Donald Trump plans to nominate Christopher Wray to be the next director of the FBI, he announced on Twitter on Wednesday. The announcement comes nearly one month after Trump fired FBI director James Comey – one of the most controversial decisions of his young presidency – and just one day before Comey is scheduled to testify before the Senate intelligence committee.

During the hearing, Comey is expected to be asked about Trump’s attempts to soft-pedal the investigation into his former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s contacts with Russia. Trump has indicated that the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections and links to his campaign made up part of his thinking when he dismissed the director. In the tweet, Trump called Wray – whose name emerged as one of those in the frame on 31 May – “a man of impeccable credentials”. An FBI director must be confirmed by the Senate and typically serves a single, 10-year term.(guardian)…[+]