FBI Director Christopher A. Wray's Farewell
Attorney General Merrick Garland and other dignitaries joined FBI employees in saluting Director Wray for his service to the Bureau.
Video Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome. In a few moments, we will begin the formal program. To begin, though, I’d like to invite the Director to join us.
Ladies and gentlemen, the honorable Director, Christopher A. Wray.
Once again, good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the farewell event for Director Wray. We’re grateful to each of you for joining us this afternoon on this momentous occasion. And I’d like to start by acknowledging some of our special guests.
With us today are members of Congress, partners from across the intelligence and law enforcement communities, including, importantly, our international partners, as well as current and former Department of Justice colleagues. Many friends of course, and members of the FBI and FBI family. Welcome to all.
Momentarily, several of our honored guests will share their thoughts and personal farewells. We are incredibly grateful to each of the speakers for being a part of today’s event. We are also incredibly honored to be joined by former FBI and CIA Director, one of our greatest leaders and heroes, Judge William Webster and his wife Linda.
We all know that Judge Webster’s visionary leadership, helped shape and build this agency into the amazing and enduring institution we know today. Thank you sir. Judge and Mrs. Webster, it’s an honor to have you with us here today. Thank you. We are also extremely pleased to welcome members of Director Wray’s family, including his wife Helen, their children, Caroline and Tripp, and Director Wray’s parents, Cecil and Gilda Wray. Thank you all for being here. Each one of you have become cherished members of the FBI family as well, and we’re grateful, all of us, to each of you, for sharing Director Wray with all of us over these past seven and a half years, and for the many sacrifices that you and your family have made to support the Director in this role, and for all that you’ve done to further the work and mission of the FBI. Thank you.
Over decades, this historic building, FBI headquarters, has been home to innumerable events we all know, from award ceremonies to holiday celebrations and to memorial events, among many others over the decades. About seven and a half years ago, the courtyard just outside this auditorium was the site of Director Wray’s installation ceremony when he was newly appointed and sworn in to lead our beloved bureau.
Today is an occasion to look back over the Director’s tenure and reflect on all that’s been accomplished and achieved under his principled and steadfast leadership. With that, we also find ourselves having to say farewell, and there is no better place or way to do that than right here.
Surrounded by the Director’s family, many friends and colleagues. Now, I would like to invite those who are able to please rise for the presentation of colors by the FBI Police Honor Guard escorted by the DC Metro Police Pipe and Drum Corps. Following that, please remain standing for the singing of the National Anthem by Katie Perrone and Tracy Simpson from The Office of Public Affairs.
[Music: FBI Police Honor Guard & DC Police Pipes and Drums]
Oh. Say, can you see. By the dawn’s early light. What so proudly we hailed. At the twilight’s last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars. Through the perilous fight. O’er the ramparts we watched. Were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say. does that star spangled banner Yet wave. O’er the land of the free. And the home of the brave. Port arms! Colors turn, March!
[Music: FBI Police Honor Guard & DC Police Pipes and Drums]
Thank you. Katie and Tracy. Please be seated. Everyone.
Next, please join me in welcoming FBI Chaplain, the Reverend Stephen Davis, who will deliver the invocation. Chaplain. May want to bow your heads while I pray. Great and mighty God, God of ages past, as well as God of new futures and new beginnings. We gather here today to honor Director Christopher Wray, leader, who has served and is serving with unwavering honor, courage, and integrity. We thank you for the countless ways he has set the examples of fairness, justice and ethics and leadership, and his personal as well as his professional life. We’re grateful for the positive impacts he has made and has set in motion, and for the deep legacy he leaves behind it as he embarks into this new chapter of his life. Let him have smooth transitions, powerful synchronicities, and the reality of all things working together for the good.
The various aspects of Director Wray’s life, the people and events work together like a team of synchronized rowers, pulling together in perfect unison to create a thing of beauty for all who witnessed it. It’s a sense of joy and accomplishment for all and each one involved.
As we press towards our own finish line. We ask that you bless this time of celebration, reflection and heartfelt well wishes. May, he sense the appreciation, the love, the respect and honor that he has earned among us, the people of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and of the United States of America and internationally. Know I ask this in your holy name.
Amen. [Amen]
Thank you, Chaplain Davis. It is now our privilege to welcome Attorney General Merrick Garland, Attorney General.
Thank you, and good afternoon. I guess it’s my honor to join you in recognizing Director Wray’s outstanding public service. As all of you know, before joining the FBI. The Director already had a distinguished career in public service. He clerked for an eminent federal judge. He served as a career assistant U.S. Attorney in Atlanta. He headed the Justice Department’s criminal division. And my personal favorite, because it’s on my resume as well.
He served as the department’s principal Associate Deputy Attorney General. After that already extraordinary career, he returned to his home in Georgia. He had certainly enjoyed the right to stay there and never come back. His life could have been a relaxing stream of practicing big law, tailgating at Bulldogs games, watching his beloved New York Giants on television and, most important, walking his dog without a protective detail. But Chris Wray is public spirited to the core, so no one was surprised in 2017 when he once again answered the call, this time to fill one of the most critical and difficult roles in all of government.
I often say it is no coincidence that so many of the people in leadership across the Justice Department are here on their second or third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. All of us recognize what a privilege it is to have a job in which the only thing you know to do is do the right thing. All of us have something within us that draws us to that work for the extraordinary public servants of the FBI. That something is fidelity, bravery and integrity. Over the course of my career, I have worked side by side with scores of FBI agents and analysts who exemplified those sacred qualities for the last four years.
I have been privileged to work with Director Wray and to see him exhibit those same qualities. Indeed, for the last four years, I have begun most of my mornings in an all threats briefing with the Director, other senior FBI and DOJ officials, and a representative of the intelligence community. As morning rituals go, this is not the most relaxing. The foreign and domestic threats that are the subject of these meetings are the stuff of nightmares. Nonetheless, that meeting has been the best part of my day.
Our only purpose, and the only purpose of the Director and his FBI team, is to assess the threats, determine how best to disrupt them, and then allocate the resources necessary to do so. No turf fighting. No politics. No agenda other than to protect the American people. The American people could witness those meetings. They would be so proud of what they saw. I’ve also seen Chris Wray stand up for and champion the FBI’s 38,000 employees. I have seen him have the backs of special agents who routinely risk their lives in line of duty, but who have been singled out and threatened simply for doing their jobs.
I have seen his leadership in the White House situation room and within the United States intelligence community, where he is renowned for his honesty, integrity and dedication to the mission of the FBI. I have seen him earn the respect of foreign leaders and strengthen our relationship with our law enforcement partners around the world.
I saw his leadership on January 1st, when the country woke up to a horrific terrorist attack in New Orleans, and when FBI agents rushed to the scene to support local law enforcement and begin their investigation. And I saw his leadership again hours later when the FBI responded to a truck explosion in Las Vegas. That was just one day. But it represents the work that Director Wray and the courageous public servants of the FBI do every day to protect the safety of the American People.
And as I have traveled across the country visiting law enforcement in almost every state, I have seen that Director Wray’s leadership speaks for itself. Everywhere I have gone, I have heard state and local law enforcement leaders praise their respective FBI field offices for their partnership. Those partnerships matter. They matter for driving down violent crime. They matter for disrupting foreign and domestic threats. They matter for keeping our country safe.
That kind of collaboration just does not happen on its own. It happens because the FBI has a leader like Chris Wray, who, everywhere he goes, emphasizes the importance of partnership and cooperation for the advancement of the FBI’s mission. There are few leadership positions more central to keeping the American people safe than the Director of the FBI.
The Director is responsible for advancing the FBI’s mission to protect the American people and to uphold the Constitution. The Director is responsible for leading the Bureau’s 38,000 employees across the country and around the world, as they disrupt complex plots and prevent crises before they occur. The Director is responsible for ensuring that the bureau feels its essential purpose as a connective tissue between the intelligence community, state and local law enforcement agencies, and our international law enforcement partners. And the FBI Director is responsible for protecting the independence of the FBI from inappropriate influence in its investigations.
That independence is central to preserving the rule of law and to protecting the freedoms that we as Americans hold dear. Through every high-profile investigation, every risky operation, and every difficult decision, Director Wray has fulfilled those responsibilities with integrity and skill.
Chris, throughout your long and distinguished career in public service, you have advanced the Justice Department’s central mission and its responsibility to uphold the rule of law. You have made certain that we treat like key cases alike. You have ensured that we do not have one rule for the powerful and another for the powerless, one for friends and another for foes.
You have ensured that we have only one rule. Follow the facts. Apply the law in a way that respects the Constitution and protects American civil liberties. Our country owes you a debt of gratitude. We also owe a debt of gratitude to Director Wray’s family. You were a constant source of strength and support and inspiration when our country needed Director Wray. You made it possible for him to answer the call. Thank you so much. Director Wray, thank you. On behalf of the FBI agents and employees who respect and admiration, you have earned. Thank you.
On behalf of the entire Justice Department, whose mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe and to protect civil rights. You have so greatly advanced. And thank you on behalf of the American people whom you have served so honorably. In recognition of your outstanding service. I am pleased to give you the highest award I can bestow, the Edmund J. Randolph Award, named for the first Attorney General of the United States. I’m hoping somebody has that on, The award has the original Judiciary Act of the United States. And it states that Edmund J. Randolph Award, presented to the Honorable Christopher A. Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice, in recognition of your outstanding service to the U.S. Department of Justice and the nation. January, 2025 Washington, D.C. Merrick Garland, Attorney General.
Thank you, Mr. Attorney General.
Next, please join me in welcoming, the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. Good afternoon everyone. Although you would think that I would have learned by now how to avoid going after the Attorney General in these meetings. But I can’t tell you how much I appreciate having the opportunity to speak today. We don’t often have a chance in these jobs to sit back and to reflect on the work, or to thank the people, frankly, who make it worthwhile. And Chris, you are one of those people who make it worthwhile. You had been doing your job for some time when I first came into this position. And yet, when I arrived, you were so welcoming and so patient with me. And I think it is fair to say that in the last few years we’ve been through some extraordinary times, whether it is counterintelligence, cyber counter-narcotics, CT, or 702 reauthorization or just the kitchen sink of issues, frankly, that, you know, we all deal with every day in the national security community.
It is, as we’ve discussed, hard to think of a time when so many different threats to our public safety and to our national security were so elevated all at once. But through it all, we’ve had the privilege to be part of a community that gets down to business, that manages to take it all on with passion and with dedication. And I don’t know if this will resonate with some of you in the audience as well and others, but I’ve always been most inspired by moments in which a group of people come together to do something selfless and worthwhile and through their collaboration, are able to do, frankly, something that none of them could have achieved on their own.
And I’ve only really experienced this firsthand in government, and I will say that working together with this team, with you, Chris, with Bill, with Tim, frankly, Merrick and our partners across the pond, like Ken, really so many folks in our community. I’ve learned so much from all of you and have felt that together, there was really nothing that we couldn’t tackle on behalf of our country and our allies.
And as Chris would be the first to remind me, though, this is only true because of the people who make up these institutions, who put everything on the line to protect our country, our communities, our Constitution, and our way of life. But leaders matter. And Chris, you too have put it all on the line, setting an example for all of us in courage and selflessness and strength on a daily basis. And this is true whether we were testifying together. Perhaps the least inspiring of my examples, seeking to think through organizational issues, or allocating scarce resources, or working through a threat stream to better understand it and think how to respond to it. And you always focused on what matters.
Mindful of the privilege and the responsibilities that are attached to your position. And Chris, I know you were an oarsman and member of the Yale varsity crew. Actually, did anyone not know that? Just saying. Or the fact that your boat took a national championship. I’m told that Pat Perry, who I gather was your teammate and Yale rowing captain, said that you were the glue that held the freshman class together. And Pat said that Chris had rode in high school, but he spent the fall of his freshman year patiently helping the team learn to put together one stroke then two, and eventually an entire race. And throughout, Chris was supportive of those on the team, like Pat, who had no prior rowing experience when he didn’t have to be.
I can absolutely relate to this as he worked within the IC in much the same way he’d help guide the conversation through, among other things, asking gentle questions really the right questions, the tough questions to ensure that we were being balanced and thoughtful about our approach. And there is so much more, though, to Chris, than his exceptional skill and knowledge gained over the course of an extraordinary career in law enforcement of some 28 years, or even his wonderful way of working across our institutions and lending a hand to those who needed the many of his qualities.
In my view, stem from key characteristics that I’ve come to learn are integral to who he is and part of what makes him a great public servant, which I think of is perhaps the greatest compliment that can be given to anyone. It is tremendous integrity and heart, and over the years of my own career, I’ve learned how critically important these qualities are in great leaders. And during the course of my monthly one on ones with Chris, we would transfer between FBI headquarters and ODNI and sit on our couches.
I had the wonderful opportunity to hear from him about the FBI family, during which his heart was front and center. And many of you likely know this about. That he has, and I think this remains true. Never missed a single graduation ceremony during his tenure as Director. He would often talk in glowing terms about the accomplishments of new or senior officers, analysts or agents, or support staff. The challenges that they were facing, and despite those challenges, the good that they were doing.
And I know he thought of those folks when his job was rough, making sure to keep in mind who he was representing and the importance of their work. We would talk about the FBI workforce often, and I found he would especially light up when telling me about officers focusing not just on their professional accomplishments, although those were front and center, but stories about how they went above and beyond for the people in their community.
I’m guessing that many of you have heard about Special Agent Amy Chandler and her work with the community and the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, or Olivia Hall, a young woman who had an aggressive form of brain cancer who made a connection with a local FBI field office in Cleveland and met with Chris and whose dream was to work for the FBI and the inspiration that she brought.
Chris, you are leaving a legacy as FBI Director that reflects on your courage, your empathy and adherence to the rule of law. And as Judge Webster is often fond of saying, the character of the FBI is about fidelity, about bravery, integrity and hard facts. And you represent the best of all of those character traits. And I would just add heart to the list. And as the consummate team player, you have not only focused on making your own institution the best that it can be, but have also championed strengthening partnerships and collaboration beyond the FBI through the IC, the interagency, and with our international partners.
You’ve done so much to make us better, but I think we have about ten more speakers that are coming. So I am not going to list out all of the different accomplishments, but I’ll just wrap up with this final thought from my limited understanding of rowing. Very limited. Leadership also demands equal measures of power and patience. It requires the vision to set a course. The determination to drive it forward, and the humility to balance the needs of the team.
And Chris, thank you for helping us to set a course that we can be proud of and for your leadership. Your friendship, and frankly, the privilege to serve with you. And I wish you and your family, who I’ve heard so much about in different moments. It’s so lovely to see you just calm waters, happiness and fulfillment as you close this remarkable chapter and embark on new adventures, including, I hope, some sleep and just imagine how much younger you’re going to look like in a few months. It’s amazing. I don’t.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thank you. DNI Haines. I now like to invite to the podium, Director of CIA William Burns.
Well. Thank you. Thank you very much. And good afternoon, everyone. It truly is an honor to be here as we bid farewell to a remarkable colleague, a true patriot and a wonderful friend. I’ll begin by admitting that, historically speaking, good natured grumbling about the FBI is a bit of a CIA tradition. For many years, we assumed this was inevitable.
Our organizations were both too similar and too different, to not indulge in at least a little bit of playful rivalry. But over the last several years, that grumbling has been steadily dying out at Langley. Instead, when I drop into a vault or a station or a mission center at CIA these days, I often hear one phrase repeated over and over again that the FBI CIA relationship is the strongest that it has ever been. And much of the credit for that is owed to Chris Wray. But like any great leader, Chris would hesitate to claim it.
As a matter of fact, when Chris first came on board at FBI in 2017, he quoted a line about humility from his mentor, Judge Griffin Bell. It goes as follows. “There is no limit to what we can achieve if no one cares who gets the credit.” This phrase has defined Chris’s leadership of FBI, and it has literally redefined the bond between our two organizations. It’s hard to fully convey the degree to which FBI and CIA now collaborate. But without a doubt, Chris has helped organizations reach unprecedented levels of mutual trust and respect across the board.
FBI and CIA have moved from simple collaboration and deconfliction to true integration, and that extends from the Top all the way down to the working level. FBI and CIA officers now trained together. Deployed together and share workplace workspaces together. They collaborate in a dramatic variety of ways all over the globe. We not only partner on all manner of operational issues, from counter-terrorism to counter intelligence to cyber espionage.
We’re also forging ahead on priorities like technology development and navigating ubiquitous technical surveillance from a macro viewpoint. Our partnership has helped our nation respond to the strategic challenge posed by China, Iran’s lethal plotting in the homeland, election interference, the fallout from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and rising terrorist threats on a tactical scale. The results have been just as significant and characteristically, Chris has led by example. Chris has personally ensured that some of FBI’s best agents have been sent to work with us in Langley.
He has also been extraordinarily welcoming to CIA reps serving at FBI, inviting them to attend briefings on the FBI’s most significant investigations. When Chris heads abroad, among his first stops is to the local CIA station, and we’ve also become used to seeing him at Langley. Chris has been a keynote speaker at CIA security forums, graduation ceremonies, and leadership conferences. He makes a point of attending our annual memorial wall ceremony honoring CIA’s fallen. He has become a real member of the agency family.
Chris has my deepest respect, and I will always be grateful for his wisdom and his support going forward as we continue to collaborate with our good friends at FBI. CIA officers will keep asking ourselves one thing. What would Chris want us to do? I’ll close by again, quoting Chris’s remarks from his Senate confirmation hearings way back in 2017. He said, “If I am given the honor of leading FBI, I will never allow it to be driven by anything other than the facts and the rule of law and the impartial pursuit of justice. Period.
My loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law. They have been the guideposts throughout my career and I will continue to adhere to them no matter the test.” Chris, of all of your many achievements as Director, this is the most important one that you have courageously upheld that original promise. It is a standard that generations of civil servants at the FBI and CIA throughout the intelligence community and elsewhere, will follow for many years to come, and our nation is grateful for it. Thank you for your extraordinary leadership, for your decency and your integrity, and for a friendship that I will always treasure. Thank you.
Thank you, Director Burns.
We’re going to turn momentarily to our law enforcement partners, and I’d like to invite Joseph Gramaglia, Police Commissioner of the City of Buffalo and President of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
I appreciate you taking me out of turn. I have to catch a flight, so I appreciate the time. But I’m more honored that I was asked to come and be able to speak on behalf of a couple different hats that I wear. First, on behalf of the Major City Chiefs Association, the 70 large police department of the United States, and nine in Canada, we thank you for your partnership.
We thank you for your relationship. We thank you for the time that you spend with us. And we use those terms, relationships. You’re going to hear that a lot. You hear that a lot, partnerships. And those terms can be used just as a term. Or they can be an actual term of action. And when we talk partnerships, we see that out of Director Wray. And you know, when you get introduced, you come to the Major City Chiefs meetings, the Director’s coming, you know, we’re going to be, be able to spend a little bit of time with the Director of what you come across, like Chris, and that really matters.
That’s that’s that really makes a difference to the street cops, to the to the people like us that represent the street cops. And when we talk about those partnerships, we see that in real action back in our home turf, back where we are, that leadership matters as well. And when you look at our local field offices and you look at our SACs and the ASACs and you look at all the people in the field and, and how they’re working and how they’re integrating with our local police departments, with the joint mission of reducing violent crime. I’ve seen how that relationship has really gotten better, just like the CIA Director stated, is that that relationship has never been better.
I’m telling you, out on the streets in our cities that relationship has never been better. And that’s because the leadership of the FBI, that’s because of you. That’s because of Chris. When you come into a meeting, when you come into a Major City Chiefs meeting, you’ll come into the general meeting and you’ll have.
A speech. And you’ll go and you’ll talk and you’ll answer questions. But you also meet with us on a smaller scale, the executive board, a few other folks, and we can talk about a few different things that matter in our localities. And what most impressed me the first time I’ve been on the board for a little over two years. I’ve served now as the president for a few months, but the first time I met you at one of our executive board meetings, we talked about some of those things that impact us. And the next time I saw you, you actually referenced some of those again. But it wasn’t even the time that the next time that I saw you, I was hearing it from my local field office because that filtered down.
So it’s, one thing to come in and hear what we have to say and just talk about things and walk out of the room. We actually got that feedback across the United States. We got that feedback on the local level that our local officers, our local detectives and the agents can actually turn that into actionable information. And we really got some substantive changes on things. So, and on behalf of all the Major City Chiefs, I truly appreciate and thank you for all that you’ve done.
And I talked about two hats. I want to talk about my City of Buffalo hat and, you know, a little over two years ago, almost three years coming up, we experienced an absolute horrific, horrific tragedy in Buffalo, a racist massacre that came upon the city of Buffalo. And, I’ve gone around and I’ve done presentations on this with, my partner at the FBI. And, you know, we talk about how, that really has affected our community. And when I got to that scene that day when I saw what happened and was trying to absorb what happened on that day, within ten minutes of my arrival on scene, which was not long after it, it occurred within ten minutes of my arrival was the FBI’s SAC at the time of our field office, right behind. I didn’t even get a chance to call them. I didn’t have to call him. He was out somewhere. He got that phone call and he was rolling up behind me. And I honestly felt the sense of comfort, that I had, my partner in the FBI was with me.
We handled it like a homicide investigation. But you have to think outside of that. And the fact that your community was on edge, beyond on edge. And then you have copy cats, and then how far does this go? Is there anybody else involved? And that, again, turned into actionable information that was put into play in the SAC at the time. Made a phone call and was told, whatever you need. We’ve all heard that before. We’ve all heard whatever you need. That was truly whatever you need. And we got whatever we needed. And to the community, that meant mobilizing teams to come out, to help the community, to debrief the community, to provide resources, to provide services. And that was a true comfort. We didn’t see one broken window. We didn’t see one protest. We didn’t see one negative impact on, on our, our community because of what happened, everybody was joined as one and we all worked through it, and we are still working through it together to this day.
And that really is because of the work that was done with our partners and the FBI. I can go on and on and on. But from the city of Buffalo, I truly thank you. And one thing that I’ll leave you with is that scene was held for five days. It was an extensive, extensive recreation of, the scene and exactly what happened. And you know, the I’ll call them the, “A Team” of evidence collection units in the, in the country probably in the world, I’ll say not probably in the world came out and they did what needed to be done. And you don’t want to see that team in your community because something really bad happened to you. And it came to the time that we were going to turn that scene back over to, the ownership of top so that they can begin to do what they needed to do. And we had a turning over ceremony that was led by your evidence collection team.
And I go back to leadership. Leadership matters. And they present when they got there and I didn’t know this, they raised a flag over tops while they were there. And when they were done, they lowered that flag. They presented it to the Mayor of the City of Buffalo, who then turned around and presented that flag to, the, the ownership and the president of Tops and that flag to this day, just so you know, is in a plaque and is still in the lobby of Tops to this day. That’s a classy move. And I get emotional talking about that. But that’s a classy, classy move.
And that comes from the leadership that you provide. So I thank you for everything that you’ve done. I thank you for your friendship and the years that we’ve been able to work together. And again, on behalf of Major City Chiefs and all of the street cops out there, I thank you for everything that you’ve done. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
And thank you, Commissioner. shifting back to intelligence and defense? I’d like to invite to the stage General Timothy Haugh, Director of the National Security Agency. General. I am honored to be here to represent the National Security. and U.S. Cyber Command and talk about the partnership between FBI and our organizations. First, Sharon, I would like to thank Helen.
We know that in the national security community, families serve together and families sacrifice together. And that’s everybody in this room. And you’ve been a perfect representation of that. So thank you for your service to the nation. I’ve been fortunate to be part of this partnership throughout my career.
But what I’ve now been able to do, as a Director of NSA and the Commander of Cyber Command is experience the totality of this partnership firsthand. And, what I have seen is, is awe inspiring. FBI is a unique organization. It is both a law enforcement and and a foreign intelligence organization that truly is a disruption organization and the ability to disrupt activities around the world in support of our nation and support of our allies and in support of our partners.
We see in Chris’s strategy for the FBI an identification of four important things people, process, partnerships, and innovation. All of those are important, but we have certainly felt how much you have prioritized partnerships. You’ve welcomed our team into your inner circle, and uniquely, you are one of the few principals that has been asked to be trained on how to retrieve SIGINT products by yourself. Now, admittedly, that made many of our team very nervous. But it does show how much you appreciate the partnership and the work that we do together.
Now, one of the first lessons that I learned, when I came into this role, is that whenever you testify, testify with Director Wray. He tends to get some attention during those. I did feel like I had a role to make sure that he had water, and he was able to continue through that. Now, in terms of our partnership, there really are, too many examples, that we could walk through. But I do think that as we look at the activities that go on together, we’re extremely proud of the work that that we’ve been able to do as teammates when we think about the ability to counter terrorist plotting, to counter espionage activities, to be able to counter work that is going on in ransomware or cyber activities, and to do that not just within the United States, but to do that in support of our allies and partners and with our allies and partners.
And the FBI is the team that leads those activities in so many different ways to disrupt. So we’re incredibly proud of that partnership. But what you see in terms of really good partners are those that defend not only how their tradecraft works, but the ability to passionately support and defend our sources and methods. And Chris, thank you for it. Every stop being able to not only find ways to leverage our partnership, but also to ensure that we’re be able to sustain these this work and to be able to do it into the future. So my personal experience is, has just been I’ve been very fortunate to be able to to go around the United States and meet in field offices, meet FBI professionals there and also within our embassies.
And what I have found at each stop is, just finding Americans that are passionate about protecting Americans, protecting our allies and protecting our partners and doing so every day, but also doing so with a core principle of protecting the civil liberties and privacy of, Americans and our allies. So we could not be more proud to be a part of this partnership. And we know that, that those type of partnerships start with leadership intent and with leadership example. So we are incredibly proud of this, and we are incredibly proud of, the work that is going on in collaboration with NSA, Cyber Command and FBI.
And, Chris, we couldn’t be, more thankful of your leadership, your partnership and your friendship. And on behalf of the National Security Agency, I’d like to present to you our Gold Public Service Medallion, which is our highest award for our partners.
Thank you, General Haugh. Next we will hear from one of our great international partners, MI5 Director, Director General, Sir Kenneth McCallum. Sir.
Paul. I’m honored that Chris asked me to speak today. That I’m doing so is testament to the enduring partnership between the FBI and MI5. A partnership anchored by shared values and vital in light of shared threats. I want to start by offering my deepest condolences to the innocent victims of the appalling attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. Every attack is sickening to us all as human beings and as those in this room and those dialed in know well. Every attack is sickening in a very particular way. To those of us who have made it our life’s work to defeat terrorists and their evil ideologies. MI5 and the FBI, and therefore, Chris and I have worked together incredibly closely on counter-terrorism down the years. We stand together at all times. Indeed, one of our first meetings came in 2017, when Chris visited MI5 headquarters in London and to talk to our staff. He recalled once having visited his daughter’s school for a parents event on the classroom wall in a display about parents occupations. Caroline’s said “My daddy keeps people safe.” And Chris said to us that he couldn’t think of a better way to spend his talents. I expect Bureau colleagues may have heard that story a few times. Perhaps, Chris, too many times.
But Chris struck a chord that day with my colleagues in MI5. Keeping people safe is why we get out of bed in the morning. Chris’s ability to find the right words, and to articulate why we care so much about our mission, is one of the many qualities that have made him an exceptional partner. Five years after that visit, again in Thames House, Chris and I share the stage to give an unprecedented joint public address and Chris’s passionate leadership in calling out state backed cyber espionage and interference threats, and, crucially, engaging the private sector who are so key to our resilience, has been a defining feature of his tenure.
In 2023. We were joined in San Francisco by our Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand counterparts and the first ever joint Five Eyes public appearance, where we warned of the sharp rise and aggressive attempts by states to steal competitive advantage and gave advice to businesses on how to keep themselves safe. And that recent public teamwork sits on top of much deeper FBI, MI5 and wider US, UK security partnership.
Our two organizations were born within a year of each other more than a century ago. World War Two looms large in the origins of USA, UK intelligence cooperation. We all know, for example, the role that joint codebreaking work played in defeating the Nazis. One of my predecessors received a letter from General Eisenhower commending MI5 for the work it had done in support of the D-Day landings. But in fact, close MI5 FBI cooperation pre-dates the war.
As a proud Scot. It’s with mixed emotions that I’ll share with you a story from the late 1930s, when a hairdresser from my hometown of Glasgow. I promise I am not making this up, played her part. And converting early ad hoc intelligence co-operation into the most strategic partnership that we all rely on today. In 1937, I will speed up. Don’t worry.
MI5 was covertly monitoring Jessie Jordan, a hairdresser from Glasgow. He was providing British military secrets to the German adversary in early 1938. The investigation revealed a transatlantic link in the form of a plot to steal defense plans by force from a US Army colonel. Sharing granular details of our investigation could have put it at risk, but given the nature of the threat, MI5 decided to provide full, specific intelligence to the FBI. Such daring to share is routine. Today, but at the time was revolutionary. That led ultimately to the Bureau uncovering an 18-person Nazi spy ring operating here in the US, and the FBI office in London opened not long after. In 1942.
That early cooperation, just like today’s, wasn’t born of pure altruism or sentimentality. We work together not because we like each other, but we do. But because our job demands it, we know we provide a better service to our fellow citizens. When we team up, real time intelligence exchanges and joint capabilities keep Brits and Americans safe. I’ve been in MI5 for heading towards 30 years and Director General for five. It’s impossible to have that career without building a deep admiration of what the US agencies, including specifically the FBI, do and what we do together.
In my early career, for example, the FBI was instrumental in helping my MI5 team stop terrorist attempts to import sophisticated weaponry into Northern Ireland. The Al-Qaeda transatlantic airlines plot of 2006, targeting seven flights out of Heathrow, was detected and disrupted by MI5 and the British police, saving hundreds, if not thousands, of American lives.
In recent times, our teams have been working hand in glove to counter Iranian plots on US and on UK soil. I could go on like this for hours, but you really wouldn’t want me to. And I don’t think I need to. In an era of transnational threats, international partnerships are pivotal. MI5 and MI6 and GCHQ are fortunate to have high quality partnerships across Europe and around the world.
Five Eyes cooperation has particular power, exemplified in London by our teams all tackling threats together, and our counter-terrorism operations center. And for us, right in the middle sits the partnership between the Bureau, MI5 and UK law enforcement. That living, breathing, practical operational partnership between our organizations delivers for both our nations day in and day out. That is my kind of special relationship. For Chris and myself, it’s been a privilege and a responsibility to be custodians of that relationship.
For a time. For me, it’s been an honor and a pleasure to work closely with him. I pay tribute to Chris as a disciplined, vigilant, resolute leader, a friend to MI5, to the UK and to me personally. As he hands on the baton. I look forward to working with his successor as our organizations continue to strive to keep our great nations safe together. Thank you all. Thank you Chris.
Thank you, Director General McCallum. Next we’ll turn back to our state and local law enforcement partners. And I have the privilege of hearing some of those closest to us. With that, I’d like to. Now, welcome to the stage. To the podium. Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of the Sheriff Office of Middlesex County for the great state of Massachusetts.
I’m just a kid from Waltham, Massachusetts. And, these events can very be very awesome. Little scary, little intimidating. Following speakers like, the Attorney General and the Director, as always, intimidating. But I’ve gotten over that by now. But I’ve never had to follow a speech by a knight. That. Woo!
Director General. You had me so entranced I was going to yield the rest of my time to you. I want you go through every decade since 1937. Thank you, sir. And it is wonderful. And honestly, really an honor to be here with you. I’ve been to the FBI headquarters many times as a sheriff and as a dad and a husband, to your beautiful museum down here.
It was really special to show my children exactly the best of the best of law enforcement. And what you all do. But my very first time, what I really noticed in the courtyard by the figure of, by the father of the Bureau was a quote by J. Edgar Hoover as a partner in law enforcement. I found this particularly important. It said “The most effective weapon against crime is cooperation. The efforts of all law enforcement agencies, with the support and understanding of the American people.” Powerful words by a man who knew a thing or two about power.
Cooperation gets talked about in our professions. Fancy terms like synergies and task forces and my very least favorite force multipliers. Which can sound so empty. Force multiplier. It’s often a one way multiplication table. And more importantly.
And what I mean by this today is that it reduces our efforts as law enforcement to mere numbers, not by the effort we put into them. Few law enforcement leaders understand that our power comes not from our headcounts, but from our humanity. The way in which we do the job, the way that we serve the American people. From his very first day with the Bureau, Christopher Wray knew that to be true.
Someone who always was always defined as a plow horse, not a show horse, and was proud to be known as that plow horse. Over several years, I have seen him treat everyone, his staff, local law enforcement, Other, officials, even those with whom he may not agree with respect. And he engaged law enforcement partners as partners, not project.
I have seen him do it countless times, whether in conferences that was mentioned, Major City Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs, National Sheriffs, NOBLE, IACP. He comes and he is there in every one of them. Not an easy feat. In fact, I remember sitting with him at IACP in San Diego a few years ago. And he brought in a few chiefs and sheriffs to meet with privately outside of the conference, to speak honestly, to listen to them honestly. The room was not just large agencies like mine. I have a constituency, constituency of 1.8 million people, and about 800 employees. Many are larger. I know, but so many in this room were from very, very small agencies, small sheriff’s offices, small police departments, single digit staff, the types of chiefs and sheriffs that have to do everything themselves. And they really can’t just take a vacation whenever they want to, because that means that many others have to fill in that shift. Those types of people.
He wanted everyone’s perspective would have been easier just to hit the large counties and check the boxes would have been very simple to do that. Would have covered more of the country, much larger constituency would have hit those that would be considered to be more politically connected, and would have really hit all those that really mattered. He did it the hard way, and he did it the human way. He did it the right way, a way that shows respect for the profession and our collective mission. And he opened the floor to these small department chiefs and sheriffs and listened to their concerns, which were very different from my concerns, but no less important to their constituencies or to our Director.
Right below us in this building is a symbol of that shared commitment and our shared burden. One that’s very personal to me. The boat from the Boston Marathon bombing, pock marked, pock marked with well over 100 bullet holes. And in speaking with a tour guide that brought us through, those 100 bullet holes were claimed by at least a thousand police officers. I think of it as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. When he scored his 100 points in an auditorium of a 20,000 people, 1.2 million have claimed to have been there. But those five days were really difficult. But they demonstrated the true meaning of those words in your courtyard in this building, in the very best of multiple agents and officers, including many here, I’m sure today it was a chaotic scene over many days.
There was ample opportunity for territoriality in divisions. It was a terrible scene. Prevented by, But this, to, territorialize, was prevented by some great leaders. I remember being in Watertown, arriving at about 1:00 am. It was dark. There’s a whole bunch of police vehicles, command centers throughout this entire Watertown parking lot. And then in the next one across the street, there was a lot of people here. Our SWAT teams were deployed throughout the entire town. The city known as the town of Watertown. And it was an active scene, but there were so many people there that we couldn’t sit in one command center to share information. No one could fit in one space or one communications platform.
In a moment of true leadership, three men walked into the center of the Arsenal Mall parking lot at Davis, then Police Commissioner of Boston, Tim Allen, then Police Mass State Police Colonel, and Rick DesLauriers, the SAC from Boston. They turned on the klieg lights in the middle of this dark parking lot because you couldn’t see anything. Ed Davis shouted for everyone to come in to a huddle. It gives me goosebumps when I’m speaking about this. I’m going to be honest with you. Really emotional time pulled everyone into a huddle and we all surrounded these three men. 10, 15, 20-deep in a large circle, leaning in to this conversation between these three men. They put aside their egos. There are no silos in information. This is what law enforcement needed to do and has done under this Director.
I know many here, including the Director, have experienced that type of environment, sadly. It was needed more recently here, more needed more recently in New Orleans, and Las Vegas. Your work continues. And once again, the FBI stepped up. What was once exceptional is now commonplace. When I look back at the Director, his tenure and the work of this FBI, this is what I will remember. An incredible commitment to seeing the whole of a situation, not just the convenient or conspicuous parts that are so easy to see.
It is the fullest meaning of the word. At the start of the FBI’s motto, fidelity. Fidelity does not mean loyalty, as many think. Probably you folks in here know this better than anyone. It means remembering. It means accuracy and faithfulness to the truth. I think that bears remembering now more than ever during these difficult times for our country and for law enforcement. And I know that many here will continue that commitment going forward. I know that added, that attitude of cooperation and engagement has extended throughout this storied agency to so many of you in this room, and I want to say thank you.
While I’m saying thank you to the Director for your work and really to the entire Department of Justice, and I say this with the utmost respect and, appreciation, to Attorney General Garland, who, I can say has led one of the most, competent and accessible leaderships of the Department of Justice that I’ve ever seen, from Attorney General Garland to, Lisa Monaco.
AAG Gupta, of course, I’ll mention her, and I get to throw in Matt Klapper while I’m at it. Right there. Matt. No one else got to know you. I don’t. Maybe they do, but everyone, everyone. Everyone should know. Klapper. I got to be honest. Here. I’m from. We call him Klapper. Everyone should know Klapper.
To Director Wray, to our, you know, our. I worked with also our local, Special Agent in Charge, Joe Bonavolonta, onto, the son of a legendary Jules Bonavolonta that, wrote a book that I read. By the way, if you’re interested. It’s really an interesting book. And now Jodi Cohen, public servants to the core in what has been an historic time for FBI and DOJ, we’ve been gifted with historic leaders, perhaps none as much as the man that we honor today. I want to leave you with another quote not inscribed in these walls, but that was spoken, and it underscores the spirit of cooperation the Director Wray held dear.
I remember hearing this story from Joe Bonavolonta, Now, as many, as many of you may know, the Director has visited every field office twice and some three times. As you know, that’s no small feat. It takes a remarkable dedication to get to the far flung satellite offices. But that’s him. During a visit to the Portland Resident Agency, Colonel John Cote of the Maine State Police said he could not remember the last time a FBI Director visited Maine, a 33 year- Law enforcement veteran, he said in the past five years. Quote, and I think you remember this quote and I know meant something to you, sir. “You have moved from promise to presence” from promise to presence, right?
These last number of years, the FBI has done exactly that, moving from promise to presence. On a personal note, I just want to say one personal thing that I just have to mention today. I have come to be somewhat friendly with the Director and he has a certain charm and friendly demeanor that is really welcoming. And the one thing that I really that is the most touching to me is that he calls me by a nickname that no one else calls me by. Whenever I see the Director, and I, ask a question. He leans over and my staff loves this. He says, well, Pete. And direct.
I hope you continue, because this is one of the things that makes me feel really special to you. That you call me Pete. You’re the only guy in my life that calls me Pete, and I love that. It’s a badge of honor. And I’m proud of that nickname, sir. So, but it makes me feel like family. And speaking about family, you know, to your family at home and to your mom and dad and Helen and Tripp and Caroline. And I know we’ve got a number of other family members that must be here as well today. Thank you. And congratulations on getting your dad back. Your dad back today. And thank you for the sacrifices, as it was said before, for the sacrifices that you have made by lending this country your dad and to his family here, all of you here at the FBI and across the country that couldn’t be here today. Let’s remember. Not that what this man did during his service, but the manner with which he did it.
I can think of no greater way to honor his legacy than that. Congratulations, sir. On behalf of the Major County Sheriffs of America, America’s sheriffs and America’s law enforcement. Job well done. Thank you and God bless you and your family. Sir.
Thank you, Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, We, do know this individual Matt Klapper, too, but it’s not about him. Next, it’s our privilege to hear from Superintendent Drew Evans, of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension of the great state of Minnesota and President of the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies Superintendents.
Well, good afternoon, everybody. With, we’re giving your ear some linguistics gymnastics, if I can say that listening to, a Scottish accent, Massachusetts, and now Minnesota. We are, part of the United States. This is not a Canadian accent, if you’re listening. From there, although I’m from the southern part of the state, I also will note that, I’ve been in my position and representing the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, which are the state criminal investigative agencies from across the United States.
We have a natural kinship with the FBI because our missions are so aligned. And what we do in each one of our states along the way. I’ve been in my role at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, since before Director Wray took office. And when he was appointed, I felt a natural kinship, which I haven’t told him this before. He went to Yale Law School and I went to William Mitchell College of Law, which I have commonly referred to as the Yale of the Midwest for many years. It isn’t. It’s. So I finally got to use that joke.
I want to say, you know, from the beginning, I want to know that the FBI has always been just an incredible partner to all of our law enforcement. You’ve heard that throughout the speeches that you’ve heard today, as I sit here with some of the people on this stage, I also think of all the problems that are in our little worlds in many ways that we deal with every single day.
And as you hear from all the incredible partners, it really shows the breadth, depth, and complexity of the mission of the FBI and what it means to lead the FBI day to day and all of the different constituencies that he and his team need to work with day in, day out.
I think it’s humbling to me to understand has been noted here today about how that presence and that connection that we felt from Director Wray, not from the very beginning, but all the way through. And if I had to describe one word from my perspective during your tenure. And what I’ve seen is that it’s responsive. It’s not only that you listened, that you formulated teams that listen, that really espouse, that defining partnership that I know I’ve heard you talk about day in, day out. It wasn’t just that he was present, and it is a feat to not only visit all the field offices more than one time, but to take those personal relationships and discussions with us.
But what I saw out of Director Wray and with his team is that there was a responsiveness back that what we identified as problems, challenges and opportunities that we could work on together, that there was action. And I’ve seen an FBI, under your tenure that has continually evolved to be a better partner than we’ve ever seen before. To be there alongside us through some of those most difficult situations, through terrorist attacks in our communities across the United States, to our law enforcement officers that have been killed in the line of duty, helping protect all of our communities across our great country to working on smaller issues. A lot of better information. Share together.
One thing I haven’t heard say so far throughout this time is it’s not just the partnerships and all the great work that you’ve done together, but the really have. One of the true testaments of a great leader is those that you pick to be in those leadership positions within your organization. That I’ve seen you do time and time and time again in such a sprawling, large organization that the individuals that you’ve picked to lead alongside you have been top notch and have been really those partners that I’ve heard you talk about day in, day out and during a divisive time that we have right now.
You’ve led in a way that was probably one of the most difficult times that I can imagine as an FBI Director. And I heard you say once that somebody was complimenting you from one of our partner organizations or one of the agencies in our association and said, I really want to compliment you as a particular issue, that you had the courage to talk about a particular issue that could be divisive in the United States, where it is. And you said, I really view it as my job to call balls and strikes, and I kind of let the chips fall where they may. And in our country right now, that is easier said than done, right? It could be easy to say that I want to do that and take kind of the politically expedient route.
Yale probably, your Yale, probably tie you to be able to navigate that, you know, rally rather articulately and be able to have a non-answer in a situation that demands, you know, an honest and forthright answer. And I’ve seen you do that time and time again when we agree, when we disagree on various issues that you call balls and strikes. And you were the leader that this organization needed when you were picked, and you are the leader that this organization has rallied around to become an amazing organization.
That was before, but became better than the day that you took over. I’m proud to have served alongside you in my role as a state organization. This organization should be incredibly proud of your leadership. I know that we as the partners on this stage are, and we’re thankful for your service. I also want to thank your family. We all thank you for what you do. I’m sure as parents are incredibly proud of your son. I would be certainly, if mine became even half the man that he is here today and what he’s done and for your family. I know people are saying, serve alongside you.
I don’t want to start a conspiracy theory now, but I’ve often wondered how you can be in so many places at one time. So I’ve never seen a body double, but he is criss-cross this entire United States and it really is amazing way. And we know that that means there’s times and a lot of times he’s not at home, can’t be with you, can’t be at events. And while that is unfortunate, we’re hopeful you get some time back now.
There is a greater good that your father was called to do. Your husband, your son. That this United States needed him in a really difficult time. And he’s led with honor, courage and distinction, and we couldn’t be more proud of his service.
Thank you for your partnership. And it’s. I want to apologize not to jump in. I have to jump on a plane too, So I’m so sorry to leave. I’d love to hear the rest of the speeches. I need to get back to Minnesota to escape your snow and cold.
Thank you to Superintendent Evans. Next, we have the privilege of welcoming to the podium Mr. Chuck Wexler, the Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum.
Director, did they cut your budget with warming this room? So the good news is, I’ll be the shortest speaker. That’s the good news. I want to tell a story. We recently had the Director at our meeting, in Boston, a thousand people and I moderated, and he’s gracious to come. And, you know, he talks about things like dealing with foreign adversaries, disinformation, encryption, drones, terrorism, artificial intelligence, cybercrime, violent crime. So he covers all the bases and me, being a little different, I ask him, you looking at me, saying, did I make a mistake inviting him. I know you’re saying that right?
So I ask him, well, what’s the most fun aspect of being FBI Director? And I’m thinking he’s going to say briefing the President in the Situation Room, Catching. The current President. All right. Laughter. Laughter. Catching terrorists jumping out of a helicopter. But he doesn’t say any of those things. Then he says, well, talking with you, Chuck, he’s funny, right? So here’s what he said.
I love this. Sometimes reading someone’s words, what they say is the nicest compliment you can give someone, he says, to be honest. The longer I do this job, the more, the most fun I have is being out visiting our folks and getting briefed by our young folks who are joining the organization. I was saying to all of our SACs recently, the longer I do this, the actually, the more inspired I get. Quote unquote.
Here’s what he said extemporaneously. I think about the agent in Chicago who chased a fugitive into a farmhouse somehow got his whole left arm shot up by the fugitive by an AR 15, retrained himself to shoot left handed, re-qualify for SWAT, left handed.
I think about the Atlanta agent who stumbled upon a particular gang fugitive that everybody had been looking for, chased the guy across the parking lot. Bad guy hops in the car. Agent tries to grab ahold of him, gets stuck in a door, gets dragged out onto the freeway while the guy’s trying to ditch him from the car. The agent breaks his pelvis, his legs, but still manages to subdue the subject.
I think about the Portland agent, who was not even at work, was out for a morning run. Comes across that commuter rail track and sees this mentally ill woman down in the tracks, climbs down in the tracks. She’s flailing around, biting him, scratching him. Everything else manages to get her up on the tracks. Did I mention there was a train coming? You know, I mean, I’m hearing about this stuff of a million of them. So that’s invigorating. And I say the same thing about our local partners. And I think if more people in America could see what the young men and women in law enforcement are doing, not just as part of their core responsibilities, but what they do kind of off the job, the extra stuff.
I think I would really at a time that it’s otherwise kind of grim. They’re really good people. That’s what he said extemporaneously. So I’m from New England. Lisa’s from New England. I’m a New England Patriots fan. Bill Belichick supporter. And he would say just do your job. Chris Wray you did your job and then some. Thank you.
Thank you. Executive Director Wexler. Now, like to invite Paul Cell, Chief of Police of the Montclair State University Police Department, New Jersey. And Executive Director of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Chief. Thank you. You know, I was sitting over there with this big speech, and I just started to check everything off. I, you know, our, our Attorney General. I have an award. It doesn’t look like yours.
MI5? You know, I started I had the 1932 speech going. I couldn’t do that. I had something for MI6, but about James Bond. But they didn’t show up. So, you know, and I sit here today, really, without the speech to say, really what I feel. As a Jersey person. And by the way, all those accents are fake. Because I consider y’all one from Jersey. I don’t, so all those different accents are not real.
Asked our Governor. Thanks, Governor Christie. You know, so, as a Jersey person, I want to just speak from my heart because that’s pretty much what we do. And I want to speak about the relationship that I have had, with Chris Wray. It started over seven years ago when I was on the board of the ICP, coming in as president. I got to meet with him for the first time, having met with prior FBI Directors.
I walked in not knowing what to expect. And what I found was a person whose words for me that describe him. I think of the words like humility, selflessness, dedication, patriotism, and most importantly, vision. He had a vision that I had never seen before with the FBI, that I’d never seen before in my 42 years in law enforcement. 21 of those years in executive leadership roles. And I sat down, I said, I wonder what we’re going to really be doing.
Is this just lip service? And too often that’s what we get. But I will tell you this. Director Wray, you were able to take politics and put them over here, take the media and put it over here and just get down to business. And I think, what a great country we’d be. How much better we would be if we could take those two areas and just put them aside. As we look forward and work to make this country safe. And that is exactly what you did.
You would never let any of the media pieces, any of the politics, get in the way of working with us, both domestically and internationally. I stand here today thinking about what you said in one of our meetings. Besides saying, Pete, he didn’t call me Pete. But my favorite takeaway is when he said, you know, Paul, you’re like a bad penny. You just keep showing up. So I, take that, I take that it’s family, right? My wife says that a lot, so I’m used to it. Not alone.
But I remember what you said, and we sat down. And so often we sit with a lot of our, our different, agencies, and they sit down and they tell us what they’re going to do without giving us a chance to say what we need them to do. And one of your best takeaways that I, use to this day is what keeps you up at night. You know, you sat with us and you sat and I know you sat with most of all the law enforcement agencies here and the heads of them, and said the exact same thing. What keeps you up at night? You really cared about what we needed, and we don’t often see that.
And I will tell you, it’s something that sticks with me and I use that in my role today. I quite often when I’m speaking to people in leadership roles, I say, what keeps you up at night? And I do quote you. So if you stole it from somewhere, that just, take it. It’s yours. And the other piece about who you are for your family, just knowing who you really is, it doesn’t matter the size of the agency. It doesn’t matter.
I know, Pete, you touched on this. It doesn’t matter where the agent. Peter, I’m sorry, You can call me or on Paul. You can call me Chris. Don’t worry about it. It really does. And I say that as I met him, I was with the IACP, one of the largest, international associations of law enforcement leaders in the world. So in that role, it made sense that we sat down and we talked together.
And then as I retired out, I took this role, which is a much smaller association. We only have 10,000 members, and we’re only in 30 countries represented, which is much smaller than the other associations. And quite honestly, this organization is overlooked. IACLEA is overlooked by many people. Don’t look at campus law enforcement and public safety as a piece that needs to be sitting at the table, but that’s exactly what you did. You recognized the need for us to be at the table because of what we do each and every day.
And I can tell you, our 10,000 members hold you in high esteem because you did that. You took us to a level that said, hey, you need to be at the table. You need to be here because what you do is important and the people you protect is important. And so I wanted to say thank you for that. And, that’s what it’s about. It’s all about who you are as a person and who you are as a person who cares about people. And it doesn’t get better than that.
So the legacy you leave, in my opinion, is that you care. You care about the safety of this country. You care about the people you represent, and you care about all of us who does, who do this job each and every day, 24 hours a day. Your dedication is, quite honestly, unmeasurable.
What you’ve done. And, you know, I always say about leaders when you’re in a leadership position, when you leave that position, you leave a hole, right? You leave a little divot. Some holes are small and are filled quickly. Some holes are really large, and it takes a long time to fill, and some are just indelible marks that will never be filled. And that’s what you left as a leader of the FBI. And I thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Chief Cell.
Founded in 1981, the FBI Agents Association, as we all know, is dedicated to the service and support of active and retired FBI Special Agents, including, most importantly, providing support and assistance to the spouses, children and families of those are heroes, fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. We’re grateful to the Association and its leadership for everything you do to support FBI agents and the wider FBI family. And it is therefore, my pleasure to welcome retired Special Agent Brian O’Hare, former President of the FBI Agents Association. Brian.
I was talking to Mike before I got up here, and I asked, do they realize that we’re on the stage as well? Because this is quite an impressive gathering. Attorney General Garland, Director and Mrs. Wray, Judge and Mrs. Webster, honored guests and FBI family during the four year period prior to my retirement. I had the privilege of representing and advocating for agents across the bureau.
Much of the effort to represent agents took place during meetings with Director Wray, and over those years, I came to know and appreciate the Director as a person and a leader. I’d like to share a few of my observations in one-on-one interactions with the Director. Throughout many meetings, we discussed issues, problems, policies, and the wants and needs of special agents.
Through the course of those meetings, I discovered Director Wray to be a great communicator, a great communicator, where other leaders sometimes fail. The Director always listened intently. I’d like to believe that the Director listened to me, because I was the one who was bringing him important information, but that’s not the case. The Director was listening because he cared deeply about his special agents and the great work that they were doing. It was not uncommon to meet with the Director, and a day or two later get a call from headquarters stating, we heard about the issue you brought to the Director, and we think we had a fix. We have a fix.
The Directors focus on our mission and his people was always a catalyst for improvement. Now, when I was putting my remarks together back home in East Tennessee with my Texas accent. I thought for sure I knew the audience that I would be presenting to. I did not know there would be members of Congress here, so I thought I might scrap the next example. But instead, I will ask for grace from the members of Congress. As many of you know, from time to time, the Director makes trips to Capitol Hill for oversight hearings.
Congressional oversight is important, and it serves as a form of checks and balances for the executive branch. During one appearance, I was struck by the harsh attacks and accusations aimed at the Director, and some attacks on the good work done by special agents. Some might say that the attacks were less than professional. Nevertheless, the Director was quick to defend the good work of his special agents.
The next time I met with the Director, I asked him how he was able to sit through those attacks. To be clear, the Director never complained about his trips to the hill. What he did say, and I’m paraphrasing, it’s the least I can do, knowing agents across the bureau get on the stand every day and put up with quite a lot during cross examination. It was clear to me the Director had an appreciation for the hard work of his special agents, and it said a lot that our hard work in turn, was motivation for the Director. Sadly, we learn even more about someone in the most difficult of times.
I saw Director Wray for 1 or 2 minutes on the worst day in the FBI in decades. February 2nd, 2021, two special agents; Laura Schwartzenberger and Daniel Alfin, were killed in the line of duty and four other agents were shot and injured. It was gut wrenching. Few words were spoken when I saw the Director. However, I could see in the Director’s face the same pain and the same sense of loss. We were all experiencing.
But Director Wray was also determined and already working on the bureau’s response, ensuring that we took care of our FBI family members and the Miami field office. He was doing the hardest work. He was leading an organization through loss. His strength, along with his appreciation and respect for the sacrifice of his agents, will be with me forever. Before I close, I want to thank Mrs. Wray for being part of the FBI family. For those of us who joined the FBI. There is almost always a family along for the ride. We depend on our families to get us through the most difficult times. And I’m confident that’s true for Director Wray as well.
Mrs. Wray, thank you for sharing your husband with the FBI for the past seven and a half years. Director, thank you for your leadership and focus on our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. You did the hard work the right way for the right reason. Thank you.
Thank you. Brian. As with the FBI Agents Association, we’re also fortunate to have representation through the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. And we’re privileged to welcome retired Special Agent and President of the Society, Michael Clark.
Good afternoon, everyone. I’m the last speaker holding up before we get to Director Wray, so we’ll move it along. The good news is, Sir Kenneth, we have members of our society who were probably there in 1937 and worked on that case. So if you need some, we need some references. We’ll be glad to give that to you.
The Society of Former Agents consists of retirees and former agents. We’re 8,500 members strong, and we’re a national organization. And we share, all of the great, customs and services that the FBI has offered. So let me begin with Director Wray. There’s an absolute. And the absolute is that Christopher Wray is the best friend the Society of Former Agents has ever had. In the Director’s chair.
No one has done more for us over the years. He’s initiated many programs that have advanced the FBI family concept, which is where we connect our proud past with our courageous present and the future. Agents. Some of the programs that he’s initiated include inviting retired agents to attend current Quantico graduations, recognizing our service martyrs, and ensuring our field officers participate in annual memorial ceremonies. Taking a firm and unwavering stance on the repeated parole petitions by Leonard Peltier, attending and serving as our keynote, keynote speaker at our conventions, and he invites our Board of Directors in twice a year. And as was pointed out by Brian, he listens to what we have to say. And for the old folks, that’s pretty good.
One thing the Director cares, and I had a list of accomplishments that I’m going to pass over. But one thing that jumps out at me is caring is it was brought up by the DNI since taking over as the Director. He is not missed the new agent graduation, where he has personally handed out more than 5,700 new agents, their, badges and credentials. And that’s more than 40% of our current workforce. That’s an amazing feat. That’s a lot of shaking hands, even by Washington standards.
Looking at our audience today, I see a few. I’ll say well-seasoned folks as well as myself. Some of you may remember the David Letterman Show and Letterman used to take. He used to have a top ten list on current news. Every evening you come out with some new ideas. So I wanted to prove to Director Wray that we have indeed been listening to him. I’m sure the Wray children have heard a few of these sayings have never come up with. So we call them Wray-isms.
And so Wray-ism number ten. Do the right thing the right way every time. Number nine, nobody joined the FBI because they did not have any other options. Number eight, we’re on one side, We are on the American people’s side. Number seven, One of the great strengths of the FBI is that we are a team, working together to support the FBI’s mission. Number six Director, you’re not going to like this one. And you can refute it, but Vanessa’s notes will prove me out. In September in Fort Worth, the Director guaranteed that the New York Football Giants would be in the Super Bowl. And the Georgia Bulldogs would be playing in the NCAA football tournament. That ship has sailed. You can’t be right on everything, Director. Number five, we are 38,000 men and women who get up every day and dedicate ourselves to the FBI’s mission as part of the FBI, You do not have an ordinary job, You have a calling. Number four, we have a solemn responsibility to do our jobs well and to do them with honesty and integrity. Number three, our mission is to keep Americans safe and uphold the Constitution. Number two, I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people. And number one, one of my favorites. Heads up, eyes forward, Shoulder to shoulder. Includes in closing.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to a friend in federal service. We become accustomed to that. Friends are transferred or promoted. They retire. It doesn’t get easier. And I’ve heard Director Wray at Quantico. Commencement addresses. Tell the new agents. Quote. “There’s a hell of an adventure ahead.” An end quote and Director, I believe you are correct in sharing that advice with our new agents.
And I also believe there remains a great adventure ahead for you and your family. Thank you for your leadership, your dedication, adhering to our motto of fidelity, bravery, and integrity. And most importantly, thanks for your personal friendship, over the years.
Now. I do have a small gift for the Director, which will be very important to him on January 21st, 2025. He has a lifetime membership in the Society of Former Special Agents. And our Executive Director, Nancy Savage in the back cannot chase you down for dues. Just hang on to this.
Thank you Mike.
Today we have heard so many stories, tributes, testimonies, and reflections. One of the primary and common themes we’ve heard is Director Wray’s focus on people, on the men and women who do the challenging, often dangerous work, yet essential to keeping people safe and protecting our great country. The Director has said, quote, “Far and away our most valuable resource is our people, It’s our people that make the FBI extraordinary.” And he is right.
And it is the people who have gathered here today to honor Director Wray at an agency that he is so devoted to, and that is so integral to the protection of our great country. Those people are also the truest, the very truest reflection of the caliber of person and leader he is. You are, sir, to the very highest degree in all regards. Thank you all for making this special day with us and making it an extraordinary one. Director, seven and a half years ago, approximately, you were officially sworn in and joined the FBI. You had worked with us long before that, as an AUSA in the trenches and the courtrooms and the offices, and Atlanta, Georgia and beyond to this very building on that tragic day, September 11th, 2001.
Sadly, working alongside the FBI to hunt down the terrorists who perpetrated those despicable attacks. We know your unrelenting dedication to the rule of law into our law enforcement and intelligence mission, and to our partners in that came long before we welcomed to you as FBI Director. I and we have been fortunate to witness firsthand the depth of your dedication to the FBI’s mission and its people, which, as you say, is simple yet profound.
To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. We’re fortunate and grateful for your leadership as the FBI has worked under your leadership to counter the most critical and severe threats, adopt cutting edge technologies, advance innovation, and you’ve led the most significant, impactful, high profile and complex investigations.
Through it all, you stayed acutely focused on, and true to your four pillars People, Partnerships, Process, and Innovation. And you have led our FBI, this FBI, with integrity, with wisdom, with conviction, with a wicked work ethic which I love and an unparalleled toughness.
Our gratitude to you sir is immense, and we’re looking forward to hearing from you. So with that, ladies and gentlemen FBI Director Christopher Wray.
[Applause]
Well, it’s been a long afternoon. I’m glad everybody got a chance to stretch their legs a little bit. Well, look. Thank you, everybody. I am honored and moved to be joined by so many close friends and colleagues today. And I’m deeply grateful for all of you. I want to start where everything does at home, with a thank you that will never begin to cover all it should.
Which is to my supremely patient wife, Helen, and our kids, Caroline and Tripp and my mom and dad, who I’m also grateful to have here with us. This afternoon. Being here with all of you. At the heart of this institution that I’ve put my heart and soul into, being surrounded by the people, the patriots who have dedicated themselves and their careers to making our world a better place.
Well, to be honest, it’s kind of hard to find the words to express how touched, and humbled I am by all of it. Before I go any further, I want to thank the folks joining us today as speakers. Merrick, Avril, Bill, Tim, Ken, Joe, Peter. Drew, Chuck, Paul, Brian, and Mike, I want to thank you and the scores of dedicated professionals that each of you represents, our colleagues in intelligence and law enforcement here in the U.S. and abroad, the men and women of the Department of Justice and my FBI family, past and present, you and your organizations are indispensable to the work we do together to keep people safe all across this country, here at home and around the world.
And I’m grateful for the personal relationships I’ve developed with each of you and for the tremendous partnership and support you’ve provided throughout our years working together. So please know you have my sincerest gratitude. I also want to thank our distinguished guests, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, many of our partners here at home and abroad who have traveled often great distances to be here. I particularly Judge Webster and his wife, Linda, for joining us this afternoon.
Judge, if even a fraction of what’s been said about me today is true, it’s because I’ve been able to stand on the shoulders of giants like you. I, of course, want to thank the Deputy for serving as our MC today. Paul, I’m grateful for your thoughtful advice, counsel, and leadership over the years. I can tell you that two of the very best decisions I’ve ever made, were asking you, And before you Dave Bowdich to serve alongside me as Deputy Directors. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for the Bureau and for our country.
I also like to thank my team and everybody who worked so hard to organize this event and then reorganize it after the snowstorm interfered with our plans. I will say I have a bit of a bone to pick with whoever it is in the U.S. government who controls and manipulates the weather. I don’t know, Avril? Is that, is that you, or is that is that Bill?
And finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my FBI family, all of you who are here in person and all of you tuning in online all across the country and around the world. Thank you for joining me today. More importantly, every step along the way. These last seven and a half years, you know, when it comes to a role like this one, I’m pretty confident nobody takes it on Thinking it was going to be easy But, President Teddy Roosevelt once said, far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
And here at the FBI, we certainly work hard. And without a doubt, our work is worth doing. In fact, the importance, the criticality of our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution is one of the biggest reasons why I’ve loved all my years with the Bureau so much. I mean, after all, who wouldn’t want to be part of the organization that people turn to when it really matters the most? Who parents call when their kids are in danger, who communities rely on to rid their neighborhoods of violent gangs and drugs, who businesses lean on to get compromised networks and operations back online, who our government counts on to safeguard our most sensitive secrets, and who the public depends on to protect us from terrorism.
What we do here at the FBI is more than a job. It’s a calling. And our work could not be more essential. Is it challenging? Absolutely. But I have never once questioned the bureau’s ability to do it. Because over all my years as Director I have seen the FBI rely steadily on the values, the principles and the strengths that have for so long sustained our organization. And they are what enable us to meet those challenges head on, to “Keep calm and tackle hard.”
Our most important asset is our people. With all of you. You are what makes the FBI the extraordinary organization. It is. For more than 116 years, the American people have seen you rise to the challenge again, and again to keep our nation safe and day after day after day. I am inspired by the caliber and the character of the men and women in the FBI’s ranks. People like the HRT hostage rescue team agent who, while serving a warrant in a terrorism case, exchanged gunfire with a barricaded subject and despite not having any cover, managed to keep himself and his teammates safe from harm until the threat was neutralized. And then, while at a training exercise just a couple of months later, we’re talking about the same agent now helped save the life of a civilian badly hurt in a skydiving accident.
People, like the Jackson agent who was working a violent crime investigation when he heard gunshots and saw an SUV speeding away while the agent was detaining a passenger who had gotten out of the car. The driver stopped and fired dozens of rounds at them, including one that penetrated our agent’s vest. Even though he’d been shot in the back, he continued getting the passenger to safety and ultimately saved his life. Just another day in the job.
And the new folks we’re bringing on board are just as inspiring.
As you heard, I’ve given the commencement address at every single one of the 39 new agent graduations we’ve had in my seven and a half years, which means I’ve had the privilege of personally handing badges and credentials to over 5,700 new agents, which is more than 40% of those on the job today. They’re bringing new talent and resolve to a workforce already full of top notch professionals. And together, I am confident that they will continue to find new ways to tackle the threats that we’re up against.
But as I’ve said many times before, and as you heard from almost every one of our speakers this afternoon, no single agency can do it alone. Keeping people safe is a team sport, and none of our successes would be possible without our partners. Every day, every day, the bureau’s employees are working shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters and local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement in record numbers to keep our fellow citizens safe. They’re seamlessly sharing intelligence with our partners in the intelligence community, across the government and around the world to stay ahead of threats. And they’re working in new ways with the private sector to protect American ideas and intellectual property from our adversaries.
Those partnerships have made a huge difference, a real, tangible difference in people’s lives. Together, in recent years, we’ve arrested nearly 50 violent criminals per day, every day. We’ve dismantled hundreds of gangs terrorizing neighborhoods all over the country in just a couple of years we seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly 80% of all Americans.
We’ve saved victims around the world. Nearly $800 million in ransomware payments. We’ve stopped hostile nation states from stealing our state secrets, kidnaping and killing dissidents here and helping themselves to valuable U.S. technology and innovation. And we’ve kept watch against the ever present threat of terrorism, thwarting attacks, targeting houses of worship in Las Vegas, Long Beach, Pittsburgh, a crowded pier in San Francisco, a 4th of July parade in Cleveland, and countless other communities across the nation.
And, when tragedy does strike, as we saw in New Orleans earlier this month, we’re there working with our partners to support the community and victims’ families. And to get to the bottom of what happened. Our mission is absolutely critical and fulfilling it time and time again means relying on our people and our partnerships.
That is how we stay ahead of the threats and pursue justice throughout the communities we serve. But if my time as Director has taught me anything, it’s that those threats are constantly growing more complex, more dynamic, more severe, and a whole lot of dangers that were once inconceivable are now an everyday reality. Today would be terrorists using encrypted communications can plot with collaborators overseas to secretly plan violent attacks. Right here on our soil.
Cartels can acquire chemicals from half a world away to manufacture deadly drugs with a potency we’ve never seen before. Violent gangs have evolved into what now more closely resemble sophisticated criminal organizations, and with a keystroke, foreign adversaries can shut down A 911 call center, compromise a pipeline or, as we’ve seen most recently, breach our telecommunications systems in an unprecedented act of cyber espionage.
All across the threat landscape, we’re seeing that our enemies are more emboldened, better resourced, savvier with technology, and more relentless than ever before. Now, I say all of this not because any of you needs a threat briefing, or because I think it’s time for anybody to panic. But I do think it is important to be candid about the daunting threats that are out there.
Having said all of that, my time as Director has proven to me that the Bureau is at its best when facing a challenge. And as the threats and obstacles have grown, so too have the capabilities and determination of the FBI’s men and women. So yeah, it’s a scary world out there, and we are up against some very serious threats. And to meet what looms over the horizon, we’ve got to keep innovating to find new ways to impose the greatest consequences on our adversaries. We’ve got to keep leveraging intelligence to maximize impact and stay ahead of the threat. And we’ve got to double down on what we know works, our people and our partnerships.
But there is one more thing that is fundamental to the FBI’s work. And that must never change. And that is how we go about the work.
The men and women of the FBI must maintain an unwavering commitment to our core values and justice, to sticking together as individuals committed to doing the right thing the right way, and as an organization committed to upholding the rule of law. No matter what’s happening out there in here we’ve got to stay committed to doing our work the right way every time, with professionalism, with rigor, with integrity.
That means following the facts wherever they lead no matter who likes it or doesn’t. Because trust me, if there’s anything I learned in this job, there’s always somebody who doesn’t like it. It means conducting investigations without fear or favor, and it means not pursuing investigations when the predication is not there. That’s what the rule of law is all about.
We’ve got to maintain our independence and objectivity. Staying above partisanship and politics, because that’s what the American people expect. And I think that’s what they deserve. It is an enormous responsibility that the FBI bears, and it is a burden that often comes without any recognition or appreciation for all those nights and weekends. The time away from your loved ones, the blood, sweat and tears you put into your work. And yet every single day
I see you show up to work, eager to serve and fiercely determined to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. And for that, our nation, really, our world owes you a debt we can never repay. You know, people ask me all the time how I’ve managed to do this job day after day to see the worst of what our world has to offer. Time and time again. And yeah, it’s true a lot more often than I’d like. I’ve seen some of the darkest that humanity is capable of, but in this job, I’ve also seen the very best side of humanity too.
Men and women who could do just about anything they wanted with their lives. But who have chosen to put service over self every day, who are there for their colleagues and their communities when they’re needed most, both on and off the job, and who put their own lives on the back burner and on the line, often for total strangers. That’s what I see in you, Our FBI workforce.
Now, when it comes to my gratitude for you, all of you, I could go on and on, but at some point soon my badge is going to stop working on the doors. And I know it’s about time for me to wrap up, and I’m already starting to get that telling look from my family that I’ve learned to recognize and usually blow right past. But, I will, I hope you’ll forgive me, though, for wanting to linger here for just a couple more minutes.
You see, way back in 2017, I stood just a few steps from here in our courtyard for my installation ceremony and the oath of office, and as I was formally welcomed into the FBI family that day, I told you that I wanted to make sure I really absorbed the significance of that moment. It was kind of a reminder to myself to make sure, to pause and to drink it all in.
I know just how difficult it can be to truly appreciate the best moments of your life. When you’re right smack in the middle of. Because, like I tell every Quantico class of special agents and intelligence analysts far too often, the most important moments your wedding day, the birth of a child, that moment you get your dream job. You know, those things can go by and kind of a blur. So on that day, seven plus years ago, I asked you to pause with me, to savor, to cherish that moment.
And I encouraged you to do the same over the course of your days. And you’re assignments as you continued along in your bureau careers, and I hope that you have found time to do that, because I can tell you today that I have appreciated. I have savored every one of those moments that I’ve spent with all of you, and it’s been more than the obvious victories, the lives you’ve saved, the cases you’ve solved, the criminals you’ve brought to justice.
It’s been all the moments in between too from the hundreds and hundreds of times I’ve met with case teams all over the country who’ve passionately told me about the successes of their investigations, to my calls and visits with employees at the hospital, at funerals, or experiencing unforeseen personal hardships to the cafeteria lunches I’ve shared with trainees at the Academy.
And all those mornings I’ve tagged along for a run with new agents who, as my wife likes to point out, are politely refraining from leaving me in the dust. And especially in the moments we’ve made dreams come true for kids who want nothing more than to be a part of team FBI for the past seven and a half years.
During those moments we’ve shared in your work and in your lives. I have savored every connection I’ve had the honor of making with the extraordinary men and women of the FBI. Those are the moments that have stuck with me, and those are the ones I will keep close to my heart in the years to come.
So I want to thank you, the men and women of the FBI, those who served before me and alongside me, and those who will serve long after I’m gone. Thank you for your relentlessly hard work, for your unwavering dedication to our mission, and for your unyielding commitment to the rule of law.
Thank you for affording me the privilege of serving with you, as we have protected the American people, and uphold the Constitution. I thank you for keeping up that work in all the years to come. Serving as your Director has been the honor of my lifetime. Be safe out there. Take care of each other. I will always, always be rooting for you. Thank you.
[applause]
Thank you, Director Wray.
Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our event. Thank you again to everyone who participated in today’s program. To those who organized it. And to each of you for joining us here today.
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