FBI Director Christopher Wray says he’ll resign at the end of Biden’s term next month

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray announced he would resign from his post at the end of the Biden administration, withdrawing from the 35,000-member law enforcement agency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office and fires him.

Mr. Wray knew his days were numbered at the FBI.

Mr. Trump has tapped Kash Patel, a former Defense Department and National Security Council aide, to be the next FBI director and shake up the agency, which has been rife with complaints of mismanagement and politically biased investigations.

The Washington Times first reported that Mr. Wray was preparing to announce his resignation plans.

Mr. Wray told FBI employees that stepping down when Mr. Trump becomes president is “the right thing for the bureau.”

“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” he said in an all-employee video town hall.

“It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me. I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI,” he said.

Mr. Trump said Mr. Wray’s resignation marks a “great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.”

“I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media.

He said the FBI used its “vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them.”

The president-elect lauded Mr. Patel as the “most qualified” nominee in history to lead the FBI.

“I have great respect for the rank-and-file of the FBI, and they have great respect for me. They want to see these changes every bit as much as I do but, more importantly, the American People are demanding a strong, but fair, System of Justice,” he said.

Mr. Patel was meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill, and his confirmation appeared to be proceeding smoothly.

“I look forward to a smooth transition. I will be ready to serve the American people on day one,” Mr. Patel said in a statement to The Times.

Mr. Wray has long suffered stinging criticism from Mr. Trump and congressional Republicans for the culture at the FBI.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who will become chairman of the Judiciary Committee next month, sent a scathing letter Monday to Mr. Wray saying he should be ousted before his 10-year term as FBI director expires. He also said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate should go.

“For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,” Mr. Grassley wrote. “I therefore must express my vote of no confidence in your continued leadership of the FBI.”

Mr. Grassley, a leading lawmaker advocating for the protection of whistleblowers, has repeatedly clashed with the FBI over whistleblower reports of abuse of power and other misconduct at the bureau.

Mr. Wray, appointed by Mr. Trump in 2017, has tense relationships with the president-elect and congressional Republicans.

In recent years, Mr. Wray weathered intense scrutiny of the FBI’s investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, the targeting of the Catholic Church, the raid on Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and the pursuit of pro-life activists who protested at abortion clinics.

Scores of FBI whistleblowers have come forward during Mr. Wray’s tenure as director with allegations of moves to purge agents with conservative or pro-Trump views.

In announcing his plan to quit, Mr. Wray implored FBI employees to never waver from their mission.

“When you look at where the threats are headed, it’s clear that the importance of our work — keeping Americans safe and upholding the Constitution — will not change. And what absolutely cannot, must not change is our commitment to doing the right thing, the right way, every time,” Mr. Wray said.

“Our adherence to our core values, our dedication to independence and objectivity, and our defense of the rule of law — those fundamental aspects of who we are must never change. That’s the real strength of the FBI — the importance of our mission, the quality of our people, and their dedication to service over self. It’s an unshakable foundation that’s stood the test of time and cannot be easily moved. And it — you, the men and women of the FBI — are why the bureau will endure and remain successful long into the future.”

When Mr. Wray officially steps down, Mr. Abbate will be elevated to the position of acting director and will appoint an acting deputy director.

Sources within the bureau said Mr. Wray has begun promoting employees among the senior executive service, those who serve within the bureau’s leadership. These sources described this as an effort to burrow establishment figures deeper within the FBI.

Sources said a plan is being formulated to delay the new FBI director’s entry into the agency for three to four months.

Given the FBI’s tense history with Mr. Trump since the 2016 presidential campaign, such a strategy is risky.

The Times reached out to the FBI for comment.

Under James B. Comey, the bureau launched its Crossfire Hurricane investigation of the Trump campaign’s suspected links to Russia in July 2016.

Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Comey in 2017 raised suspicions in the Justice Department that the president was obstructing justice, leading to special counsel Robert Mueller’s long-running and costly investigation.

Mr. Mueller ultimately found no evidence that Trump campaign officials conspired with or were connected to Moscow.