Wray seeks to ‘steady the ship’ at FBI

by Olivia Beavers - 10/22/17 8:10 PM ET

FBI Director Christopher Wray in a speech Sunday said his top priority since assuming his post in August is to usher in “a sense of calm and stability” to the bureau, CNN reported.

“In a society sometimes fixated to a fault on results, I’m somebody who’s a big believer in the importance of integrity of process, and that’s part of how I am hoping to sort of steady the ship,” the new FBI chief said in an address before police officials in Philadelphia.

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President Trump tapped Wray to take over the top position left vacant in June when the president controversially fired then-FBI director James Comey, who was at the time leading the bureau’s investigation into Russian interference in last year’s election.

Comey had come under fire for how he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

While Wray did not directly mention his predecessor by name, he talked about sticking to the guidelines set forth by the agency, according to the report.

“Staying laser-focused on the mission and on the work itself — day in, day out, left foot, right foot, grinding away, following the rules, following the law, following the guidelines, trying to make sure that we’re doing the right thing but in the right way, treating everybody with respect,” Wray reportedly said, according to CNN.

“That is the approach that I intend to pursue: steady, rock solid, dependable.”

Despite acknowledging that he is “still in learning mode,” Wray has a long history in law enforcement, including leading the Justice Department’s criminal division under President George W. Bush.

Comey’s sudden dismissal sparked concern that the president would attempt to hand-pick a replacement who would be loyal to him rather than lead the bureau independently of the White House.

Prior to his confirmation, however, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle praised Wray as a strong nominee for the top position.

Special counsel Robert Mueller, as well as several congressional panels, is investigating Russian election meddling as well as potential ties between the Kremlin and Trump campaign officials.

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