Senator Hawley Grills FBI Director Wray: Used Counterterrorism Plane to Leave Senate Oversight Hearing for Family Vacation — “I Find That Absolutely Unbelievable and Frankly Indefensible”

On 11/17/2022, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) delivered a blistering cross-examination of FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. Hawley revealed that Wray had left a prior statutorily required oversight hearing early to use an FBI Gulfstream 550 — a plane originally purchased for counterterrorism operations — to fly to Saranac Lake, New York for a family vacation. “I find that absolutely unbelievable and frankly indefensible,” Hawley said. When Hawley asked Wray to commit to turning over receipts and reimbursement records, Wray would only say “I will turn over the information related to my use of the plane” — refusing to give the simple “yes” Hawley requested.

”Left an Oversight Hearing… for Family Vacation”

Hawley opened with the factual accusation. “You left an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee required by statute so you could vacation with your family. I find that absolutely unbelievable and frankly indefensible,” Hawley said.

The accusation was a three-part critique of Wray’s behavior:

First, the hearing Wray left was “required by statute” — congressional oversight hearings of the FBI Director are not optional courtesies but legal obligations under federal law. Wray wasn’t skipping a voluntary appearance; he was cutting short a mandatory one.

Second, the reason he left was to take a family vacation — a personal, non-work purpose. Government officials sometimes leave hearings for emergencies or other official duties, but leaving for personal travel was a different category of excuse.

Third, the means of travel was an FBI Gulfstream 550 — a sophisticated aircraft that the Senator noted had been “originally purchased for counterterrorism purposes.” Using counterterrorism assets for personal family travel raised serious questions about resource allocation and propriety.

The combination — skipping a required hearing to use a counterterrorism plane for personal vacation — was what Hawley characterized as “unbelievable and indefensible.” The adjectives were strong but targeted: not “surprising” or “unfortunate,” but “unbelievable” (as if the behavior was so improper it defied belief) and “indefensible” (as if no legitimate explanation could justify it).

”You Say You Do This All the Time?”

Hawley’s follow-up questions probed whether Wray’s behavior was an isolated incident or a pattern. “Now is it your practice to use government planes? You say you do this all the time?” Hawley asked.

The question was significant because “I do this all the time” would be an even more damaging admission than a one-time use. If Wray routinely used FBI aircraft for personal travel, it would constitute a systematic misuse of government resources. If it was a one-time event, it might be defensible as an exception, but Wray would need to explain why this particular occasion warranted the extraordinary measure.

”Saranac Lake?”

Hawley emphasized the banality of the destination. “You flew on a Gulfstream 550, I think, that was originally purchased for counterterrorism purposes. You were using it to go to, what is it, Saranac Lake? Is that how I say it? I’ve never been there. Is that the right pronunciation? Saranac Lake? That was your destination? Yes,” Hawley asked.

Saranac Lake is a small Adirondack Mountains community in upstate New York — a recreational destination known for outdoor activities, not for national security significance. Hawley’s playful uncertainty about pronunciation (“Is that how I say it? I’ve never been there”) was a rhetorical device that highlighted how ordinary the destination was. The FBI Director wasn’t flying to a secret counterterrorism site or an urgent crisis location — he was flying to a vacation spot most Americans had never heard of.

The contrast between the aircraft (a Gulfstream 550 purchased for counterterrorism) and the destination (Saranac Lake family vacation) made the resource misuse particularly vivid. A sophisticated piece of equipment designed to move counterterrorism personnel to emergency situations was being used for leisure travel to a vacation lake.

”Did You Pay For It?”

Hawley pressed on reimbursement. “So did you enjoy the flight? I mean did you pay for it?” Hawley asked.

“Yes, I paid for it,” Wray responded.

This exchange was important because the answer mattered for legal purposes. Government officials are generally allowed to use government aircraft for personal travel if they reimburse the government for the equivalent commercial cost. Failure to reimburse would be a more serious violation than simply using the aircraft.

Wray’s “yes, I paid for it” answer suggested some form of reimbursement had occurred. But the reimbursement requirement was typically calculated based on equivalent first-class commercial airfare, not the actual operational cost of the aircraft. A Gulfstream 550 flight operated by the FBI could cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour to operate, while first-class commercial airfare from Washington to Saranac Lake might be a few hundred dollars. The “reimbursement” was typically a fraction of the actual cost.

”Will You Turn Over All Receipts?”

Hawley then asked for documentation. “Will you turn over all receipts and reimbursement to this committee?” Hawley asked.

Wray’s response was a masterclass in non-committal language. “Senator, we will be happy to comply with oversight requests related to the use of the plane, as I said, and it’s important for people to understand,” Wray began.

Hawley cut him off: “I want to just — give me a yes. Will you turn over the receipts for your flight?”

Wray’s final answer revealed the resistance: “I will turn over the information related to my use of the plane.”

The distinction between “receipts and reimbursement” (Hawley’s request) and “information related to my use of the plane” (Wray’s commitment) was significant. Receipts are specific documents showing amounts paid. “Information” is a broader, fuzzier category that could include summaries, explanations, or partial documentation. Wray was agreeing to provide something but carefully not committing to the specific documentation Hawley wanted.

The Broader FBI Oversight Context

Hawley’s questioning reflected broader Republican concerns about FBI conduct during the Biden administration. Republicans had raised issues about:

• The Mar-a-Lago raid: The August 2022 search of Trump’s Florida residence had drawn criticism about the unprecedented nature of the operation and the procedures followed.
• Hunter Biden laptop: Allegations that the FBI had pressured social media companies to suppress coverage of the laptop story before the 2020 election.
• January 6 investigations: Concerns about the scope and aggressiveness of prosecutions of January 6 defendants.
• Whistleblower claims: Multiple FBI whistleblowers had come forward alleging political bias and inappropriate conduct.

In this context, Hawley’s focus on Wray’s personal use of FBI aircraft was part of a broader effort to establish that the FBI Director was insufficiently accountable to congressional oversight. A director who would leave a mandatory hearing to take a family vacation was one who wasn’t taking oversight seriously.

Key Takeaways

• Senator Hawley revealed that FBI Director Wray left a statutorily required Senate oversight hearing early to take a family vacation.
• Wray used an FBI Gulfstream 550 — originally purchased for counterterrorism purposes — to fly to Saranac Lake, New York.
• Hawley called the behavior “absolutely unbelievable and frankly indefensible.”
• When asked to commit to turning over receipts, Wray would only commit to “information related to my use of the plane.”
• The questioning was part of broader Republican concerns about FBI accountability to congressional oversight.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

• You left an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee required by statute so you could vacation with your family.
• I find that absolutely unbelievable and frankly indefensible.
• You flew on a Gulfstream 550 that was originally purchased for counterterrorism purposes to Saranac Lake.
• Did you pay for it? — Yes, I paid for it.
• Will you turn over all receipts and reimbursement to this committee?
• I will turn over the information related to my use of the plane.

Full transcript: 187 words transcribed via Whisper AI.