FBI must be independent and above the partisan fray, outgoing director says

The FBI must remain independent, above the partisan fray and “committed to upholding the rule of law”, outgoing director Christopher Wray said in a farewell address just days before his expected retirement at the conclusion of the Biden administration and following more than seven years on the job.

“No matter what’s happening out there,” Mr Wray said, “in here, we’ve got to stay committed to doing our work the right way every time, with professionalism, with rigour, with integrity.

“That means following the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it or doesn’t — because trust me, if there’s anything I’ve learned in this job, there’s always someone who doesn’t like you.”

The remarks at the packed farewell ceremony at FBI headquarters steered clear of any direct political reference, with no overt mention of President-elect Donald Trump’s scathing criticism of him or the turmoil the bureau has encountered amid a spate of highly charged investigations into both Mr Trump and President Joe Biden.

But the backdrop was unmistakable, coming amid concerns that Mr Trump — who last month forced Mr Wray’s departure by naming loyalist Kash Patel to the job — could seek to use the FBI’s law enforcement powers to exact retribution against adversaries.

Adhering to the rule of law, Mr Wray added, “means conducting investigations without fear or favour and it means not pursuing investigations when the predication’s not there”.

“That’s what the rule of law is all about,” he said. “We’ve got to maintain our independence and objectivity, staying above partisanship and politics because that’s what the American people expect and I think that’s what they deserve.”

Mr Wray has announced his intent to resign ahead of Mr Trump’s inauguration on January 20, roughly three years short of the 10-year tenure given to FBI directors.

The move followed Mr Trump’s statement that he would install Mr Patel, a former Justice Department prosecutor who has sharply criticised FBI investigations into Mr Trump, called for major overhauls of the bureau and talked about going after members of the so-called “deep state” in Washington — a pejorative term Mr Trump and his allies used for entrenched civil servants.

Mr Wray’s tenure saw the emergence of increasingly sophisticated Chinese cyberespionage campaigns, brazen assassination plots by Iran — including one that targeted Mr — and, most recently, a New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 revellers and that the FBI is investigating as an act of terror.

But the FBI in recent years has found itself mired in politically explosive investigations that have dominated attention and affected public perception of the bureau.

Those include investigations into Mr Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate — agents searched the Florida property in 2022 — and his efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election, both of which resulted in indictments.

The FBI also investigated Mr Biden’s handling of classified information and the president’s son, Hunter, on tax and gun violations. Mr Biden was not charged but his son was convicted and was eventually pardoned.

The specifics of those investigations went unmentioned during the packed farewell ceremony, attended by current and former FBI colleagues, Justice Department leaders, state law enforcement officers and intelligence officials such as CIA director William Burns.

The speakers who paid tribute to Mr Wray focused instead on his dedication to the job as well as to the workforce he has led.

“Going forward, as we continue to collaborate with our good friends at FBI, CIA officers will keep asking ourselves one thing: What would Chris want us to do?” said Mr Burns, who called the relationship between his agency and the bureau closer than it has ever been.

Mr Wray was appointed by Mr Trump in 2017 after the then-president sacked his predecessor James Comey, giving up a successful law career in Atlanta and returning to Washington and to public service following an earlier stint as a senior Justice Department official.

“He had certainly enjoyed the right to stay there and never come back,” Attorney General Merrick Garland, drawing laughs from the audience.

“His life could have been a relaxing stream of practising big law, tailgating at (Georgia) Bulldogs games, watching his beloved New York Giants on television and, most important, walking his dog without a protective detail.”

“Chris Wray,” Mr Garland added, “is public-spirited to the core. So no one was surprised in 2017 when he once again answered the call, this time to fill one of the most critical and difficult rules in all of government.”

Mr Garland said his favourite part of the day is the morning briefing on threats to the homeland that he and Mr Wray attend together, where no politics are discussed.

“If the American people could witness those meetings, they would be so proud,” he said.