Wray: FBI’s brand ‘couldn’t be higher’ outside the Beltway

FBI Director Christopher Wray is dismissing criticism of the bureau from politicians, saying that the agency’s brand “couldn’t be higher” outside of Washington. 

“What I try to tell our folks is that while there are a lot of opinions out there about us, the opinions that really matter are the opinions of a jury when one of our agents takes the stand or a judge when he’s being presented with a warrant or community leaders who are having to work side-by-side with our people,” Wray told USA Today in an interview published Tuesday.

Outside the tumult of Washington, Wray said, Americans still see the FBI in a positive light.

“Our brand — with those people — couldn’t be higher,” he said. “The appreciation we get … I’ve been almost taken aback, but in a good way.”

{mosads}The FBI has drawn significant scrutiny in recent years, particularly from President Trump, who has repeatedly questioned the bureau’s handling of the investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. 

Trump has said that the FBI’s “reputation is in tatters — worst in history,” and that the institution has lost the confidence of the public.

The agency has also come under fire from some lawmakers, who have accused agents of abusing surveillance orders and politicizing the FBI’s work. 

Wray’s comments came as his immediate predecessor, James Comey, embarks on a cross-country tour to promote his new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” which recounts his time as the nation’s top cop and paints Trump in an unflattering light.

Trump fired Comey in May, ostensibly for his handling of the FBI’s Clinton investigation. He later acknowledged that the probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia also factored into his decision.