FBI’s Wray: I Always Want to Ensure Agency Operates ‘Without the Appearance of Bias’

DURBIN Thank you Senator ░░░░░░░░ Senator Kennedy KENNEDY Thank ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman Mr Director ░░░░░░░░ is Timothy Tebow WRAY ░░░░░░░░ Tebow was for some ░░░░░░░░ of time until relatively ░░░░░░░░ what s called an ░░░░░░░░ in our Washington field ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY He was the ░░░░░░░░ special agent in charge ░░░░░░░░ That s what ASAC ░░░░░░░░ for There s a ░░░░░░░░ number of them in ░░░░░░░░ Washington field office The ░░░░░░░░ is there s the ░░░░░░░░ of the office and ░░░░░░░░ there s SACs and ░░░░░░░░ the next level down ░░░░░░░░ s the level that ░░░░░░░░ was at KENNEDY And ░░░░░░░░ has or had been ░░░░░░░░ the FBI about 25 ░░░░░░░░ is that right WRAY ░░░░░░░░ now you re testing ░░░░░░░░ knowledge a little bit ░░░░░░░░ Okay He was a ░░░░░░░░ guy is that correct ░░░░░░░░ I m sorry KENNEDY ░░░░░░░░ was a powerful guy ░░░░░░░░ that correct WRAY Well ░░░░░░░░ don t know that ░░░░░░░░ would use that description ░░░░░░░░ Okay He had no ░░░░░░░░ WRAY I think every ░░░░░░░░ enforcement agent in the ░░░░░░░░ with the responsibilities they ░░░░░░░░ entrusted with has significant ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY Did he work ░░░░░░░░ the President Trump Russian ░░░░░░░░ investigation WRAY I m ░░░░░░░░ sure I know the ░░░░░░░░ to that Not that ░░░░░░░░ am aware of but ░░░░░░░░ don t I can ░░░░░░░░ say that with certainty ░░░░░░░░ Did he or does ░░░░░░░░ work on the FBI ░░░░░░░░ of Mr Hunter Biden ░░░░░░░░ So the investigation that ░░░░░░░░ are referring to and ░░░░░░░░ have to be a ░░░░░░░░ bit careful because we ░░░░░░░░ talking about an ongoing ░░░░░░░░ is being run out ░░░░░░░░ our Baltimore field office ░░░░░░░░ with the Delaware U ░░░░░░░░ Attorney who is a ░░░░░░░░ from the prior administration ░░░░░░░░ So I m confused ░░░░░░░░ with your answer Did ░░░░░░░░ work or does he ░░░░░░░░ on the Hunter Biden ░░░░░░░░ WRAY As I said ░░░░░░░░ Hunter Biden investigation is ░░░░░░░░ run out of the ░░░░░░░░ field office KENNEDY Isn ░░░░░░░░ it true that in ░░░░░░░░ 2020 special agent Tebow ░░░░░░░░ on social media and ░░░░░░░░ a Washington Post article ░░░░░░░░ William Barr has gone ░░░░░░░░ WRAY I have seen ░░░░░░░░ to that effect I ░░░░░░░░ to be a little ░░░░░░░░ careful about how far ░░░░░░░░ can go in this ░░░░░░░░ because of specific ongoing ░░░░░░░░ matters KENNEDY Isn t ░░░░░░░░ true that also in ░░░░░░░░ 2020 special agent Tebow ░░░░░░░░ on social media and ░░░░░░░░ a Washington Post article ░░░░░░░░ Why the Michael Flynn ░░░░░░░░ still matters WRAY Similar ░░░░░░░░ to the one I ░░░░░░░░ before KENNEDY Isn t ░░░░░░░░ true that in November ░░░░░░░░ special agent Tebow assistant ░░░░░░░░ agent in charge of ░░░░░░░░ D C office who ░░░░░░░░ worked on the Trump ░░░░░░░░ collusion investigation and the ░░░░░░░░ Biden investigation retweeted a ░░░░░░░░ Project tweet that said ░░░░░░░░ Trump is a psychological ░░░░░░░░ m sorry a psychologically ░░░░░░░░ embittered and deeply unhappy ░░░░░░░░ WRAY Again I have ░░░░░░░░ descriptions of posts and ░░░░░░░░ m really trying to ░░░░░░░░ very careful not to ░░░░░░░░ in the way of ░░░░░░░░ ongoing personnel matters KENNEDY ░░░░░░░░ t it also true ░░░░░░░░ in January 2001 in ░░░░░░░░ to senator Alabama senator ░░░░░░░░ Tuberville s election to ░░░░░░░░ United States Senate from ░░░░░░░░ of course special agent ░░░░░░░░ went on social media ░░░░░░░░ posted Thank God for ░░░░░░░░ the state motto of ░░░░░░░░ WRAY I ve not ░░░░░░░░ t sit here and ░░░░░░░░ chapter and verse on ░░░░░░░░ individual s social media ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY Isn t it ░░░░░░░░ true that in June ░░░░░░░░ special agent in charge ░░░░░░░░ a 25 year veteran ░░░░░░░░ the agency tweeted to ░░░░░░░░ Liz Cheney Your dad ░░░░░░░░ a disgrace WRAY Again ░░░░░░░░ have seen descriptions to ░░░░░░░░ effect but I m ░░░░░░░░ to have to be ░░░░░░░░ careful not to interfere ░░░░░░░░ any kind of ongoing ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY And last month ░░░░░░░░ t agent Tebow go ░░░░░░░░ media and tweet Can ░░░░░░░░ give Kentucky to the ░░░░░░░░ Federation WRAY Again same ░░░░░░░░ that I have given ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY All right Isn ░░░░░░░░ it true that Mr ░░░░░░░░ agent Tebow excuse me ░░░░░░░░ FBI supervisory intelligence analyst ░░░░░░░░ Auten covered up derogatory ░░░░░░░░ about Mr Hunter Biden ░░░░░░░░ working for the FBI ░░░░░░░░ Well again I want ░░░░░░░░ be very careful not ░░░░░░░░ interfere with ongoing personnel ░░░░░░░░ I should say that ░░░░░░░░ I read the letter ░░░░░░░░ describes the kinds of ░░░░░░░░ that you re talking ░░░░░░░░ I found it deeply ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY It is troubling ░░░░░░░░ s not about their ░░░░░░░░ beliefs It s not ░░░░░░░░ their political beliefs It ░░░░░░░░ about that this is ░░░░░░░░ senior employee at the ░░░░░░░░ with years of experience ░░░░░░░░ on social media and ░░░░░░░░ this kind of stuff ░░░░░░░░ So I have since ░░░░░░░░ started KENNEDY Which gives ░░░░░░░░ people the impression that ░░░░░░░░ is bias whether there ░░░░░░░░ or there isn t ░░░░░░░░ I feel very strongly ░░░░░░░░ I have communicated consistently ░░░░░░░░ I started as director ░░░░░░░░ our folks need to ░░░░░░░░ sure that they re ░░░░░░░░ just doing the right ░░░░░░░░ that they re doing ░░░░░░░░ in the right way ░░░░░░░░ that they avoid avoid ░░░░░░░░ the appearance of bias ░░░░░░░░ lack of objectivity And ░░░░░░░░ fact in fact one ░░░░░░░░ the things I did ░░░░░░░░ to my knowledge had ░░░░░░░░ been done before at ░░░░░░░░ FBI was in 2018 ░░░░░░░░ pulled together and I ░░░░░░░░ at the top which ░░░░░░░░ my experience as somebody ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement it never ░░░░░░░░ that way I started ░░░░░░░░ the top and I ░░░░░░░░ the 250 or so ░░░░░░░░ top people in the ░░░░░░░░ from one corner of ░░░░░░░░ globe to the other ░░░░░░░░ a full day stand ░░░░░░░░ in Quantico where the ░░░░░░░░ focus of the message ░░░░░░░░ we heard from the ░░░░░░░░ General we heard from ░░░░░░░░ judge we heard from ░░░░░░░░ people who enforce the ░░░░░░░░ Act the whole focus ░░░░░░░░ on KENNEDY I know ░░░░░░░░ did Mr Director WRAY ░░░░░░░░ importance of the appearance ░░░░░░░░ But you wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ something like this This ░░░░░░░░ had been with the ░░░░░░░░ for 25 years He ░░░░░░░░ now on leave He ░░░░░░░░ this kind of stuff ░░░░░░░░ recently as last month ░░░░░░░░ you know how this ░░░░░░░░ to the American people ░░░░░░░░ I will tell you ░░░░░░░░ what you re describing ░░░░░░░░ not representative of the ░░░░░░░░ that I see up ░░░░░░░░ every day in this ░░░░░░░░ where I see patriots ░░░░░░░░ their tails off crosstalk ░░░░░░░░ And I agree with ░░░░░░░░ I agree with that ░░░░░░░░ have said that to ░░░░░░░░ repeatedly But you re ░░░░░░░░ yourselves with this stuff ░░░░░░░░ this investigation needs to ░░░░░░░░ completed on this gentleman ░░░░░░░░ the results need to ░░░░░░░░ reported to the American ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Mr Chairman ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Senator Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ Ossoff OSSOFF Thank you ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Director Wray nice ░░░░░░░░ see you again.”