Watchdog Group Refers FBI Director Wray for Criminal Investigation

A government transparency group has formally referred FBI Director Christopher Wray to the Department of Justice, urging a criminal investigation into alleged false statements and obstruction of congressional proceedings.

Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, told Fox News Digital that the referral focuses on Wray’s testimony regarding the controversial “Richmond memo”—an FBI document targeting traditional Catholics—and an alleged Chinese plot to distribute fake driver’s licenses ahead of the 2020 election.

In July 2023, Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee that the Richmond memo was “a single product by a single field office” that he immediately removed once discovered. However, the Oversight Project alleges that Wray misled Congress, concealing the memo’s broader production and the existence of a second, unreleased draft intended for wider dissemination across the FBI.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) echoed those concerns during a June hearing, stating that more than a dozen FBI documents relied on biased, anti-Catholic sources and involved multiple field offices. “It wasn’t just one document,” Grassley said, directly contradicting Wray’s claim of isolated misconduct.

The referral also references a so-called “Trump questionnaire” allegedly circulated within the FBI, asking agents about their support for Donald Trump and any involvement in January 6-related events. The Oversight Project accuses Wray of perjury, making false statements, and obstructing congressional proceedings. The group points to the second draft memo—classified as a Strategic Perspective Executive Analytic Report (SPEAR)—as evidence Wray misrepresented the true scope of the issue.