Donald Trump wants to overhaul the FBI after years of weaponization.
The bureau’s leadership wants to keep business as usual going.
And FBI Director Christopher Wray has one nasty surprise awaiting Donald Trump when he takes office.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is preparing the bureau for Donald Trump’s return
President-elect Donald Trump sent a message that he wanted to clean house at the FBI when he nominated his former White House official Kash Patel to serve as the bureau’s new director.
The FBI has been waging war against Trump since his first Presidential campaign in 2016 and Patel is the type of reformer who can make desperately needed changes to the bureau.
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that he was going to resign ahead of Trump’s inauguration to avoid being fired.
“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Wray declared. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”
Wray is working to ensure that Patel’s life is as difficult as possible when he takes over the FBI.
The Washington Times reported that Wray has begun to promote senior officials in an effort to “burrow establishment figures deeper within the FBI.”
This is a roadblock to Patel’s plan to reform the FBI and replace those leaders who are a part of the problems that have plagued the bureau.
Wray works to delay Kash Patel from taking over the FBI
The vacancy process at the FBI will change because Wray resigned rather than being fired.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, who’s on the chopping block, would take over as the acting director until the Senate could confirm Patel.
Wray quitting rather than being fired sets up a legal obstacle to Trump appointing Patel to serve as acting FBI director while he waits on the Senate confirmation process.
The Vacancies Reform Act requires that anyone appointed to fill the vacancy at a Senate-confirmed position be someone who worked in a senior position at the agency before the resignation or has already been confirmed by the Senate.
Patel doesn’t fit either requirement so Trump couldn’t appoint him as acting FBI director after he is inaugurated.
It could potentially be months before Patel is confirmed by the Senate for the role.
Patel told reporters that he was ready to get work after the news that Wray resigned broke.
“I look forward to a smooth transition,” Patel said. “I will be ready to serve the American people on day one.”
He knows as well as anyone that reforming the FBI won’t be an easy task.
The FBI isn’t going to go down with a fight to keep the status quo going at the bureau.
Stay tuned to Unmuzzled News for any updates to this ongoing story.
