FBI Director Must Be Prepared to Resign Over Nunes Memo, Ex-Agents Warn

[Dennis Donovan]

Source: The Daily Beast

Former FBI agents are warning that FBI Director Christopher Wray has to be prepared to quit, should President Donald Trump assent over bureau objections to the release of a memo calling the FBI’s integrity into question.

The release of the memo, considered imminent, shows no signs of stopping, even as the leader of Democrats in the House called on its Republican author, Devin Nunes, to be removed from his chairmanship of the House intelligence committee. It was the latest move in an extraordinary episode that appears set to spark a crisis over the criminal investigation into Trump’s potential ties to Russia.

At the center of the storm is Wray, Trump’s hand-picked FBI director. Wray got his job after Trump fired James Comey last year for what Comey described as insufficient personal “loyalty” over the Russia investigation.

On Wednesday, Wray’s FBI publicly attacked Nunes’ memo for “material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.” Trump overriding Wray will immediately call Wray’s future in the Trump administration into question six month into his tenure.

Former FBI agents say that they hope Wray can remain in office, and pull Trump and House Republicans back from the precipice of what may be a pivotal moment in the bureau’s history. But they also say Wray needs to show his willingness to walk.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/fbi-director-christopher-wray-must-be-prepared-to-resign-over-nunes-memo-ex-agents-warn

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I hope he walks. This memo business is beyond the pale.

[lapfog_1]

1. This isn't going to stop

until all of these traitors are locked up, their party destroyed, and the deplorable people that voted for them so marginalized that no one ever listens to them again...

[Stonepounder]

17. I am terrified that it will be the Dems who get marginalized.

The GOP is working as hard as it can to destroy our Constitutional Republic and replace it with an Autorcatic, one-party system run by the oligarchs and I am not sure we are going to be able to stop them.

The Gop now controls 2 of the 3 branches of Gov't and is working at a furious pace to get hold of the 3rd branch. RGB and Kennedy are in their 80's and the GOP is confirming Trump's picks for lower courts at a furious pace. Add to that the doors are wide open for Russian trolling, collusion, and election hacking and ask yourself if we can trust that the 2018 election will actually reflect the votes cast.

This is how Democracies fail. And even if, by some bloody miracle the Dems manage to retake one house of Congress, the damage already done to the US will take generations to repair. Sorry to sound so down, but I suspect that the country I have lived in all my life is going down the tubes and I won't live to see it rise again.

[sweetroxie]

45. k&r

[psychopomp]

48. Most Americans do not approve of the GOP

As long as most of the public are aware of the damage being done and are willing to resist, there is always hope.

[kstewart33]

25. What are these FBI guys thinking?

If Wray walks, Trump gets what he wants - a lackey who will stymie the investigation. Are these former agents Trumpers? Because they're sure thinking like one.

[HopeAgain]

29. My thoughts exactly

Suddenly we will have Trey Gowdy as the FBI Director and how is that going to work out?

[lapfog_1]

30. There are plenty of "Trumpers" in the FBI

the rest are more like Nicole Wallace. Very few are like Malcolm Nance.

[SergeStorms]

37. Most agents are....

Republicans, because Republicans used to pretend they had a monopoly on the "rule of law, law and order" memes. That was a lie then, and it's most certainly a lie now. Plus, many agents are Mormons, and they're about as tight-assed as human beings get.

[madaboutharry]

2. The memo is a set up.

It is designed for the sole purpose of pushing out Rosenstein.

It is an outrageous assault on our democracy.

[C_U_L8R]

3. Stay strong and don't retreat.

Republicans are digging themselves into a ditch (a.k.a. prison)

[AlexSFCA]

4. no he shouldnt resign, let trump fire him instead to dig his grave deeper

[bluestarone]

9. 100% agree

[Duppers]

47. +100

[msongs]

5. gee could they be "former agents" acting on behalf of trump to get rid of Wray so trump does not

have to fire the guy?

[mpcamb]

18. I agree. They're operatives, trying to set up a scenario by saying he MUST quit.

Wray should ignore this and stay put.

[MontanaMama]

6. WTF is happening?

This doesn't make sense to me. I thought the FBI was supposed to be independent of the WH and Congress. Why would Wray have to resign if Team Tangeranus decide to release the memo? How is that Wray's fault? What am I missing?

[hueymahl]

38. I have the same questions NT

[MontanaMama]

39. Okay.

thought I was nuts...

[sofa king]

46. I'm wondering if there's some "graymail" in all of this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graymail

I won't pretend to know how this might work, but the idea of graymail is to threaten to reveal state secrets during the course of a trial. Anything FISA is deeply secret, so the Director may have a responsibility to protect the information in that memo... by resigning?

No, I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, either.

[Renew Deal]

7. Why quit when he can exact revenge?

Though I don't count on that happening.

[saidsimplesimon]

8. His honour and place in history

is at stake. Is he willing to stand or will he take the oath of fealty?

[HopeAgain]

31. He can stand up by making Trump fire him.

It's Kelly, the supposed "patriot," who should be threatening to quit. If the President attacked the Marines in this way would he stand aside? Why does he feel no fealty to law enforcement or to intelligence services?

[SunSeeker]

10. No, he shouldn't quit. He should issue a counter memo. nt

[sfwriter]

27. Yes

[zaj]

11. Why does quitting help?

I don't get it.

How does quitting help the FBI staff?

How does it hurt Trump? He'll just get another crack at getting "his guy" in there?

I don't see how public pressure can get any higher, or if it can, I don't see how it impacts Trumps thinking any.

And what we risk, is Trump getting an FBI leveraging the circus of re-nomination to get an FBI director that will be compliant in there.

[yellowcanine]

12. Rosenstein, Wray and Sessions may all get fired. Then Gowdy is nominated for AG.

It makes sense in light of Gowdy announcing he wants to get back into Justice.

[kstewart33]

26. Gowdy is going home.

He's had enough.

[Clarity2]

13. Oh hell no

If he walks, it just feeds the conspiracy machine that fbi is corrupt. McCabe was already pushed out.

Who are these former fbi? From the NY office? *wink* *wink*

[lagomorph777]

15. Yeah, friends of Rudy Giuliani. Nice try but Wray should find them and

make them pay for their part in the plot.

[Clarity2]

20. Oops

Read the article and it’s “Erroll Southers” mentioning resigning. He’s based in california, so no NY conspiracy : p

[zaj]

24. Weird, I know him.

[lagomorph777]

14. Well, that would be clever on Trump's part wouldn't it? Wray can't resign.

He is too critically important now.

These "ex-FBI agents" wouldn't by any chance be friends of Rudy Giuliani?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

16. And if he walks, someone who doesnt have the ethics Wray apparently does will be picked.

I wish good people would stop leaving. Seems like handing over our shields over on a silver platter. “Would you like some champagne along with my resignation, Sir?”

[TxVietVet]

19. Hope

I hope someone with full knowledge of the investigation does something to save this country. Like drop all the evidenceon the doorsteps of every major newspaper in the country and world.
Someone needs to expose this TREASON.

[Texin]

21. As important as Wray is,

he must adopt the same resolute manner that Trump's attorney McGann(IIRC) did when Shitler wanted him to fire Mueller. He told Shitler that he'd resign. The attorney and Wray are both Shitler appointees. By firing Mueller the attorney would have been cooperating in the obstruction of justice. By Wray being amenable to allowing Nunes to advance a deeply flawed hit memo on the FBI and the Justice Department, Wray would effectively be doing the exact same thing.

That said, I'd be curious to learn just who these retired FBI agents are and whether or not they are affiliated with the New York-Giuliani FBI loyalists.

[global1]

22. Isn't That Playing Right Into Their Hands If Wray Resigns?....

Isn't that part of what they want to accomplish?

[pnwmom]

23. Why? So Wray can be replaced by Gowdy? Or some other lackey? n/t

[CousinIT]

28. That's what Trump wants. I remember him saying he was going to have his OWN

Intelligence people ie: dump all of the FBI and hire his own loyalists.

[ElementaryPenguin]

32. Fuck no, Wray shouldn't resign! Drumpf should!!

He's the one about to be indicted for TREASON!!!!!!!!!

[procon]

33. Trump has set the Wayback Machine to 1973 to go dig up Nixon. nt

[Kablooie]

34. I worry that Trump may actually win...

And shut down the investigation.
Sure there will be an outcry but Republicans will ensure that there is nothing anyone can legally do.

[inwiththenew]

35. At this point I don't even care...just release the damn thing already

Let's get it over with and move on to something else.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

36. career professionals are the front lines

They need to hold out as long as they can.
Rescue might not come until November.

[MontanaMama]

40. I fear that it won't even come then.

The Russians are still here and they have no reason to halt their efforts. There's no sanctions in place any more and the WH will not impose them. Things aren't looking good. The MSM is so distracted with the stupid memo that they're missing what's really important.

[elmac]

41. and giving in on the government shutdown

gave the fascists all kinds of time and power to shut down the investigation, among other things.

[BigmanPigman]

42. Earlier on CNN there was a guest who was explaining why his walking away

would be a good thing for him as well as the country since it would force the issue and confirm that he has integrety and morals while the GOP and Fucking Moron don't.

[Honeycombe8]

44. Then there would be a Trump tool confirmed for the job, who will work on Trump's behalf...

much as Nunes does.

[Honeycombe8]

43. He probably will. It will be seen by many to be because the FBI is guilty, though. nt