Current and former FBI agents have called out FBI Director Christopher Wray over his use of the FBI’s private jet.
The agents alleged that Wray’s use of the jet amounts to embezzlement.
Former and current FBI agents are fuming about Director Christopher Wray’s use of the FBI’s private jet, which originally was intended by Congress only to be used for counterterrorism purposes.
A lot of other Americans would like to know why Wray cut short a Senate oversight hearing on Aug. 4 to fly in the FBI jet to his family holiday destination in the Adirondacks, after telling Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that he had “business” to attend to.
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Whatever was the purpose of all those flights to Wray’s hometown, they have set tongues wagging among current FBI agents. They have shared with former agents their suspicions that Wray is treating the FBI jet like his own private plane, and allege it amounts to “embezzlement” of government property, which is when someone “knowingly converts government property to one’s own use.”
“The FBI acquired the Gulfstream for the express purpose of moving its own Counterterrorism Rapid Deployment teams to anywhere in the world to deal with an act of terrorism,” says one concerned former agent.
Flight-tracking software has shown that the FBI jet has taken trips to Atlanta, Georgia twice per month on average since June.
Wray’s wife is from a family that lives in that region.
Publicly available flight-tracking software reveals that the FBI jet has made trips from Washington to Atlanta, Georgia twice per month on average since June. No reason for those trips has been offered yet, but Wray’s wife is from an influential Georgia family in that region. Also, he worked there for many years both for a private sector law firm and for the US Attorney’s Office in the region.
But perhaps we’re being too judgemental about this. For all we know, Christopher might have been tracking down conservative domestic terrorists who oppose the current administration’s immigration policies in the Adirondacks. The Atlanta area could be a hotbed of families who object to drag shows in their children’s kindergarten classes and had the nerve to show up to a school board meeting to complain. Those are the sort of people that the FBI clearly needs to get under control quickly, and there are few faster ways to manage the feat than using a Gulfstream G550.
All joking aside, this just seems so typical of this administration that it’s nauseating. Who cares if Congress only authorized the purchase, maintenance, and operation of that Gulfstream for official counterterrorism activities? It’s a private jet that’s just idling its time at a hangar and Chris Wray is the man in charge now. Why shouldn’t he order up some bubbly and shrimp cocktails so he can travel in style and avoid mingling with the unwashed masses at the airports?
Back in August, House Republican lawmakers demanded answers on his private jet use.
This is after he left a Senate hearing early on the jet. A report alleges he left it early for a personal vacation.
The Washington Examiner reported:
House Republicans want answers on FBI Director Christopher Wray’s use of Justice Department jets for personal use following reports that he left a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to fly to upstate New York.
The flight in question occurred on Aug. 4, the day before FBI investigators sought and received approval for a raid of former President Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the top Republican on House Oversight, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), sought answers from Wray on Monday.
“We write to conduct oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s use of government aircraft and compliance with the applicable federal regulations and requirements,” the House GOP leaders said. “In light of a recent report by the New York Post that you left a Senate hearing early to fly on an FBI aircraft for a personal vacation, we have questions about whether you are properly reimbursing federal taxpayers for your personal travel aboard government aircraft.”
Where is the accountability?