Christopher A. Wray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Wray
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Official portrait, 2017
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| 8th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office August 2, 2017 – January 19, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Andrew McCabe (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Paul Abbate (acting) |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division | |
| In office September 11, 2003 – May 17, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Michael Chertoff |
| Succeeded by | Alice S. Fisher |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Christopher Asher Wray
December 17, 1966 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Helen Garrison Howell
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Yale University (BA, JD) |
| Signature |  |
Christopher Asher Wray (born December 17, 1966) is an American lawyer. He served as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2017 to 2025. The FBI is a major law enforcement and intelligence agency in the United States.
President Donald Trump chose Wray to be the new FBI Director in 2017. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination. He started his 10-year term on August 2, 2017. Wray was born in New York City. He went to Yale University and Yale Law School.
Before leading the FBI, Wray worked for the government in different roles. He was an Assistant United States Attorney. He also led the Criminal Division of the Justice Department. He later worked as a lawyer in a private firm. Wray is a member of the Republican Party. He announced he would resign as FBI Director in January 2025.
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Early Life and School
Christopher Asher Wray was born in New York City. His father, Cecil A. Wray Jr., was also a lawyer. His grandfather, T. Cecil Wray, was a city manager in Tennessee.
Wray went to the private Buckley School in New York City. He also attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. After high school, Wray studied philosophy at Yale University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989.
Then, he went to Yale Law School. He was an editor for the Yale Law Journal. He earned his law degree in 1992. After law school, Wray worked for a judge named J. Michael Luttig.
Early Career in Law
Working for the Government
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Wray began working for the government in 1997. He was an Assistant United States Attorney in Georgia. In 2001, he moved to the Justice Department.
In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Wray for a new role. He became the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Justice Department. The Senate approved him in September 2003. Wray held this position from 2003 to 2005. He worked under Deputy Attorney General James Comey. While leading the Criminal Division, Wray oversaw major investigations.
In 2004, the Justice Department found an issue with a government surveillance program. Wray, along with others, threatened to resign over this matter. This showed his commitment to legal principles. In March 2005, Wray announced he would leave his government post. In 2005, he received a top award from the Justice Department. This award recognized his public service and leadership.
Working in Private Law
After leaving government, Wray joined a law firm called King & Spalding in 2005. He worked as a partner in their Washington, D.C., and Atlanta offices. Wray represented many large companies. He also led the firm's group that handled government investigations.
During his time at King & Spalding, Wray was the personal lawyer for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. This was during a well-known bridge traffic investigation.
Director of the FBI (2017–2025)
Becoming FBI Director
The previous FBI Director, James Comey, was dismissed in May 2017. Governor Chris Christie suggested Wray as a possible replacement to President Donald Trump. Trump interviewed Wray on May 30. Eight days later, Trump announced his plan to nominate Wray.
Wray's Senate confirmation hearing took place on July 12, 2017. During the hearing, he was asked about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He stated that he did not believe it was a "witch hunt". On July 20, the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended Wray for the role. The Senate officially confirmed him on August 1, 2017, with strong support.
Federal law states that the FBI Director serves a 10-year term. Wray was sworn in by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on August 2, 2017. A formal ceremony was held later, but President Trump did not attend. This was unusual for an FBI director's swearing-in.
His Time as Director
In January 2020, Senator Chris Murphy asked the FBI to investigate claims. These claims were about Saudi Arabia possibly getting personal data from Jeff Bezos. Bezos owns The Washington Post.
In June 2020, Wray said that "anarchists" were using protests to cause violence. He later clarified that groups like antifa are more of an idea than a specific organization. This was different from how President Trump described them.
In April 2020, President Trump thought about replacing Wray. But Attorney General William Barr said he would resign if that happened. So, Trump changed his mind. In May 2020, Wray ordered a review into an FBI investigation involving a former Trump adviser.
In October 2020, the FBI Agents Association asked that Wray stay on as Director. In March 2021, Wray spoke in Senate hearings about the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol. He called the attack a case of domestic terrorism.
In July 2023, House Republicans questioned Wray. They raised concerns about political bias and civil liberties. Wray defended the FBI's actions, especially in catching violent criminals.
After the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump said he would replace Wray. Wray had three years left in his 10-year term. On December 11, 2024, Wray announced his resignation. He said he would leave at the end of the Biden presidency in January 2025. This decision meant that the next person to lead the FBI would likely be someone who already held a senior role in the agency, as required by law.
Russian Election Concerns
In December 2019, Wray was interviewed about a report on the Russia investigation. He said that calling FBI agents the "deep state" was unfair. He believed it was an insult to their professional work. He also stated that he did not think the Trump campaign was unfairly targeted.
Wray also said that the FBI had no information that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election. He added that Russia was the biggest threat to the 2020 election. President Trump criticized Wray for these comments.
Focus on China
In February 2018, Wray spoke about risks from Chinese students in science programs. He said that "nontraditional collectors" like students could be "exploiting" open research. Some lawmakers criticized his comments. They said it could lead to unfair profiling. Wray later clarified that the FBI does not investigate based on race. He said that economic spying cases often lead back to China.
In July 2020, Wray called the People's Republic of China the "greatest long-term threat" to the United States. He said the FBI was opening a new China-related case every 10 hours. He mentioned data breaches that affected millions of Americans. Wray believed China was trying to become the world's only superpower.
In February 2023, Wray said that the COVID-19 virus might have leaked from a lab in China. This idea was also supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Personal Life
Wray married Helen Garrison Howell in 1989. They met at Yale University. They have two children, a son named Trip and a daughter named Caroline. They live in Georgia.
Before becoming FBI Director, Wray earned a good income as a lawyer. He is a Republican. He is also a member of the Federalist Society, a group of conservatives and libertarians.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher A. Wray para niños
- Foreign electoral intervention
