Sparks flew during a series of testy exchanges about “nonconsensual nudes,” domestic terrorism and social media censorship as FBI director Christopher Wray testified before the House’s Judiciary Committee.
The hearing marked Wray’s first appearance to Congress since Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate former president Donald Trump. It kicked off with some snide remarks from committee chair Jim Jordan, who chided his Democratic counterpart for mispronouncing a name, perhaps because he missed an earlier deposition.
Republicans portrayed Wray as disconnected with his own department, while Democrats used him as a stand-in to praise all law enforcement. “To attack the FBI is to attack law enforcement in general,” Representative Steve Cohen claimed, shortly after taking off his mask.
Attacking the FBI is what Republicans did, however. “Every time Chris Wray comes to Congress, he remembers less and less,” Representative Darrell Issa quipped. At times, Wray was hit with withering attacks on everything from his relationship with President Joe Biden to an FBI field office spying on Catholics.
Some Republicans believe Wray’s FBI targets Catholics, parents and even the Commonwealth of Virginia. Representative Ben Cline, a Virginian, said the proximity of the FBI’s field office in Richmond and its national headquarters in DC plays a significant role in why “Virginia is a target,” pointing to the FBI using counterterrorism tools against Virginia parents.
Cline addressed allegations that the FBI’s Richmond field office relied on an undercover agent to infiltrate Catholic churches, which he called “ludicrous and it’s obscene and it violates the fundamental foundations of this country,” he said. “This country was founded and built by people of faith and for their religious views to somehow render them ‘terrorist designees’ is beyond outrageous.”
Wray, a former federal prosecutor, maintained a calm demeanor throughout the hearing, pushing back on allegations from Republicans such as Representative Matt Gaetz who accused him of covering for the Biden family. Gaetz asked Wray if he is “protecting the Bidens,” after he displayed a picture of a message the younger Biden allegedly sent to a business partner where he said he is “sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled.”
“Absolutely not,” Wray replied.
While Democrats across the country have been under fire for their calls to defund the police for several years, many committee members gave Wray a series of bear hugs — but not every Democrat was exuberant in their support. Representative Pramila Jayapal pressed him repeatedly on whether the FBI collects commercial data on American citizens, which he kicked down the road. In a day otherwise devoid of bipartisanship, Gaetz waltzed over and praised the Washington Democrat.
Wray’s testimony came at a perilous time for his department, which is in a high-stakes negotiation for where its new headquarters will be, and as Wray himself has come under fire from Republicans, who said the American people are losing faith in his leadership.
“They’ve seen counterterrorism resources being used against school parents, the homes of conservative political opponents being raided, they’ve seen conservative states being targeted over their election integrity laws, and they’ve seen conservative Catholics and pro-life citizens characterized as violent extremists,” Representative Mike Johnson said.
“If Director Wray were as effective at rooting out abuses in the FBI as he is at evading legitimate congressional inquiry, this hearing would not have been necessary,” Johnson told The Spectator later. “Today’s hearing reinforced our grave concerns about the Bureau and the urgent need for real accountability and reform.”
Directly before the hearing, some Republicans signaled that the FBI is in their crosshairs. Jordan threatened to block further funds to the FBI unless it relocates to Alabama. While Cline’s Virginia could benefit from having the FBI relocate across the Potomac River, he said the costs far outweigh the benefits.
“Because of the centralization of the investigations and because of the proximity of the commonwealth… Virginia is a target and it lends credence to the arguments of some… that we should move the FBI out of DC and decentralize to the field offices and perhaps move the headquarters,” he told The Spectator.
Outside Congress, firing Wray is immensely popular among Republicans running for president. Most have pledged to fire him immediately; Chris Christie, however, is a notable exception — he and Wray have a long history, with Wray serving as his personal attorney during his “Bridgegate” tribulations.
Back in Congress, Republicans are eager for what follows. “Accountability is coming,” Cline said.
