Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on FBI Director Christopher Wray’s Resignation Announcement

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following FBI Director Christopher Wray's resignation announcement:

"Chris Wray has served our country honorably and with integrity for decades, including for seven years as the Director of the FBI under presidents of both parties.

In a heightened threat environment, Director Wray has worked tirelessly to protect the American people and to lead an agency of 38,000 dedicated public servants, many of whom put their lives on the line every day to serve their communities.

Under Director Wray's principled leadership, the FBI has worked to fulfill the Justice Department's mission to keep our country safe, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law.

He has led the FBI's efforts to aggressively confront the broad range of threats facing our country - from nation-state adversaries and foreign and domestic terrorism to violent crime, cybercrime, and financial crime.

There are few leadership positions more central to keeping the American people safe than the Director of the FBI.

The Director of the FBI is responsible for leading employees located across the country and around the world who dedicate themselves each day to disrupting complex plots and preventing horrific tragedies before they can occur.

The Director of the FBI is responsible for leading the federal law enforcement agency that serves as the connective tissue among the intelligence community, state and local law enforcement agencies across the country, and our international law enforcement partners.

And the Director of the FBI is responsible for protecting the independence of the FBI from inappropriate influence in its criminal investigations. That independence is central to preserving the rule of law and to protecting the freedoms we as Americans hold dear.

Director Wray has done that job with integrity and skill. He has my gratitude, the gratitude of the FBI agents and employees whose respect and admiration he has earned, and the gratitude of the American people."