MEMPHIS, Tenn. — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he plans to nominate Christopher A. Wray to be the next FBI director.

President Trump’s announcement comes one day before former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired last month, is set to testify in a bombshell hearing before the Senate.

“I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI. Details to follow,” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

Wray headed up the Justice Department’s criminal division from 2003 to 2005 under President George W. Bush and is currently a litigation partner at the DC-based law firm King & Spalding, where he chairs the firm’s Special Matters and Government Investigations Practice Group. </s> The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as FBI director.Tuesday's vote was 92-5 for Christopher Wray. The lawyer is a former high-ranking official in President George W. Bush's Justice Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud.He will replace James Comey, who was fired by Trump in early May amid the investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with officials of the Trump campaign.The 50-year-old Wray inherits the FBI at a particularly challenging time given Trump's ousting of Comey, who was admired within the bureau.Wray had represented New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the so-called Bridgegate scandal. </s> President Donald Trump announced Wednesday morning in a tweet that he will nominate Christopher Wray to be his new F.B.I. director.

“I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI,” Trump wrote.

The announcement comes one day before former F.B.I. director James Comey is set to testify before Congress. Trump abruptly fired Comey on May 9. At the time, Comey was investigating Russia meddling in the 2016 election.

Wray previously served as the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division under the George W. Bush administration between 2003 and 2005.

He current serves as a litigation partner for the private law firm King & Spalding in Washington D.C. He notably acted as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s personal attorney during the “Bridgegate” scandal.

Wray graduated from Yale University in 1989 and earned his law degree in 1992 from Yale Law School. </s> Donald Trump says he is nominating lawyer Christopher A Wray to become the new FBI director.

The post has been empty for the past month after the president fired James Comey from the role.

Mr Wray served under George W Bush as an assistant attorney general from 2003 to 2005.

He was also a lawyer representing New Jersey Governor – and Trump ally – Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” scandal.

Mr Trump described Mr Wray as “a man of impeccable credentials” in a tweet on Wednesday. </s> The US Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee Christopher Wray to serve as FBI director.

The vote on Tuesday was 92-5 for Mr Wray, a lawyer who is a former high-ranking official in President George W Bush's justice department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud.

He will replace James Comey, who was fired by Mr Trump in early May amid the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with officials of the Trump campaign.

Mr Wray, 50, inherits the FBI at a particularly challenging time given Mr Trump's ousting of Mr Comey, who was admired within the bureau. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced his nomination for the country’s next FBI director on Twitter early Wednesday.

Christopher Wray, “a man of impeccable credentials,” has secured the president’s vote.

Wray headed up the Justice Department’s criminal division from 2003 to 2005 under President George W. Bush and is currently a litigation partner at the DC-based law firm King & Spalding, where he chairs the firm’s Special Matters and Government Investigations Practice Group.

The news comes nearly one month after Trump fired James Comey, and one day before the former FBI director is set to testify.

In the much-anticipated congressional testimony, Comey is expected to dispute Trump’s blanket claim that he was told he was not under investigation multiple times, sources tell CNN.

This is a developing story; check back for updates and get the PIX11 News app to stay informed all day. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on the Senate vote to confirm Christopher Wray as FBI director (all times EDT):

The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as FBI director.

Tuesday’s vote was 92-5 for Christopher Wray. The lawyer is a former high-ranking official in President George W. Bush’s Justice Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud.

He will replace James Comey, who was fired by Trump in early May amid the investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with officials of the Trump campaign.

The 50-year-old Wray inherits the FBI at a particularly challenging time given Trump’s ousting of Comey, who was admired within the bureau.

Wray had represented New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the so-called Bridgegate scandal.

President Donald Trump’s choice to replace James Comey as head of the FBI is heading toward Senate confirmation.

The Senate is slated to vote Tuesday evening on the nomination of Christopher Wray. The former Justice Department official won unanimous support from the Judiciary Committee last month, with Republicans and Democrats praising his promise never to let politics get in the way of the bureau’s mission.

Wray would replace Comey, who was abruptly fired by Trump in May amid an investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and possible ties to the Trump campaign.

Wray, 50, would inherit the FBI at a particularly challenging time given the firing of Comey, who was admired within the bureau.

Wray had represented New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the so-called Bridgegate scandal. </s> President Trump says he has chosen Christopher Wray, who worked in the Justice Department during President George W. Bush's administration, to head the FBI.

The president made the announcement via Twitter, writing Wednesday morning, "I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI. Details to follow." </s> (CNN) In nominating Christopher Wray to be the next FBI chief, President Donald Trump immediately thrust a low-profile white collar defense lawyer into the public spotlight.

Wray's credentials are classic establishment: a Yale Law School graduate and executive editor of the law review, law clerk to a conservative federal judge, longtime federal prosecutor for decades and top official in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush.

He currently works at King & Spalding as a litigation partner, specializing in the defense of individuals and corporations in white-collar criminal cases -- and even represented New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie during the "Bridgegate" investigation into lane closures at the George Washington Bridge.

"The President asked us to look for an FBI director who has integrity, who understands and is committed to the rule of law, and who is dedicated to protecting the American people from crime, gangs, and terrorists," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement Wednesday. "We have found our man in Chris Wray."

And while Wray was never one of the more public-facing Trump supporters, he has given more than $50,000 to Republican candidates, committees, and his law firm's PAC since 2007, including to John McCain in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012 and the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2016, Federal Election Commission records show.

Within hours of Trump's announcement, others who had been under consideration for the job praised the choice.

"Chris Wray is super smart, a great lawyer and highly experienced. He will serve the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation well," said former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson. "I've worked with Chris for a number of years and always had complete confidence in him. He simply doesn't make mistakes. We're very fortunate that he decided to re-enter public service."

Wray first joined the Justice Department in 2001 under Bush, and as a young prosecutor, found himself in the midst of several tumultuous showdowns.

In 2003, questions swirled on Capitol Hill as lawmakers learned that then-Attorney General John Ascroft's top aides were regularly briefing him on key details of the investigation into who revealed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame and Democratic senators questioned whether Ashcroft had taken on more of a hands-on role than previously understood.

He faced sharp questioning at a Senate judiciary committee hearing but maintained at the time that Ashcroft had been given all the "details needed for him to understand meaningfully what's going on in the investigation."

Less than a year later, Wray was reportedly among the top officials at the Justice Department -- along with embattled former FBI Director James Comey and now special counsel Robert Mueller -- who planned to resign after White House officials tried to persuade a hospitalized Ashcroft to sign off on a warrantless domestic surveillance program in 2004.

"Chris Wray is a man of integrity with a deep commitment to the rule of law," the former attorney general said in a statement. "His substantial experience, particularly in serving on our Justice Department team fighting terrorism after 9/11, uniquely qualifies him to protect America as FBI director."

Harvard Law Professor Jack Goldsmith, who served as a top official at the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel when Wray was at the department -- and has been a vocal critic of Trump -- called Wray a "much better choice" than the other names floated to lead the FBI.

"Wray is smart, serious, and professional. He doesn't have quite the range of experiences that his two predecessors did. But he has deep experience with federal criminal law and the FBI," wrote Goldsmith on Lawfare . "I think Trump's firing of James Comey was a travesty. But Wray is a good choice, a much better choice than any of the politicians I previously saw floated, and a much better choice than I expected Trump to make. Without prejudging what will surely be a probing confirmation process, I think Wray is qualified to be director of the FBI."

Alice Fisher, a partner at Latham & Watkins who was also one of the almost dozen interviewed last month to lead the FBI called Wray a "wonderful choice."

"Chris is a wonderful choice to lead the FBI who cares deeply about the institution and already has strong relationships with the FBI," Fisher said. "His background at the helm of the criminal division offered an excellent experience working on national security, white collar crime and a range of federal crimes as well as offering the privilege of working with the fantastic men and women of the FBI every day. He's an excellent lawyer who will provide even keeled leadership.
United States president Donald Trump announces lawyer Christopher A. Wray as his nominee to be director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.