Pressure on FBI mounts after failure to pursue tip on Florida suspect
Even before the startling disclosure that the FBI failed to investigate a warning that the suspect  Nikolas Cruz  could be plotting an attack  the bureau was facing unprecedented criticism from President Trump and other Republicans  who have accused it of partisan bias.
The FBI's acknowledgment that it mishandled the tip prompted a sharp rebuke from its boss  Attorney General Jeff Sessions  and a call from Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott  a  Trump  ally who is expected to run for U.S. Senate  for FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign.
Wray  on the job for just six months  had already been in a precarious position defending the bureau from relentless attacks by  Trump  and other Republicans.  They  are still dissatisfied with its decision not to charge Hillary Clinton with crimes related to her use of a private email server  and  they  see signs of bias in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of possible  Trump  campaign ties to Russia.
As evidence   they 've cited the former deputy director's connection to Clinton allies  and  they 've publicized anti-Trump text messages exchanged between an FBI agent and a bureau lawyer. Democrats have said the accusations are aimed at damaging Mueller's investigation and protecting  Trump .
Through it all  Wray has repeatedly stood up to  Trump   defending the bureau's independence and publicly praising  its  agents in implicit rebuttals to the president's criticism. Wray unsuccessfully fought to block the release of a classified Republican memo accusing the FBI of abusing its surveillance powers in the Russia probe — a document  Trump  wanted aired. Wray also publicly contradicted White House accounts of how it handled recent domestic abuse allegations involving a now-former aide  Rob Porter.
Sessions  a Trump loyalist who has at times seemed to welcome criticism of the FBI  called the massacre a "tragic consequence" of the FBI's failure. He ordered a review of the Justice Department procedures.
Even before the startling disclosure that the FBI failed to investigate a warning that the suspect  Nikolas Cruz  could be plotting an attack  the bureau was facing unprecedented criticism from President Trump and other Republicans  who have accused it of partisan bias.
The FBI's acknowledgment that it mishandled the tip prompted a sharp rebuke from its boss  Attorney General Jeff Sessions  and a call from Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott  a  [TGT]ally who is expected to run for U.S. Senate  for FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign.
Wray  on the job for just six months  had already been in a precarious position defending the bureau from relentless attacks by  Trump  and other Republicans.  They  are still dissatisfied with its decision not to charge Hillary Clinton with crimes related to her use of a private email server  and  they  see signs of bias in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of possible  [TGT]campaign ties to Russia.
As evidence   they 've cited the former deputy director's connection to Clinton allies  and  they 've publicized anti-Trump text messages exchanged between an FBI agent and a bureau lawyer. Democrats have said the accusations are aimed at damaging Mueller's investigation and protecting  Trump .
Through it all  Wray has repeatedly stood up to  [TGT] and publicly praising  [TGT]  agents in implicit rebuttals to the president's criticism. Wray unsuccessfully fought to block the release of a classified Republican memo accusing the FBI of abusing its surveillance powers in the Russia probe — a document  [TGT]wanted aired. Wray also publicly contradicted White House accounts of how it handled recent domestic abuse allegations involving a now-former aide  Rob Porter.
[TGT]called the massacre a "tragic consequence" of the FBI's failure. [TGT] ordered a review of the Justice Department procedures.