FBI Director Christopher Wray Caught Lying to Senator Grassley – Watch
Remember when Sen. Chuck Grassley busted FBI Director Christopher Wray’s chops for saying that he couldn’t stay another 20 minutes to answer questions because he had a plane to catch?
Grassley reminded Wray that he was using a private plane, so what was the big deal?
It turns out that there’s more to this story. Grassley apparently asked Wray if he had to leave for other business and he responded that he did.
But in fact, the FBI Director was actually catching his private plane so that he could go to his vacation home in the Adirondacks in Saranac Lake, New York.
Take a look at Wray answering “yes” to Grassley when Grassley says he assumes he has other “business” when he was going to his vacation home.
FBI Director Christopher Wray After Having To Leave Early From Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Today
Senator Grassley: "I assume you've got other business?"
Director Wray: "Yeh." pic.twitter.com/luPDQpmbrQ
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) August 4, 2022
So now the GOP is going after Wray over his use of the taxpayer-funded plane to go to his vacation home. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), House Committee on Oversight and Reform ranking member James Comer (R-KY), and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ranking member Mike Turner (R-OH) are asking for answers from Wray.
They wrote in a letter to the director, “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.
According to the Post, on August 4, 2022, you abruptly departed a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing to engage in personal travel to your vacation home in Saranac Lake, New York. Despite requests from Ranking Member Grassley, you refused to remain at the hearing for an additional 21 minutes for remaining members to finish asking their questions and conduct oversight of the FBI. You reportedly departed on the FBI’s Gulfstream 550 jet, an agency aircraft initially intended for counterterrorism use, to make the one hour and 12-minute journey to Saranac Lake. Further, it has been reported that you made a similar personal trip on a government aircraft on June 2 and June 5, 2022.”
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance states that a government plane is only authorized for “official purposes” and may only be authorized outside official travel when no commercial air is available or would cost more.
It should be interesting to see how Wray tries to squirm out of these questions.
