President Donald Trump announced that he will nominate Christopher A. Wray for FBI director on Wednesday morning.
Wray formerly worked at the Justice Department and is currently a partner at the King & Spalding law firm. He would be replacing James Comey, who was fired by Trump last month.
Before he was removed from the post, Comey was leading the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The Justice Department, headed by Jeff Sessions, announced later that former FBI chief Robert Mueller will act as special counsel to take over the investigation.
It’s not immediately clear what role Wray would play in the investigation if he is confirmed as the new FBI head. His nomination will need to be confirmed by the Senate.
Here are five things to know about Wray, including his tie to the New York area:
1. He represented New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” investigation
The governor was accused of closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, for not endorsing Christie for re-election. Two of Christie’s aides were convicted, but the governor, who became a close adviser to Trump, was not charged.
Wray knows Christie from when they both worked as attorney in the Justice Department.
2. He served under President George W. Bush
Wray was the assistant attorney general, leading the Justice Department’s criminal division, from 2003 to 2005 under former President George W. Bush. He played a role in the Bush administration’s response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
He was also a member of the Corporate Fraud Task Force, which was formed by Bush following several corporate accounting scandals. He headed the fraud case against Enron Corp., a former energy company.
3. He worked with Comey
When Wray was assistant attorney general, Comey was the deputy attorney general. The two, along with then-FBI Director Mueller were among the federal officials who said they would resign if the White House reinstated a domestic surveillance program, known as Stellar Wind, that was deemed illegal by the Justice Department.
4. He has donated to Republican politicians
In the past decade, Wray has donated thousands of dollars to Republican candidates, including Mitt Romney in 2012 and John McCain in 2008, according to the Federal Election Commission. He also donated to congressional candidates, including Sen. Johnny Isakson, and Republican committees. There is no record of him donating to the Trump campaign.
5. He graduated from Yale
Wray graduated from Yale University in 1989 and later got his law degree from Yale Law School. He also served as the editor of the Yale Law Journal.
