Judiciary Committee approves nomination of Christopher Wray for FBI director

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Reaction to the Christopher Wray confirmation hearing

Special Report Online: 7/12/17

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved President Trump’s nomination of Christopher Wray to serve as FBI director.

"His unanimous support by the Judiciary Committee today is a strong indication of our faith in his abilities to lead the FBI, and I look forward to confirming him on the Senate floor," Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the committee’s Republican chairman, said in a statement.

Wray’s nomination now heads to the Senate for a full confirmation vote. Trump announced his selection of Wray to lead the FBI last month after abruptly firing FBI Director James Comey in May.

Comey was fired by the president amid tensions over the Russia investigation. During his confirmation hearing last week, Wray testified that he'd conduct his job "without regard to any partisan political influence."

“I believe to my core that there’s only one right way to do this job,” Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “And that is with strict independence. By the book. Playing it straight. Faithful to the Constitution."

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.