Trump picks Christopher Wray for FBI director

The New York Times reports that the President has finally made a choice to FBI director job – Christopher Wray, a former federal prosecutor;

Mr. Wray is a safe, mainstream pick from a president who at one point was considering politicians for a job that has historically been kept outside of politics. Mr. Wray, a former assistant attorney general overseeing the criminal division under President George W. Bush, is likely to allay the fears of F.B.I. agents who worried that Mr. Trump would try to weaken or politicize the F.B.I.

Mr. Wray, two administration officials said, is a hybrid pick for Mr. Trump: He is a seasoned criminal lawyer who bonded with Mr. Christie when both were young attorneys in the Justice Department, and a highly regarded criminal defense lawyer who represented Mr. Christie in the aftermath of the scandal over traffic jams that rocked his governorship.

[…]

Mr. Wray played a pivotal role in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, providing oversight of operations as the country adjusted to a new reality. As head of the criminal division from 2003 to 2005, he directed efforts to deal with fraud scandals plaguing the corporate world.

The New York Times almost seems pleased with the nomination.

While Mr. Wray is not known as a partisan, he has donated consistently to Republican candidates in recent years. Over the past decade, he has contributed at least $35,000 to Republican candidates or committees, according to data maintained by the Federal Election Commission. He did not do so during the 2016 election, but he has donated to Republican presidential nominees, including $2,300 to support Senator John McCain of Arizona in 2008 and $7,500 to back Mitt Romney in 2012.

Donting to Republicans isn’t a crime…yet.

The ACLU wasted no time letting us know by email that *SURPRISE* they oppose the nomination of Wray;

Faiz Shakir, American Civil Liberties Union national political director, had the following reaction:

“Americans are rightly alarmed by reports that President Trump attempted to influence an FBI investigation into his campaign — and by his subsequent decision to fire the man running that investigation — because the United States is a nation of laws, and no individual, including the president, is above those laws. Given the White House’s repeated attempts to influence the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign, as well as actions by Attorney General Sessions that may have violated his recusal pledge, it is imperative that the next FBI director be trustworthy and operate independently, free from political influence, including any potential loyalty pledge requested by President Trump.

“Christopher Wray’s firm’s legal work for the Trump family, his history of partisan activity, as well as his history of defending Trump’s transition director during a criminal scandal makes us question his ability to lead the FBI with the independence, even-handed judgment, and commitment to the rule of law that the agency deserves. Given that Wray touts his deep involvement in the Bush administration’s response to the 9/11 attacks, which includes his connections to some of the most unlawful legal memos on Bush-era torture programs, the Senate should press Wray to come clean about his role in the programs. In this important moment for our country, the American people deserve a commitment from any nominee for FBI director to the foundational principles of our Constitution, and that that commitment outweighs any loyalty to a political party or a single politician. We will be watching closely in the coming days to ensure Wray makes these commitments and earns the trust of the public.”

The ACLU fails to mention that they would oppose the nomination of Chuck Schumer if Trump was the person making the nomination.

Category: Who knows