POOL
Washington,D.C. - 12 July 2017
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:
"From what we've seen from the White House, they may be expecting your loyalty, as the president did with Directory Comey. You told me yesterday there's been no question by anybody in the White House asking you for a pledge of loyalty, is that correct?"
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"That's correct, Senator. My loyalty is to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the mission of the FBI and no one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process and I sure as heck didn't offer one."
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:
"If the president asks you to do something unlawful or unethical, what do you say?"
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"First, I would try to talk him out of it and if that failed, I would resign."
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:
"If I got a call from somebody saying the Russian government wants to help Lindsey Graham get re-elected, they've got dirt on Lindsey Graham's opponent, should I take that meeting?"
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"Well, Senator, I would think you'd want to consult with some good legal advisers before you did that."
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:
"So the answer is, should I call the FBI... you're going to be the director of the FBI, pal. So here's what I want you to tell every politician: if you get a call from somebody suggesting that a foreign government wants to help you by disparaging your opponent, tell us all to call the FBI."
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"To the members of this committee, any threat or effort to interfere with our elections from any nation state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the FBI would want to know."
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:
"Is Russia our friend or our enemy?"
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"Senator, I think Russia is a foreign nation that we have to deal with very warily."
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:
"Do you think they're an adversary of the United States?"
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"In some situations, yes."
13. Wide of hearing
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee (on Comey press conference on Hillary Clinton email investigation):
"I can't imagine a situation where, as FBI director, I would be giving a press conference on an uncharged individual, much less talk in detail about it."
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:
"I'm asking you, as the future FBI director, do you consider this endeavor (Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation) a witch hunt?"
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt."
17. Wide of hearing
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"It's not ever been my practice to blur the line between FBI investigator and Department of Justice prosecutor. It's never been my practice to speak publicly as a prosecutor or as a department official about uncharged individuals. I think those policies are important, I think they're in place for a reason. And I would expect to comply with them."
19. Wide of hearing
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Wray, FBI Director Nominee:
"No one has asked me for any loyalty oath and I wouldn't offer one. As I said, my loyalty is to the Constitution, the rule of law and the mission of the FBI."
21. Wide of hearing
