President Trump resumed his search for a new FBI director Tuesday, interviewing two candidates for the position left vacant after the abrupt firing of James B. Comey.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the president was meeting with John S. Pistole and Christopher A. Wray on Tuesday afternoon, though he declined to say whether the men were viewed as finalists or if the president plans to meet with others at a later date.
Mr. Pistole is a former FBI agent who worked at the bureau for 1983 to 2010, serving as the executive assistant director for counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence and finally as the bureau’s deputy director. President Obama tapped him to lead the Transportation Security Administration from 2010 to 2014.
Mr. Pistole currently serves as president of Anderson University in Indiana, the private Christian college from which he received his bachelor’s degree.
Mr. Wray is a former prosecutor and Justice Department official who now works as an private attorney. He joined the department in 1997, working as a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. In 2001, Mr. Wray came to D.C. to work as an associate deputy attorney general in the Justice Department. President George W. Bush later nominated him to serve as assistant Attorney General in charge of the criminal division, a position he held from 2003 to 2005.
He currently works in private practice specializing in white collar and regulatory matters at King & Spalding law firm.
Tuesday’s interviews are the first to be held since Mr. Trump returned over the weekend from his first international trip.
The FBI has been led by Acting Director Andrew McCabe since Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey on May 9.
The president has said he hoped to quickly fill the position, but vetting for the position has thus far proven difficult. Several candidates interviewed, including former Sen. Joe Lieberman, have withdrawn their names from consideration.
Mr. Comey was four years into his 10-year term as FBI director when he was fired. The move generated controversy, coming as the FBI investigates Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and any ties to officials in the Trump campaign.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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