FBI nominee: Russia probe no ‘witch hunt’
to the WASHINGTONlead presidentDonaldthe FBI Trump’sin brokekey— President areaswith pick Wednesday,idea that an rejecting investigationthe into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump election campaign is a “witch hunt” and promising not to cave to any pressure from a White House that has challenged boundaries with the nation’s top law former Christopher enforcement high-rankingagency.Wray, the Justice Department official whom Mr. Trump nominated last month, told senators at his confirmation hearing that he would never let politics get in the way of the bureau’s mission. And he said he “sure as heck” would not offer a pledge of loyalty to the president.
Asserting his independence, he said, “My loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law. Those have been my guideposts throughout my career, and I will continue to adhere to them no matter the test.”
Mr. Wray’s responses seemed to satisfy both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, many of whom signaled their support for him. Mr. Wray, 50, would inherit the FBI at a particularly challenging time given Mr. Trump’s abrupt dismissal of James Comey, who was admired within the bureau. Yet the hearing, the first public window into Mr. Wray’s views since his selection, was largely devoid of fireworks in keeping with what friends and supporters have described as the nominee’s low-key, disciplined style. The issue of the FBI’s independence took on even more significance this week in the wake of revelations that managera Russianand Trump’smet lawyer then-campaignlast son, yearwho son-inlawDonaldwith might Trumpoffer damagingJr. believedinformation about Hillary Clinton, his father’s chief Democratic opponent. His reserved approach could bode well for the agency at a time when its work has been thrust into the center of a political maelstrom.
But, Mr. Wray said, “Anybody who thinks that I would be pulling punches as FBI director sure doesn’t know me very well.”
After Mr. Trump dismissed Mr. Comey on May 9, the ex-FBI director said thepresident had asked him to pledge his loyalty during a dinner at the White House months earlier. He also said Mr. Trump had encouraged him to end an investigation into the former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Mr. Wray said he got no demand for personal loyalty, nor would he pledge it.
The back-and-forth with lawmakers focused extensively on the Russia investigation, with Mr. Wray repeatedly voicing his respect for Robert Mueller, the former FBI director selected in May as the special counsel to oversee the probe.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly derided that investigation and other probes, using such words as “hoax” and “witch hunt.” But Mr. Wray said he would reject any efforts to interfere with Mr. Mueller’s work.
“I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt,” he said under questioning from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
He also said he had no reason to doubt the assessment of intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered in the U.S. election through hacking, a conclusion of which Mr. Trump has been dismissive.
And when asked about emails released a day earlier showing that Mr. Trump Jr. was willing to take help from Russia during the campaign, he said any foreign efforts to meddle in an election should be reported to the FBI rather than accepted.
Mr. Wray, who most recently has enjoyed a lucrative legal career at an international law firm, also faced questions about his work as a Justice Department official in the Bush administration.
He served the government at a time when harsh interrogation techniques were approved within the department for terror suspects captured overseas, though Mr. Wray said he was never involved in signing off on those methods.
Although Mr. Trump as a candidate professed support for waterboarding, Mr. Wray said he considered torture to be wrong and ineffective.