Former FBI Director Christopher Wray Referred to DOJ Over Alleged False Statements to Congress
A conservative watchdog group has formally urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI to open a criminal investigation into former FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, alleging that he misled lawmakers in congressional testimony and impeded high-profile inquiries.
The referral, submitted by The Oversight Project, centers on claims that Wray provided inaccurate or misleading answers to questions from members of Congress about two contentious topics: an internal FBI intelligence product that referenced Catholics and documents related to alleged efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to distribute fraudulent U.S. driver’s licenses ahead of the 2020 election.
What the Referral Asserts
According to the group’s filing, Wray’s testimony in several congressional hearings contained statements that were materially false or incomplete. The alleged discrepancies relate to:
- The Richmond FBI memo: An internal FBI intelligence product from the Richmond, Virginia office that mentioned “radical traditionalist Catholics” in the context of domestic violent extremism. Wray told lawmakers that the memo came from a “single product by a single field office” and was immediately withdrawn when discovered. Critics say the document and related materials were more widely distributed within the bureau before being retracted.
- Chinese fake license reporting: Former FBI leadership reportedly possessed intelligence in 2020 about seizures of nearly 20,000 fraudulent U.S. driver’s licenses at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport — claims linked in part to allegations of a plot to influence the election. Documents subsequently released to Congress by FBI leadership under Director Kash Patel suggest that reporting may have conflicted with Wray’s testimony about what the bureau knew regarding Chinese interference efforts.
The Oversight Project’s referral contends that these discrepancies could constitute violations of federal law, including statutes related to making false statements to Congress, obstruction, and perjury — though the group acknowledges that any DOJ investigation would need to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
Details Behind the Allegations
The Richmond memo controversy began in early 2023 when an internal intelligence product from the FBI’s Richmond Field Office leaked to the public. The document described “radical traditionalist Catholics” as a potential domestic violent extremist threat, generating widespread concern about religious profiling. Wray testified that he was “aghast” upon learning of the memo and had it withdrawn from bureau systems.
Subsequent disclosures, however, indicated that the memo and related documents may have been shared across multiple field offices before being retracted, prompting debate over how accurately Wray characterized the breadth of the issue in his testimony.
The driver’s license matter stems from seizures in 2020 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection of thousands of fraudulent licenses originating from China and other locations. Some lawmakers and analysts have asserted that this intelligence should have been shared more broadly or reflected differently in Wray’s statements about what the FBI knew regarding foreign efforts to influence U.S. elections.
Responses and Context
Wray served as FBI Director from 2017 until 2025. Throughout his tenure, he regularly testified before Congress on a range of matters, including election security, domestic extremism, and intelligence priorities. The bureau has maintained that it operates within legal and procedural frameworks designed to preserve integrity and nonpartisanship.
While the Oversight Project and some lawmakers have called for scrutiny, there has been no indication that the DOJ has opened a formal criminal investigation into Wray based on the referral as of this writing.
Fox News Digital reported on the referral and noted that it was brought to the attention of federal authorities amid broader debates over transparency, intelligence oversight, and whether past FBI leadership met its obligations to Congress and the public.
What Comes Next
A DOJ review of the referral, if pursued, would determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation. Such referrals are rare and do not automatically lead to charges; they instead serve as formal requests for prosecutors to examine the conduct of a public official under potential criminal statutes.
Supporters of the referral argue it is necessary to uphold accountability and restore faith in federal law enforcement. Critics counter that the referral may be politically motivated, reflecting partisan disputes over FBI activities rather than clear legal violations.