By Steve Neavling
The White House counsel’s office has “strongly” urged President Trump not to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray because of potential legal consequences, according to a new report.
While Trump has mulled for weeks whether to fire Wray, White House lawyers advised him against taking drastic actions because it could appear he is imposing a “loyalty test,” NBC reports.
The lawyers, including White House counsel Pat Cipollone, were worried that firing Wray could lead to the kind of legal issues that dogged Trump after he terminated then-FBI Director James Comey in 2017.
They expressed concerns that the firing could be seen as retaliation because Wray didn’t launch investigations into the president’s political enemies.
Although administration officials said Wray’s termination didn’t appear imminent, Trump has a habit of making decisions on a whim, and he’s expected to embark on a firing spree before his term expires next month.
“I wouldn’t take anything off the table in coming weeks,” the senior administration official said, adding that he or she expects “some more fairly significant terminations in the national security or intelligence community.”
