Rep. Glenn Ivey says replacing Wray is a 'mistake'

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said on Wednesday he thinks it’s a mistake for President-elect Trump to replace Christopher Wray as director of the FBI.

Ivey added, however, he understands why Wray felt compelled to announce his departure from the agency on his own terms on Wednesday.

“I don't think he had much of a choice,” Ivey said, in an interview on Bloomberg TV, when asked about Wray’s decision. “President-elect Trump made it clear that he was going to replace Director Wray with Mr. Patel."

Trump recently nominated Kash Patel to lead the FBI, signifying his plans to replace Wray as the bureau’s director. Wray, whom Trump initially tapped to lead the FBI in 2017, would not otherwise finish his term until 2027.

“I think that was a mistake,” Ivey said about Trump’s decision to tap Patel. “The tenure normally for FBI directors is 10 years, and the goal of that is to depoliticize the office so that it doesn't necessarily come when a new president arrives. But, President Trump decided to move against that, even though he appointed Mr. Wray … previously, when he was president.”

“So it's a little ironic, but, you know, I guess it's consistent with a lot of the nominees he's putting forward and the way he's going about it,” Ivey added.

Wray announced Wednesday he plans to resign from the agency, leaving his post ahead of Trump’s apparent plans to fire him.

“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 said in a town hall meeting.

“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.”   

Patel has proven to be a controversial choice to lead the agency, particularly among those concerned about comments mirroring Trump’s calls for retribution.

Ivey praised Wray as someone who “seemed to be one of those guys who was just trying to do it the right way,” and he added, “I'm worried that the Patel nomination will be something very different.”

“If you got an FBI director coming in with an enemies list, that's not the way that's supposed to work,” Ivey said. “So, you know, we'll see what happens as that plays out.”