FBI Director Testifies At Committee Hearing On Recent Agency Actions

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee aired a long list of grievances with FBI Director Christopher Wray during an oversight hearing Wednesday, accusing Wray of politicizing the agency’s investigations and allowing a wide range of misconduct.

Republicans have been itching for a chance to confront Director Wray for some time now over what many of them say is the weaponization of the FBI that has occurred under his watch, and as evidenced by the different way it investigates different people

"Are you protecting the Bidens?" Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) asked Wray.

"Absolutely not," Wray responded quickly.

Wray said the FBI is not guided by political considerations, but Rep. Gaetz argued the case of Hunter Biden -- and the fact that Wray won't acknowledge that it allegedly involved what Gaetz terms a 'shakedown' -- suggest otherwise.

"To the millions of people that will see this, they know it is," Gaetz followed, "and your inability to acknowledge that is deeply revealing about you."

Other Republican committee members demanded Wray respond to last week's ruling by a federal judge in Louisiana who concluded the Biden administration had been forcing social media companies to take down politically disagreeable free speech, mostly conservative views.

"The FBI," Wray explained, "is not in the business of moderating content or causing any social media company to suppress or censor."

"That is not what the court has found," replied Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA).

Democrats on the committee, for the most part, gave Wray a chance to discuss the agency in a positive light, such as the way he says agents are working to take deadly drugs off the streets.

"Those men and women who choose to dedicate their careers—their lives, really—to this kind of work and to fulfilling the FBI mission," Wray said, "are inspiring."

One Republican at the hearing actually thanked Wray for his service. Colorado’s Ken Buck noted that Wray is a registered Republican and said, “I hope you don't change your party affiliation after this hearing is over.”