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Christopher Wray
Christopher Asher Wray was the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), serving in the office from 2017 to 2025. On December 11, 2024, Wray announced he would resign at the end of President Joe Biden's (D) tenure.[1]
Wray was formally nominated to the position by President Donald Trump (R) on June 26, 2017.[2][3][4] The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Wray on July 12, 2017, and unanimously gave a favorable report on his nomination. The Senate confirmed Wray by a vote of 92-5 on August 1, 2017, and he was sworn in the following day.[5][6][7][8]
President Joe Biden (D) said in January 2021 that he would keep Wray as the director of the FBI in his administration.[9]
The FBI director is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. A director serves at the pleasure of the president for a single term of no longer than 10 years, unless he or she resigns, dies, or is removed.[10]
Biography
Wray graduated from Yale University in 1989 and earned his law degree from Yale Law School in 1992. After law school, Wray was a law clerk to Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He then served in a variety of positions in the U.S. Department of Justice, including assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, associate deputy attorney general of the Department of Justice, principal associate deputy attorney general of the Department of Justice, and United States assistant attorney general for the criminal division under President George W. Bush. While at the DOJ, Wray investigated Enron. He went to work for King & Spalding after serving in the Bush administration. Wray also worked as Gov. Chris Christie's (R-N.J.) attorney during an investigation into the September 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures, also known as Bridgegate.[11][3][12]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Wray's academic, professional, and political career:[3][12][7]
- August 2, 2017 - 2025: Director of the FBI
- August 1, 2017: Confirmed as Director of the FBI
- June 26, 2017: Nominated as Director of the FBI
- 2005 - 2017: Litigation partner at King & Spalding
- 2003 - 2005: United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division under President George W. Bush
- 2001 - 2003: Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General of the Department of Justice
- 2001: Associate Deputy Attorney General of the Department of Justice
- 1997 - 2001: Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
- 1992 - 1993: Law clerk to Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- 1992: Graduated from Yale Law School
- 1989: Graduated from Yale University
Confirmation
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Wray on July 12, 2017. On July 20, 2017, the committee voted 20-0 in favor of Wray. The Senate confirmed Wray by a vote of 92-5 on August 1, 2017. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) voted against Wray's nomination. With the exception of J. Edgar Hoover, who was not subject to the current confirmation process, Comey was the only nominee before Wray who was not unanimously confirmed to the position. In 2013, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) cast the only vote against his nomination.[5][6][4][13][14][8]
Wray was sworn in as FBI director on August 2, 2017. After he was sworn in by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Wray said, “It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as director. I long ago grew to know and admire the FBI from my earliest days as a line prosecutor to my years as assistant attorney general. I am excited, humbled, and grateful, therefore, to have this chance to work side-by-side again with these fine professionals for the good of the country and the cause of justice."[7]
| Christopher Wray confirmation vote, August 1, 2017 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for  |
Votes against  |
Total votes |
 Democrats |
40 | 5 | 45 |
 Republicans |
50 | 0 | 50 |
 Independents |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total Votes | 92 | 5 | 97 |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Wray and his wife, Helen Wray, have two children, Caroline and Trip.[15]
Recent News
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Christopher Wray Nominee for Director of the FBI. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Trump administration FBI Director appointment, 2017
- Donald Trump firing of FBI Director James Comey, 2017-2018
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Donald Trump potential high-level administration appointments
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign before Trump takes office," December 11, 2024
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Thirteen Nominations Sent to the Senate Today," June 26, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Christopher A. Wray to be Director of the FBI," June 7, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Hill, "Senate confirms Trump's FBI director nominee," August 1, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ABC News, "Panel sets confirmation hearing date for Trump's FBI pick," July 5, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Politico, "Wray’s FBI nomination approved by Senate committee," July 20, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Politico, "Wray sworn in as FBI director," August 2, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Christopher A. Wray, of Georgia, to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation)," August 1, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Biden to keep Wray on as FBI director," January 21, 2021
- ↑ FBI.gov, "Directors, Then and Now," May 15, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Trump taps Christopher Wray to head FBI," June 7, 2017
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 King & Spalding, "Christopher A. Wray," accessed July 5, 2017
- ↑ FBI.gov, "Directors, Then and Now," May 15, 2017
- ↑ FAS.org, "FBI Director: Appointment and Tenure," February 19, 2014
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Hearings," June 25, 2003
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 2017-2025 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division 2003-2005 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||||||||||||||||||
