Trump nominates Christopher Wray as FBI director

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced on Twitterhis pick for FBI director a former Justice Department official who served as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's lawyer during the George Washington Bridge lane-closing investigation.

Trump's early-morning two-sentence tweet that he intends to nominate lawyer Christopher Wray. Trump'sannouncement comes one day before the FBI director fired by Trump last month, James Comey, wasto testify in public on Capitol Hill for the first time since his dismissal.

Trump called Wray "a man of impeccable credentials" and offered no more information about the selection, ending the tweet by saying, "Details to follow."

Wray served in a leadership role in the George W. Bush Justice Department, rising to head the criminal division and overseeing investigations into corporate fraud, during the time when Comey was deputy attorney general. Wray took charge of a task force of prosecutors and FBI agents created to investigate the Enron scandal.

• Questions for Comey could make for bombshell hearing
• ANALYSIS l Comey's successor a critical choice for Trump
• TIMELINE l The end of Comey's wild ride in Washington

Wray works in private practice for the King & Spalding law firm. He represented Republican Christie in the lane-closing investigation, in which two former Christie aides were convicted of plotting to close bridge lanes to punish a Democratic mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie.

"I have the utmost confidence in Chris. He's an outstanding lawyer. He has absolute integrity and honesty, and I think that the president certainly would not be making a mistake if he asked Chris Wray to be FBI director," Christie said.

Christie, who has informally advised Trump, was not charged in the bridge case.

Comey, during his appearance before the Senate intelligence committee, is expected to describe his encounters with Trump in the weeks before his firing May 9, less than five years into a 10-year term. Comey could offer new details regarding discussions with Trump about the federal investigation into Russia's election meddling.

The White House and its allies have been looking for ways to offset that potentially damaging testimony and have been working on strategies aimed at undermining Comey's credibility.

Comey confirmed to the House of Representatives in March that the FBI was investigating possible links between Russia and members of Trump's campaign team. That investigation has been folded into an open-ended inquiry helmed by special counsel Robert Mueller, who was Comey's predecessor as FBI director.

House Republicans said Wednesday that Trump's pick seemed like a good choice. Lawmakers attending a closed-door caucus in the morning said they had no early word of the president's selection.

Mike Conaway, Republican from Texas, said, "At first blush, he seems like a great choice to lead the FBI."

Conaway said he wasn't given a heads up and told reporters: "You all surprised me on the way in."

Nominations for FBI director require confirmation in the Senate.