Hawley criticized Wray during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing and described the Trump-appointed FBI Director’s behavior as “absolutely unbelievable” and “indefensible.”
“Why did FBI Director Chris Wray refuse to answer Senators’ questions & run out of an oversight hearing early? Because he had to get to vacation in the Adirondacks. On a government jet,” Hawley wrote in a tweet in which he shared a clip of Thursday’s hearing.
During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in August, Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, asked Wray to stay longer to answer questions about the FBI allegedly mishandling the case of Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexual assault in 2016, The National Review reported at the time.
However, Wray didn’t stay longer during that hearing and left to go to his vacation home using the FBI’s Gulfstream 550 jet, which is meant to serve in counterterrorism operations, according to Fox News.
Wray argued that he is “required, not just permitted but required, even for personal travel to use the FBI plane” and added that he pays every time he uses the plane for personal travel.
“The FBI Director is required by U.S. government policy to use official aircraft for all travel, including travel for personal reasons, because of security and communications needs,” a spokesperson with the FBI told Newsweek on Friday.
Hawley asked whether Wray would be ready to turn over all receipts and reimbursements related to the use of the plane and the FBI directors said he will comply with such requests.
“Director Wray has adhered to the federal regulations governing the use of an aircraft to include reimbursement for personal use. Director Wray adhered to the format and timing agreed upon in advance with the Senate Judiciary Committee for the August 4th hearing. After Director Wray completed the first round of questions, he answered additional questions from congressional members still in the hearing,” the FBI spokesperson said.
Wray, who was once overwhelmingly approved by Republicans, continues to face backlash from some GOP members. Earlier this month, the Republican wing of the House Judiciary Committee released a report alleging that it found evidence of politicization within the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ).
Several Republican lawmakers and Trump loyalists condemned the FBI and the DOJ in light of the new report, which came after FBI agents seized highly classified documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in August. Some Republicans called for impeaching Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“Christopher Wray and Merrick Garland MUST be removed from their powerful positions,” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia tweeted. “Republicans can not allow this abuse of power to stand. Impeach!!”
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the stewardship of Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, is broken,” Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio tweeted.
Meanwhile, Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona tweeted: “The FBI & DOJ will not be given a free pass.”
Newsweek reached out to the FBI’s media office for comment.
Update [11/18/2022] 5:02 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include comments from a spokesperson with the FBI.
