FBI chief Chris Wray leaves to avoid confrontation: Trump exults
The president-elect had already appointed the very loyal Kash Patel to head the agency. Tilman Fertitta, the Italian-American owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team, has been nominated as ambassador to Rome.
from our correspondent in New York Luca Veronese
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FBI director Christopher Wray will resign in January: before the end of his ten-year term, and before Donald Trump arrives in the White House. Avoiding further controversy, Wray anticipated the dismissal, already announced by the president-elect: it was impossible for him to remain at the head of the federal agency after the clash he had with the tycoon in the various judicial investigations, and in particular after the search of the tycoon's residence, at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. An affront never accepted by Trump, who had appointed Wray in 2017 and who now - in order to avoid the mistakes of the first term - will entrust the FBI to the loyal Kash Patel with the task of cleaning up the investigative structure.
Trump cheers Wray's farewell
"In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the FBI even deeper into controversy, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to the way we do our work," Wray said in front of employees at FBI headquarters.
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"Christopher Wray's resignation marks a great day for America," Trump said in a post on Truth, adding a series of accusations against Wray himself.
For some weeks now, Trump had already indicated Patel as the new director of the FBI. Patel, who is highly critical of the activities of the FBI, is perfectly aligned with the president's accusations against the current management of the agency: he has stated his intention to reduce the powers of federal agents, to close the Washington headquarters, to dismiss the many executives and to fight the corruption that he claims is widespread among the agents.
A bombastic approach, in total contrast to the management of Wray, a sober and circumspect leader who defended the independence of the FBI.
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