Trump picks Wray to head FBI

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said yesterday that he plans to nominate Christopher Wray, a former US assistant attorney-general under President George W. Bush, now in private practice, to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

"I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI. Details to follow," Mr Trump tweeted.

The US Senate must approve Mr Trump's choice to replace former FBI Director James Comey, whom the president fired last month amid the agency's ongoing probe into alleged Russian meddling into the US election.

The president's announcement comes a day before Mr Comey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Moscow's alleged interference and any potential ties to Mr Trump's campaign or associates.

Last week, the president met candidates for the FBI director's post, including Mr Wray, according to White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Mr Wray works for King & Spalding's Washington and Atlanta offices where he handles various white-collar criminal and regulatory enforcement cases, according to the firm.

He served as assistant attorney-general in the Justice Department's criminal division from 2003 to 2005, working on corporate fraud scandals and cases involving US financial markets.

Many lawmakers have said Mr Trump should pick a career law enforcement professional.

One former FBI official questioned whether Mr Wray had the experience to run an agency with more than 35,000 people, given the small size of the division he ran at the Justice Department. - REUTERS