Senate Confirms Trump's Pick to Head FBI

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Christopher Wray to lead the FBI, replacing James Comey, who was abruptly fired by President Trump amid the investigation into Russia meddling in last year's presidential election. The vote was 92-5 for Wray, a former high-ranking official in President George W. Bush's Justice Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud, the AP reports. Wray, 50, inherits an FBI at a particularly challenging time given Trump's ousting of Comey, who was admired within the bureau. "This is a tough time to take this tough job," Sen. Amy Klobuchar said during Senate debate of the nomination. "We've had a slew of ... firings throughout the government over the last few months."

Wray won unanimous support from the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, with Republicans and Democrats praising his promise never to let politics get in the way of the bureau's mission. Asserting his independence at his confirmation hearing, Wray said: "My loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law. Those have been my guideposts throughout my career, and I will continue to adhere to them no matter the test." Wray has worked on white-collar crime and regulatory cases as a partner at the King & Spalding law firm. From May 2001 to May 2005, he held various high-ranking positions in the Justice Department, rising to the head of the criminal division in September 2003. He also served as principal associate deputy attorney general. (More Christopher Wray stories.)