Weinberg Statement on Trump FBI Pick & Christie Attorney Christopher Wray

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg today issued the following statement on a WNYC News report that Christopher Wray, President Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, worked for nearly a year as a publicly-funded personal attorney to Governor Christie before an actual retainer agreement was issued. Wray reportedly continued work for the governor after the Bridgegate trial, and the type of work he was doing remains undisclosed:

“Based on this report, there are a variety of questions about Christopher Wray’s representation of the governor, including why he was employed before a retainer agreement was signed. Were vouchers being processed before the issuance of the retainer agreement, which was apparently signed by the governor himself, and, if so, how? And why was his employment kept from the public for so long?

“You add that to the fact that – unbeknownst to everyone else – Wray had the governor’s phone during the Bridgegate trial, which the governor’s former aide sought to subpoena as evidence, and the questions compound.

“This is someone who was approved last week by the Senate Judiciary Committee and is pending a vote by the United States Senate to serve as the head of the FBI.

“I have asked our Senate Democratic legislative counsel to look into this matter. However, I strongly believe his nomination should not move forward in light of this information. The U.S. Senate should call him back for a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to ask him further questions about why he was participating as a private attorney at public expense, why was this kept from the public and the Legislature, and what exactly he was doing.

“He reportedly billed the state more than $2 million for the secret work he conducted for the governor, as well as for expenses including hotels, flights and meals. The taxpayers of New Jersey deserve to know what he was doing and the citizens of the United States deserve more information about the person the President has chosen to lead the FBI.”