WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on FBI Director Christopher Wray’s appearance before a Senate committee (all times local):
11:10 a.m.
FBI Director Christopher Wray says China poses a more serious counterintelligence threat to the United States than any other country, including Russia.
Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday the FBI has more than 1,000 investigations involving economic espionage and attempted intellectual property theft. He says nearly all lead back to China.
Wray is appearing on Capitol Hill for an oversight hearing one day before former special counsel Robert Mueller (MUHL’-ur) testifies on the Russia report. Wray has declined to discuss that report but has spoken in some detail about the threat he says is posed by China.
Justice Department national security officials have brought multiple cases involving Chinese economic espionage in the last year, including one announced this month against a man accused of stealing information from an American locomotive company.
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12:25 a.m.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is set to appear before a Senate committee examining oversight of the bureau.
Tuesday’s hearing could be something of a preview of the intense questioning special counsel Robert Mueller is likely to face when he appears before Congress the next day.
Wray is testifying before the Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, has vowed to investigate the origins of the Russia probe.
Republicans are likely to spend time questioning both Wray and Mueller about Peter Strzok (struhk). The former FBI agent helped lead the Trump investigation and exchanged anti-Trump text messages during the 2016 election with ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
As FBI director, Wray has largely sought to avoid public spats with Trump.
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