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Trump Nominates Lawyer To Lead FBI (bbc.com)

President Donald Trump announced via Twitter on Wednesday that he has chosen a new FBI director. Trump says he's nominating Christopher A. Wray for the position. He described Wray as "a man of impeccable credentials." From a report: Donald Trump says he is nominating lawyer Christopher A Wray who served under George W Bush. Wray more recently represented the New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, during the investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case, in which two of Christie's former aides were convicted of plotting to close lanes of the bridge to punish a Democratic mayor who wouldn't endorse the governor. Christie, who has informally advised the president, was not charged in the case.

Wray would succeed James Comey, whom Trump fired last month amid mounting scrutiny of ties between his campaign and Russia. The announcement comes a day ahead of Comey's scheduled appearance before the Senate intelligence committee on Thursday where he is expected to touch on his firing and claims that Trump asked him to soft-pedal the investigation into former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.

32 of 368 comments (clear)

  1. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by Carewolf · · Score: 4, Informative

    "mounting scrutiny of ties between his campaign and Russia."

    Reminder, no such ties have been shown to actually exist.

    Posting as AC because the last time I went against the Conspiracy Theories someone decided to call my boss and claim I was destroying America.

    Ehmm? There are plenty of evidence and the administration have even acknowledged it and fired the people. What open is whether Trump was aware of it, or if it was only his most trusted and most prominent leaders of his campaign that colluded with the Russians.

  2. The best thing that happened to Comey... by CajunArson · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...was being fired by Trump.

    Before being fired: OMG COMEY CONSPIRED WITH TRUMP TO KILL HILLARY'S PRESIDENCY!!

    After being fired: COMEY IS A BEING OF PURE ENERGY FROM A HIGHER PLANE OF EXISTENCE WHO CAME HERE TO BRING US PEACE AND LOVE.

    --
    AntiFA: An abbreviation for Anti First Amendment.
    1. Re:The best thing that happened to Comey... by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, sorry, liberal here: still don't like him. Just because we don't like someone doesn't mean we support any attempt to get rid of them, and Trump's firing was obviously based upon an illegitimate rationale and worthy of criticism. But even so, it's a cruel, but entirely appropriate, twist he was fired by the person he put in office.

      If he can undo some of the damage by helping get Trump out of office, that's good, but that wouldn't make up for the colossal disaster he brought upon our nation by faking an email scandal days before the election.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    2. Re:The best thing that happened to Comey... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sorry guy, us libs arent simpletons living in a black & white world.

      Thats your guy's schtick.

      Our world is actually much more complicated than black & white.

    3. Re:The best thing that happened to Comey... by kqs · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Agreed. The only people who think that liberals like Comey are conservatives.

  3. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Jeff session was part of the trump campaign and used trump campaign finances to meet with the russian ambassador, then lied about it under oath, and on government documents.

    Manford had russian connections and ran the trump campaign.

    Kushner met with the same russian ambassador several times while working on the campaign and doesn't have access to Jeff sessions excuse that he was doing it as a representative of the senate and used the wrong bank account (and no other senator on the same committees he is on has ever had to meet with the russian ambassador or knows why sessions would be meeting with the russian ambassador...).

    Trump himself asked russia to locate emails from hillary clinton's servers on public broadcast television.

    The ties have been proven. The legality of the ties are in question.

    Please consider using reality as a measuring stick of what is true and what is false in the future this fantasy world you are living in with Mr Trump isn't going to change what the investigations that are happening in reality find.

  4. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by El+Cubano · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Name these people, please.

    Flynn, for starters.

    Look, I think Trump has a chance to drive some good change for our country. Please note that I thought the same of Obama, based on some of his campaign promises, but was sadly disappointed (I am not holding my breath for Trump). What remains to be seen is whether Trump will actually succeed in that, or whether he will go the route of Obama: expend all his political capital on a single issue, lose the advantage of both House and Senate majorities of the same political party as a result (given the disenchantment of lots of conservatives with lack of progress, this could happen), discard 99% of his campaign promises (Trump already seems headed down this particular path), and then spend the remainder of his time in office trying to shore up the one single accomplishment and then praying his successor doesn't undo it.

    That said, pretending that the Trump administration doesn't have serious problems at this point doesn't help anyone: Trump, the administration, or the American people.

  5. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by Gussington · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Name these people, please.

    About 3 seconds of googling found this: http://www.politico.com/magazi...

  6. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 4, Funny

    Name these people, please.

    Flynn, for starters.

    Those sound like facts. You're going to have to do better than that here,

  7. Re: "mounting scrutiny of ties" by Lisandro · · Score: 3, Informative

    "This man has served for many years, he's a general, he's a â" in my opinion â" a very good person. I believe that it would be very unfair to hear from somebody who we don't even know and immediately run out and fire a general."

    - guess who

  8. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Trump has no political capital worth mentioning. If anything he tries succeeds, it's because it's coincidentally what those around him want, not because he's making it happen by cleverness or force of personality. This is not business as usual, where Trump can just move on to the next deal if he fails.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  9. Re: Trump 2020 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What do Trump and his father have in common?

    Both have bad judgement when it comes to pulling out.

  10. Translation by sjbe · · Score: 4, Informative

    He described Wray as "a man of impeccable credentials.

    Translation: "He is loyal to Trump"

  11. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Informative

    By the time of the election Flynn was (and still is) hated by the Washington establishment, I can't even begin to imagine why you'd suggest otherwise. As far as his involvement in Trump's campaign goes, he may or may not have been involved organizationally, but he was absolutely a top supporter of Trump and at one point was being seriously considered as Trump's VP pick. He made numerous appearances for Trump at Trump's campaign rallies.

    The implication he was somehow forced on an unwilling Trump is absurd. Trump didn't even want to fire him, and has been defending him in public even after Flynn was gone.

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  12. Re: "mounting scrutiny of ties" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ah, the good old "But but but but Hillary" whine. It's not every day you have to tell somebody "you won, get over it"

    The common denominators amongst Trump supporters appears to be blindness to any wrongdoing by their God Emperor, an inability to take responsibility for anything at all, ever, and being stuck in an eternal election cycle that has already been and gone.

  13. Better than Caligula by Argos · · Score: 3, Funny

    At least he has not appointed to his horse.

  14. Re: "mounting scrutiny of ties" by cryptizard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No but the article links to many reliable sources. That is the whole point of wikipedia.

  15. Re: "mounting scrutiny of ties" by Lisandro · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The contacts are real and documented. What's being investigated right now if there was any collusion between Russia and the Trump administration.

  16. Re:Lawyer by hey! · · Score: 5, Informative

    I actually looked the guy up and he does have some of the typical background for the job, having worked in the US attorneys' office and DOJ for about eight years.

    That's a little thin compared to Comey's 18 years of public service before nomination, or Mueller's 15 years. Louis Freeh was an actual FBI agent for six years, followed by ten years as a prosecutor and two as a federal judge.

    So given that his relevant experience is a bit thin by recent standards, why Wray? Probably because he's willing to do the job under circumstances. As to whether his personal loyalty to the President will be greater than Comey's, that only people who know him could say.

    If the President is relying solely on the fact that Wray represented Chris Christie in a case where Christie was widely viewed as having abused his executive power, well then the President would be a fool. Smart lawyers understand where their duty lies. When their defending a client it's to the client. But while an FBI director works under the president, he's not the president's personal lawyer; his duty is to the country.

    We'll have to watch the confirmation hearings to get a sense of who this guy is.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  17. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by sjbe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Look, I think Trump has a chance to drive some good change for our country.

    Nothing Trump has promised to do would be good for the country and quite a bit of his agenda will hurt a lot of people. While you are technically correct that he has a chance to drive good change he has given no indication that the change he wants is actually good. I think your optimism that Trump has any interest in being a positive agent for change is misplaced.

    Please note that I thought the same of Obama, based on some of his campaign promises, but was sadly disappointed (I am not holding my breath for Trump).

    Why? Trump is working very hard to make good on his (frankly horrifying) campaign promises. What you should hope for is that he fails in his attempts to make good on them. Furthermore pretending Obama and Trump are the chickens of a feather is patently ridiculous. The only thing they have in common is the job title. No president can make good on all their campaign promises. They aren't dictators even though Trump clearly has aspirations to become one.

    That said, pretending that the Trump administration doesn't have serious problems at this point doesn't help anyone: Trump, the administration, or the American people.

    The Trump administration IS a serious problem in addition to having serious problems.

  18. Re:Lawyer by Kierthos · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And five will get you ten that, during the confirmation hearing, at least one Senator asks "Did Trump ask you for a pledge of loyalty to him?"

    --
    Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
  19. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by KeensMustard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So: presumably you a now going to urge your congressman/woman to support an investigation of Trump?

    I well recall during the campaign (when Clinton's alleged behaviour and alleged ties were still relevant) the multitudes of cries to "lock her up!" Presumably then, those outraged republicans (and yourself) now demand the same for Trump?

    To do otherwise would be hypocrisy - wouldn't it?

  20. Re: "mounting scrutiny of ties" by Lisandro · · Score: 4, Informative

    FYI, this was stated *after* he fired him,not before.

  21. Re: "mounting scrutiny of ties" by Lisandro · · Score: 5, Informative

    He seems awfully apologetic for a guy supposedly fired for lyring to the Vicepresident.

    Also, seriously? Trump, who has no reservations in publicly shitting anyone he doesn't like, consequences be damned, treats his former NSA with kids gloves only because the globalist elite told him so? And lets not forget, Flynn was disliked by pretty much everyone in DC. At one point even Obama told Trump no to hire the guy, for pete's sake.

  22. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by PoopJuggler · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Make", possibly not. "Influence", definitely.

  23. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by Train0987 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sessions was a Senator on the foreign relations committee. Meeting with Russians was his job.

  24. Re: Trump 2020 by Lord+Kano · · Score: 3, Informative

    Don't be so sure. I was under the impression that nominating him last year was a guaranteed way to lose.

    I completely underestimated how terrible of a candidate the DNC would choose.

    LK

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  25. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Nothing Trump has promised to do would be good for the country and quite a bit of his agenda will hurt a lot of people.

    Everybody thinks in terms of trickle-down economics, and so believes moving the average price of pants from $15 to $150 would be good for America if Americans were making pants instead of importing them from China.

    They don't understand that then Americans in total would have less capacity to buy things, because they don't grasp that a potential 178,000 jobs in making pants (in this example) is trivial compared to the 125,000,000 employed: they think adding 0.14% more jobs by making everyone else poorer "keeps the money in America", and equate money to wealth. Too bad the same money doesn't buy so much, meaning...

    They don't understand that those lost purchases mean fewer potential jobs. You might get +106,000 instead of +178,000, with low enough American wages in the factories. That's a best-case scenario of paying the American factory workers as little as possible--minimum wage, minimum benefits. You lose purchasing ability in the form of, at minimum-wage salaries, 40% as many pants sold.

    With that 40% loss in pants shipped and retailed, you lose jobs. A truck carries 20,000 pairs in a 40-foot shipping container (large trailer). 192.6 million pairs imported, now Americans make and buy 115.6 million, that's 77 million fewer pairs, 3,851 fewer truck shipments per year. 981 register scans per hour by a retail worker, 77 million fewer items sold, no longer need ~78,526 retail workers.

    There's additional loss in logistics, stocking, and some other stuff. The reduction in items sold is enough to close a couple stores, technically, although you'd only eliminate at best 2,000-3,000 employees in total through that route. The cost of shipping also includes things like truck tires, fuel, and maintenance, and the demand for those goods goes down when we can't afford as many goods (the prices of which already include those costs): a couple mechanics, Goodyear factory workers, and the like lose their jobs. Nothing major, like the huge bomb dropped on retail.

    Call it 80,000 jobs. You can create 106,000 minimum-wage factory jobs and eliminate 80,000 other jobs by manufacturing pants in America instead of China. That assumes that the only cost in running the factory is the factory workers; you create fewer jobs and lose more jobs when you also factor in the cost of organization (managers, etc.), equipment, buildings, fuel and electricity, and so forth, all of which exceed the respective costs in the Chinese manufacturing theater.

    At the same time, those minimum-wage workers produce pants which cost ~66% more. For a minimum-wage retail worker, a $15 pair of pants costs 1.8 hours of labor; for the minimum-wage factory worker, the $25 pair of pants costs 3 hours of labor. They have to work 1.2 hours longer to draw the wages to produce them.

    The cost by number of hours worked to earn the wages to buy the product gets larger if we raise the factory-worker's wage; the number of jobs created shrinks; and the number of jobs lost elsewhere increases. You quickly go from ~26,000 new jobs and 300,000,000 poorer Americans to a direct loss of jobs and even poorer Americans when any of the involved costs increase.

    See how many steps you have to work through to get that far? All people see is, "Well, factory workers! Jobs! New jobs!" and "Oh, well, pay the factory workers more and they won't be so poor!" Never mind that paying them more will actually make it harder for them to afford the products they're making--it'll let them afford more Chinese import products, though.

    Best part: the end result of a gain or loss in jobs--in employment rate, really--is an adjustment of the labor force to either consume the available additional jobs or reduce the number of job-seekers. In other words: short- and long-term changes keep us around a certain stable employment rate (it's ~5% in

  26. Fake News! by s.petry · · Score: 4, Informative

    James Comey is also a Lawyer, who practiced Law and worked for the DOJ prior to heading the FBI. Prior to Comey, we had Robert Mueller who was also a Lawyer and also worked for the DOJ. Pickard who served a whole 71 days was not an attorney, but prior to him Louis Freeh was.. can you guess? An Attorney.

    In fact, why not run through the list and see how many FBI directors were of all things, a "Lawyer". The only reason for this thread to make it to the front page is for clickbait and post count. It is not a "story", and not "news"

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  27. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by Dan+East · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nothing Trump has promised to do would be good for the country and quite a bit of his agenda will hurt a lot of people.

    Well, that of course is your opinion. Reigning in the federal government, both in terms of power and size, is something a lot of us want to see, along with fiscal responsibility. Trump at least promised those kinds of things, and we all know Clinton couldn't care less about changing the status quo in those areas. The "America first" concept also has merit in this day and age, as it sure seems our government is throwing billions of dollars every which way globally, to prop up and otherwise fund any number of governments and organizations. I'm not saying that isn't necessary or in our best interests, but it surely seems excessive at first glance.

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  28. Re:Lawyer by Khyber · · Score: 4, Informative

    Fucking wrong. From the FBI site:

    "Educational requirements include having a four year bachelor degree from an accredited university or college. In addition to this applicants should have three years of work experience at the minimum."

    No where is a law degree stated as the qualifier. I'm sure they'd prefer a law degree or a degree in "Criminal Justice" but they've got plenty of other degree-holders outside of law handling other things, like Comp. Sci/Engineering degree holders doing digital forensics.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  29. Re:"mounting scrutiny of ties" by rahvin112 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Reigning in the federal government, the grand slogan with no meaning. The bulk of all federal employment is military. The bulk of all spending in government goes in 3 containers, Military, Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. Eliminating everything else the government does including a whole lot of stuff you want them to do would save about 2% of the budget.

    The only way to reduce the federal government is to slash military spending.