I have serious misgivings about Donald Trump's nominee for director of the FBI. This guy was Chris Christie's 'Bridgegate' defense attorney... while I realize that a defense attorney has to represent a defendant no matter how scummy they are, I don't have to trust said defense attorney. By the way, the architect of the Bridgegate ratfuckery has avoided prison time, leaving a couple of flacks to take the heat and do the time.
Even more troubling, Wray was a member of Dubya's Department of Justice and redacted documents provide tantalizing clues suggesting that Wray was probably involved in implementing the use of torture in prosecuting the 'Global War on Terror'. Wray's role in the response to the reports of inmate abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison suggests that he is the sort of person who values subservience to a regime over adherence to the rule of law.
Given the fact that the current administration is packed with oligarchs who view their positions as opportunities to steal, Wray's involvement in the Bush torture regime and his defense of Christie's vendetta against Democratic politicians and the commuters they serve, I doubt that Wray really would resign before dropping an investigation into his bosses... he has a loyalty to the loathsome, not the law.
I have a feeling that this is the kind of guy who shows up in the right place, and says the right things, and just isn't the right person. His law firm represented Roseneft and Gazprom--this bothers me. See, when Lindsay Graham kind of "led" Wray to make his statement regarding the Russia investigation not being a witch hunt, and reinforcing the idea that he would be independent and never made any kind of loyalty oath to Trump--there's a part of me that can't feel like anyone Trump ever appoints to anything is really on the level. And any connection at all to RU right now makes me wonder if this is a "made guy" for Team Collusion. While Wray has made some good statements regarding wireless wiretapping and torture--the question is always: Does his record show follow-through on what his mouth said? I see lots of folks saying he's a square individual, but are they just impressed with appearances? Also, my issues regarding the outlaw Jersey whale are numerous--and yes, a vigorous defense and all that. But still...dodgy. I can't separate him from party affiliation even if he is supposed to be nopartisan.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was hoping his hearing would give me a reason to use the blob-title "Fey Wray?" but on all the second thoughts, nope.
ReplyDeleteBlog. Four letters--3/4ths correct. Not Blob. Blobs don't get titles, mostly. Unless Outlaw Jersey whale...no. That joke would be wrong.
ReplyDeleteYep - but it's baked into the cake. Once the Republican candidate won, we were going to get radical 'conservative' ideologues in cabinet positions. If you don't confirm this one, the next one will be the same or worse. Just gotta understand that the confluence of events that gave us a fucking President Trump is going to have second order consequences all through the executive.
ReplyDeleteYou don't 'trust' Wray? No reason on earth why you should, and that's utterly regardless of his political background. He's a Trump appointee - that's all you need to know, like deVos and Tillerson and the rest. Remember GW Bush didn't exactly build a cabinet that covered itself in glory, from Cheney on down. If we let the Republicans win the White House, everything that flows from that is simple and predictable...
To second and perhaps amplify Mikey's point, who'd ya expect a Trump White House to nominate for FBI director — Dudley Do-Right?
ReplyDeleteYours crankily,
The NewYork Crank