---|---|
8th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
Assumed office August 2, 2017 | |
President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
Deputy | Andrew McCabe David Bowdich Paul Abbate |
Preceded by | James Comey |
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division | |
In office 2003–2005 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Michael Chertoff |
Succeeded by | Alice S. Fisher |
Personal details | |
Born | Christopher Asher Wray December 17, 1966 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Helen Garrison Howell (m. 1989) |
Children | 2 |
Education | Yale University (BA, JD) |
Christopher Asher Wray (born December 17, 1966)[1] is an American lawyer. He is the 8th and current Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation since August 2, 2017. From 2003 to 2005, he served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division under the George W. Bush administration. He was previously a litigation partner with the law firm King & Spalding.[2]
Wray was born in New York City.[3] He was raised in Andover, Massachusetts. He studied at Yale University.
In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Wray as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division of the Justice Department.[4] Wray was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.[5] Wray was Assistant Attorney General from 2003 to 2005, working under Deputy Attorney General James Comey. While heading the Criminal Division, Wray oversaw prominent fraud investigations, including Enron.[6]
On June 7, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Wray to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[7] On July 20, 2017, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to confirm Wray to be the next director of the FBI.[8] Wray was officially confirmed by the Senate with bipartisan support on August 1, 2017; the vote was 92–5.[9][10] He was sworn in by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a private ceremony on August 2.[11]
In the aftermath of the Douglas High School shooting in Parkland on February 14, 2018, it was found out that the FBI ignored a tip that shooter Nikolas Cruz had a desire to "kill people". Florida Governor Rick Scott called for Wray to resign, with the earliest tip received by the FBI dating back to September 2017 in which a YouTube user with the same name commented, "I'm going to be a professional school shooter." [12]
In December 2020, it was announced that President-elect Joe Biden would keep Wray as FBI director under his administration.[13]
Wray married Helen Garrison Howell in 1989. They have two children. He is registered as a Republican.[14]