Representative Jim Jordan, House Judiciary Committee Chairman of Ohio, signaled he isn’t finished with his oversight of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s handling of the Bureau, even after he announced he would be stepping down.
Jordan stated Wray’s resignation was “great” news and blasted his handling of the FBI in comments Wednesday.
“I mean, Christ Wray was, you know, investigating moms and dads who show up for school board meetings. He was putting out a memorandum saying, ‘If you’re a pro-life Catholic, you’re an extremist.’ The FBI retaliated against whistleblowers who came and gave us that kind of information. We learned yesterday that they were spying on congressional staffers and their metadata. And, of course, he raided President Trump’s home,” said Jordan.
Previously, Wray denied targeting pro-life activists. He additionally defended the FBI’s handling of a Department of Justice (DOJ) memo that raised alarms about school board meeting conduct. However, he said last year that there was “no compelling nationwide law enforcement justification” for issuing the directive.
Rep. Jordan: Oversight into Wray’s leadership will continue
Rep. Jordan has made no secret of his thoughts on Wray’s leadership and oversees several inquiries by the House Judiciary Committee into his leadership.
When asked if oversight will continue, Jordan said, “Oh, yeah.”
“And there’s, we think, reports coming that are going to, you know, shed even more light on what’s been going on down line from the inspector general,” said Jordan.
He additionally praised President-elect Donald Trump’s new nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel.
In the meantime, Trump’s choice to replace him had already been meeting with senators for days in the lead-up to an anticipated confirmation hearing.
“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down. My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” said Wray to FBI colleagues. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”
Jordan said he wasn’t surprised at Wray’s decision.
“I mean, when the president nominates someone to replace you, you’ve got to go, man,” said Jordan.
