FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has declined the House Homeland Security Committee’s request for him to testify Tuesday on the federal investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, a committee aide told The Washington Times.
Mr. Wray, however, has confirmed an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
The appearance is for the Judiciary’s annual FBI oversight hearing, but members plan to use it as an opportunity to question Mr. Wray about his agency’s investigation into the Trump assassination attempt.
It is likely Mr. Wray would prefer to testify before only one House panel, and the Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over the FBI.
The Times has reached out to the FBI for comment.
The Homeland Security Committee is still awaiting a response on whether Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will testify on Tuesday as requested.
The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Ms. Cheatle to testify on Monday. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed she will testify but has requested to move the date of the hearing, which Oversight has declined to do.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is planning to launch a bipartisan task force Monday to streamline the three committee’s investigations.
Across the Capitol, the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees are also planning for public hearings to investigate the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump, but nothing has been scheduled yet.
Ms. Cheatle, Mr. Wray and their agency deputies shared details on the status of their investigations with lawmakers Wednesday in separate virtual House and Senate briefings.
Many Republicans have attacked Ms. Cheatle for not being forthcoming about or taking accountability for her agency’s failure to secure Mr. Trump and have called on her to resign.
“It’s clear that she has no intention to do so,” Mr. Johnson said Thursday on Fox Business, noting he is now calling on President Biden to fire Ms. Cheatle.
“The oversight here, the mistakes, the ineptitude, whatever it is, was inexcusable,” he said. “We almost lost the life of a former president. And I think there has to be accountability and it begins at the top.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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