FBI director uses federal jet to the point of 'embezzlement'

FBI Director Christopher Wray's personal use of an official bureau Gulfstream jet has caused Republican members of Congress to send a formal letter on August 15 inquiring about the nature of the fights while some members inside the FBI are accusing Wray of embezzlement.

According to the New York Post, Wray has been using the FBI's Gulfstream jet to fly off to personal destinations in Atlanta and New York, prompting Republicans to ask if those trips were in "compliance with the applicable federal regulations and requirements" and if he was "properly reimbursing federal taxpayers" for his flights.

Inside the FBI, agents cited Title 18, U.S.C. 641 saying his many personal trips equate to embezzlement, or when an agent "knowingly converts government property to one’s own use."

One anonymous agent said his trips were inappropriate because "The FBI acquired the Gulfstream for the express purpose of moving its own Counterterrorism Rapid Deployment teams to anywhere in the world to deal with an act of terrorism."

Wray has flown eight times in the last four months to Atlanta, most recently on October 11.

Wray has a Buckhead district home in Atlanta…

On August 4, during a Senate oversight hearing, Wray told Senator Chuck Grassley that he had pressing "business" to attend to and had to leave. He ended up flying on the jet to a family vacation spot in the Adirondacks.

"The physical taking of the property is often lawful," a former FBI agent said, "this can be as simple as using a government-issued vehicle or other device for personal use."

The Government Accountability Office has allowed FBI directors of the past to use business planes for personal use but under a strict reimbursement policy.

In August, reports emerged the FBI personnel had lost faith in Wray and were calling for his resignation.