FBI Director Christopher Wray admitted he left an August hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to jump on an FBI jet for a vacation in the Adirondacks, a move Republicans said cut the key oversight hearing short.
The flight in question occurred on Aug. 4, the day before FBI investigators sought and received approval for the unprecedented raid of former President Donald Trump’s resort home in Mar-a-Lago. The search happened after the weekend, on Aug. 8.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told Wray on Thursday he was supposed to have done two rounds of questions in August, but the FBI director had told the committee he had to be somewhere, and so the hearing was cut short. The press reported shortly thereafter Wray was flying on a Gulf Stream jet for a personal vacation in the Adirondacks.
Hawley said Thursday: “Please tell me that’s not accurate.”
Wray replied: “Senator, the hearing was cut short — was not cut short from my experience.
“We had agreed beforehand on the time and length of it, and I was very surprised to find that anyone on the committee was surprised. As to how I fly, I am required — not only permitted, but required — to fly on an FBI plane wherever I go.”
The FBI director confirmed he had gone on vacation and said he had paid for his use of the plane.
WRAY SAYS FBI INVESTIGATING ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ CHINESE POLICE STATION IN NYC
Hawley asked, “So, you left a statutorily required oversight hearing in order to go on a personal vacation in the Adirondacks?”
Wray replied, “I took a flight to go visit my family as had been previously arranged in conjunction with the leadership of the committee.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed frustration with Wray during the August hearing over him leaving before a second round of questions.
“You left an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee required by statute so that you could vacation with your family. I find that absolutely unbelievable, and frankly indefensible,” Hawley said Thursday, also asking Wray to turn over all receipts and reimbursements for use of the plane to the committee.
Wray replied: “Senator, we will be happy to comply with oversight requests related to the use of the plane.
“I will turn over information related to my use of the plane. The use of the plane, I am required — not just permitted, required, even for personal travel — to use the FBI plane. And I pay every single time that I use the plane for personal use.”
Grassley tweeted on Friday that Wray admitted he went on vacation in August instead of answering more questions and said the FBI director had refused to stay. The Republican said that “Wray’s commitment to transparency is lackluster at best.”
Grassley has previously pressed Wray on his decision to leave.
House Republicans also demanded answers on the Wray flight.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Flight Radar 24 records show a Gulfstream G550 belonging to the Justice Department flew from Manassas, Virginia, to Reagan National Airport the afternoon of Aug. 4, then left the nation’s capital for Saranac Lake, New York, at 4:44 p.m. The flight returned to Manassas that evening. Records show the jet took off again the afternoon of Aug. 8 for Saranac Lake, then returned that evening to Manassas.
