FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau employees at an internal town hall that he will resign at the end of the current administration. Wray’s announcement follows prior reports he would resign before President Trump took office to avoid being fired by him. “After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down. My goal is to keep the focus on our mission – the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Wray said, according to ABC News.  “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” he added. WATCH: JUST IN: FBI Director Chris Wray has resigned — making way for President Trump's nominee @Kash_Patel pic.twitter.com/328JgpoDlR — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 11, 2024 Per ABC News: Wray, who was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump and confirmed in August 2017, oversaw the agency in a “heightened threat environment” and number of high-profile cases, including the investigation of the man who appointed him. As FBI director, Wray oversaw the Investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, hundreds of Chinese espionage cases, the probes into Trump’s and President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents as well as thousands more criminal investigations. Wray was nominated by Trump after he fired his predecessor, James Comey. Republican critics have accused Wray’s FBI of political interference, a lack of transparency and a lack of responsiveness to Congress. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized Wray in a letter sent to him earlier this week. “For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,” Grassley wrote. “I therefore must express my vote of no confidence in your continued leadership of the FBI. President-elect Trump has already announced his intention to nominate a candidate to replace you, and the Senate will carefully consider that choice,” he added. “Reform is badly needed at the FBI. It’s time 2 shake things up,” Grassley wrote on X. Reform is badly needed at the FBI It’s time 2 shake things up pic.twitter.com/w9FxE9yS9d — Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) December 9, 2024 WATCH: Fox News Alert: FBI Director Christopher Wray resigns pic.twitter.com/YW8ooYpBYV — TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) December 11, 2024 NBC News reports: President-elect Donald Trump has already said he will nominate Kash Patel for the position of FBI director, a job which has typically come with a 10-year term, part of a post-Watergate reform intended to make FBI directors less beholden to the whims of presidents. Trump indicated in a recent interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he wasn’t “thrilled” with Wray, saying that Wray “invaded Mar-a-Lago” — a reference to the 2022 FBI search for classified documents which led to Trump’s 2023 indictment on seven criminal charges — and that he wanted someone in place to “straighten” out the bureau. “I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious that if Kash gets in, he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right?” Trump said, responding to a question on whether he would fire Wray if the FBI director didn’t resign on his own. Wray, a Republican, was appointed by Trump in 2017 after the then-president fired James Comey as FBI director. Comey’s departure sparked the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel investigating the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election. Under normal protocol, Wray’s term would expire in 2027, although Mueller is the only person to have served a full term as FBI director since the 10-year post-Watergate norm was put in place. Only two FBI directors (including Comey) have been pushed out.