CBS News
FBI director Christopher Wray speaks candidly on Laken Riley’s death, threats to democracy, civil rights
Washington — FBI Director Christopher Wray offered unusually expansive comments Tuesday on recent high-profile crimes and their intersection with the work of the FBI.
He talked about how FBI agents are working with law enforcement to “help achieve justice” in the case of murdered University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who investigators say was killed by a Venezuelan migrant in the U.S. illegally, according to Wray.
“I want to tell you how heartbroken I am — not just for the family, friends, classmates, and staff who are grieving Laken’s loss,” Wray told a group gathered at the University of Georgia on Tuesday in his first public comments on the tragedy. “I’m saddened to see that sense of peace shattered by Laken’s murder and the subsequent arrest of a Venezuelan national who’d illegally entered the country in 2022.”
He promised the FBI is doing “everything [it] can to help achieve justice for Laken,” who was killed while she was jogging.
The remarks from the FBI director were notable, since he rarely speaks publicly about ongoing criminal cases in which the bureau is involved.
He also spoke extensively about a group of former law enforcement officers who dubbed themselves “the Goon Squad” and are being sentenced this week, after admitting they had tortured two Black men last year. One of the men, Hunter Eldward, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison on Tuesday. He admitted that he shoved a firearm in the mouth of one of the men as part of a mock execution, which was just one component of the racist attacks.
“Without a warrant or any exigent circumstances, the six of them kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were staying and subjected them to an hour and a half of pure hell,” Wray said Tuesday as part of his speech focused on government accountability. “Who do you call when the police are the ones terrorizing you? No human being should ever be subjected to the torture, the trauma, the horrific acts of violence carried out by those individuals.”
All six men will be sentenced by the end of the week. In a separate statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland pledged, “The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who violate constitutional rights, and in so doing, betray the public trust.”
The FBI director has been vocal in recent months about the dangers Americans face in a heightened threat landscape that includes domestic threats like ransomware attacks and vulnerabilities at the southern border, as well as international risks posed by Chinese cyberattacks and the growing conflict in the Middle East.
Tuesday’s comments, however, treaded into the political sphere as Wray warned against the politicization of the FBI and democratic institutions.
“Whether it’s a trial, a Supreme Court case, even an election — people’s standard these days for judging whether something was fair or objective is whether they like the result — whether their side won or lost,” he said.
FBI agents have been intricately involved in various high-profile, politically charged investigations in recent years, including two federal probes into former President Donald Trump’s conduct, one into classified documents that led the FBI to execute a search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022. They also investigated President Joe Biden’s handling of classified records and his son Hunter’s business dealings.
Hunter Biden has been charged in two jurisdictions for tax and gun crimes and pleaded not guilty.
Trump – who has also pleaded not guilty to the charges against him — has blasted the Justice Department’s dual investigations as a politically motivated attempt to harm him during an election year.
Without calling out any specific individuals by name, the FBI director warned Tuesday that “baseless attacks” on the bureau’s work “strike at the heart of the rule of law.”
“It’s bad enough when folks denounce a specific case or investigation as tainted or unfair just because their side lost,” he said, “But it gets exponentially worse when that attack goes from this case or that, to saying the whole institution is corrupt because they didn’t like a particular outcome.”
The most partisan attacks and “shrill” accusations, Wray argued, are “coming from the most politicized speakers.”
And when pressed on recent cuts to the FBI’s budget pushed by congressional Republicans, Wray said his focus is on reasoning with Congress to make sure lawmakers don’t “double down” on their belt-tightening.
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Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, was convicted Tuesday on all counts in a federal bribery trial that involved three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez was charged with 16 counts in the 18-count indictment that alleged the longtime politician was engaged in a wide-ranging corruption scheme in which he promised to aid Egypt in various ways and tried to pressure a top Department of Agriculture official to protect a monopoly the country awarded to a halal certification startup owned by Wael Hana, who was on trial with the senator.
He was also accused of disrupting criminal investigations by the New Jersey attorney general’s office into former insurance broker Jose Uribe, who pleaded guilty to trying to bribe Menendez by buying his wife, Nadine Menendez, a $60,000 Mercedes-Benz convertible.
Menendez also tried to interfere in a federal prosecution of real estate developer Fred Daibes, a codefendant in the trial, while helping him land a lucrative investment deal with Qatar, according to prosecutors.
Finally, prosecutors alleged, Menendez sought to conceal some of the bribe payments by characterizing them as loans.
Menendez said he was “deeply disappointed” by the verdict and plans to appeal.
Here is a look at each of the charges in the case:
Count 1: Conspiracy to commit bribery
This offense is related to the Egypt part of the scheme, as well as the federal bank fraud prosecution of Daibes and the Qatar elements.
Menendez was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery. Hana and Daibes were found guilty.
Count 2: Conspiracy to commit honest services fraud
The count involves every element of the alleged corruption scheme — Egypt, interference in the criminal cases and Qatar.
Menendez was found guilty of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Hana and Daibes were found guilty.
Count 3: Conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right
It also relates to the entire scheme.
Menendez was found guilty of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Hana and Daibes were not charged with this offense.
Count 4: Conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice
The count involves Menendez’s alleged efforts to disrupt a federal bank fraud case against Daibes.
Menendez was found guilty of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. Daibes was found guilty. Hana was not charged with this offense.
Count 5: Bribery
The charge alleges Menendez received bribes from Hana and Daibes in exchange for taking actions to benefit Hana’s halal certification monopoly and Egypt, including pressuring a Department of Agriculture official and promising to approve military aid to Egypt.
Menendez was found guilty of bribery. Hana and Daibes were charged under a separate count.
Count 6: Bribery
It alleges Hana and Daibes offered and gave bribes to Menendez and his wife, including cash, gold bars, mortgage payments to save Nadine Menendez’s home from foreclosure and a “low-or-no-show” job that paid her tens of thousands of dollars.
Hana and Daibes were found guilty of bribery. Menendez was not included in this count.
Count 7: Honest services wire fraud
The charge is connected to actions Menendez took to allegedly benefit Hana and Egypt while receiving things of value from Hana and Daibes.
Menendez was found guilty of honest services wire fraud. Hana and Daibes were found guilty.
Count 8: Extortion under color of official right
The charge is also connected to actions Menendez took to allegedly benefit Hana and Egypt while receiving things of value from Hana and Daibes.
Menendez was found guilty of extortion under color of official right. Hana and Daibes were not charged.
Count 9: Honest services wire fraud
It relates to Menendez’s alleged promise to disrupt the New Jersey attorney general’s prosecution and investigation of Uribe’s business associates in exchange for a Mercedes.
Menendez was found guilty of honest services wire fraud. Hana was found guilty. Daibes was not included.
Count 10: Extortion under color of official right
The charge relates to Menendez’s alleged attempts to interfere in criminal cases involving Uribe’s business associates in exchange for a Mercedes.
Menendez was found guilty of extortion under color of official right. Hana and Daibes were not charged.
Count 11: Bribery
The charge alleges Daibes gave Menendez and his wife gold bars and thousands of dollars in cash. In return, Menendez allegedly tried to use his influence to nominate a federal prosecutor who he thought could make a bank fraud case against Daibes go away. Menendez also made public statements in support of Qatar and introduced Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family who invested in his real estate project.
Menendez was found guilty of bribery. Daibes was charged in a separate count. Hana was not included.
Count 12: Bribery
This charge includes the same allegations as the previous count.
Daibes was found guilty of bribery. Menendez was charged in a separate count. Hana was not included.
Count 13: Honest services wire fraud
The charge involves Menendez’s actions that allegedly benefited Daibes and Qatar.
Menendez was found guilty of honest services wire fraud. Daibes was found guilty. Hana was not included on this count.
Count 14: Extortion under color of official right
The charge also relates Menendez’s actions that allegedly benefited Daibes and Qatar.
Menendez was found guilty of extortion under color of official right. Hana and Daibes were not charged.
Count 15: Conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent
This count relates to Menendez’s actions toward Egypt, including ghostwriting a letter on behalf of Egypt to lobby his Senate colleagues to release aid to the country and providing it with details about U.S. Embassy employees in Cairo.
Menendez was found guilty of conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent. Hana was found guilty. Daibes was not charged with this offense.
Count 16: Public official acting as a foreign agent
This count also stems from Menendez’s actions toward Egypt.
Menendez was found guilty of acting as a foreign agent while being a public official. Hana and Daibes, who are not public officials, were not indicted on this offense.
Count 17: Conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice
The count relates to Menendez writing his wife checks to pay back Hana for $23,000 in mortgage payments and $21,000 to Uribe for car payments after they learned they were under investigation.
Menendez was found guilty of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. Hana and Daibes were not included on this count.
Count 18: Obstruction of justice
The charge is also based on the checks Menendez wrote to his wife to pay back Hana and Uribe.
Menendez was found guilty of obstruction of justice. Hana and Daibes were not charged with this count.
Amazon
We’ve found one of the best deals of Amazon Prime Day 2024. It’ll save you 50% on a top-selling Ring video doorbell camera. If you’ve been considering adding a video doorbell to your home security system to battle porch pirates or unwanted guests, now is the time to buy. Amazon has slashed prices on Ring doorbells by up to 50% making securing your home easier and more affordable than ever.
The entry-level and current version of the Ring Video Doorbell is 50% off for Prime Day, so you’ll pay just $50 for it. Choose between a satin nickel or Venetian bronze housing color.
This Ring video doorbell model offers 1080p video resolution and allows you to see and hear whoever approaches your door using your smartphone, tablet, Amazon Echo home hub or computer. This recently enhanced model offers improved motion detection, crisper night vision and more privacy controls.
Once installed, the doorbell automatically sends your smartphone (or compatible equipment) a notification whenever its motion sensor is activated or someone physically presses the doorbell button. You can view who’s at the door and choose whether or not to speak with them in real-time from wherever you happen to be.
This video doorbell model can be powered using an internal (rechargeable) battery or be hardwired to your home’s existing doorbell wiring in less than 30 minutes and without needing an electrician.
The doorbell comes with a 180-day trial subscription to the Ring Protect service, which unlocks all of the video doorbell’s features and functions. A subscription then costs between $50 and $200 per year, depending on the service tier you choose. (You can still use the doorbell without a subscription.)
We’re tracking down all the best Prime Day discounts, including the best lightning deals and rival sales during Prime Day 2024. Whether you’re trying to find the best Prime Day deals on tech, Prime Day sales on beauty and fashion finds or Prime Day deals on health and fitness equipment, our team of expert deal hunters has you covered.
More Ring doorbell Prime Day deals
Amazon is making it easy to shore up your home security with terrific discounts on Ring doorbells this Prime Day. Below are the best Ring Prime Day deals.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: $100 (33% off)
Amazon
Released in 2023, this is a newer and slightly more feature-packed version of the Ring Video Doorbell. It’s currently on sale for $120, which is 20% off its usual $150 price.
One of the features that set this model of the Ring doorbell apart is that the 1526p resolution camera can display whoever approaches your door from a head-to-toe perspective. This lets you see if a delivery person leaves something on the ground near your door. Plus, this model offers real-time notifications and a two-way talk feature.
In addition to improved motion detection and more privacy options, this model offers full-color night vision, so you can see who’s at your door even if the porch light is turned off. This is a battery-powered (wireless) version of the Ring video doorbell. It comes with everything needed to install it in less than 30 minutes.
The doorbell comes with a 180-day trial subscription to the Ring Protect service. It works with any iPhone or Android phone, an Amazon Echo home hub, and most computers and tablets.
Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Chime combo: $70 (save 44%)
Amazon
This bundle deal is for the 2020 version of the Ring Video Doorbell and a Ring Chime accessory. The chime gets placed within your home and allows you to hear the doorbell when it rings, without having to refer to your smartphone, home hub, tablet or computer.
For a limited time, you can snag this bundle for just $70, which is a savings of 44% off of its usual $125 price. For the doorbell, choose between a satin nickel or Venetian bronze housing color. The integrated camera offers 1080p resolution, with motion detection, adjustable privacy zones and night vision capabilities.
It too comes with a 180-day trial subscription to the Ring Protect service. The doorbell runs using a rechargeable battery pack or can be hardwired to your home using your existing doorbell’s wiring.
Ring Stick Up Cam (battery powered): $55 (45% off)
Amazon
While a video doorbell allows you to see what’s happening around your home’s doorway, when you add one or more Ring Stick Up Cams around the outside perimeter of your home, you can monitor whatever is happening across a much wider space.
These wireless, battery-powered, indoor/outdoor, 1080p resolution cameras are currently 30% off on Amazon, so you’ll pay just $55. They work using the same mobile app as any of the Ring Video Doorbells.
Each camera has a built-in motion sensor and offers full-color night vision. And like the video doorbells, the Ring Stick Up Cam allows you to see and interact in real-time with anyone who approaches your property. The camera comes with a 180-day trial subscription to the Ring Protect service.
Ring Video Doorbell bundle with Stick Up Cam and Ring Alarm: $250 (38% off)
Amazon
This eight-piece bundle includes the Ring doorbell, Ring cam and Ring alarm. The 1080p HD video doorbell features enhanced motion detection, privacy zones and improved night vision.
Designed to be powered by a built-in rechargeable battery or connected to existing doorbell wires, the doorbell adds a sense of security for your home and surroundings.
The setup is easy, connecting to Wi-Fi through the Ring app and mounting with the tools included. The Ring app provides you with mobile notifications when someone presses the doorbell or triggers motion sensors. You can also pair it with your Alexa devices for announcements and added convenience.
Regularly $400, you can get this Ring video doorbell bundle for just $250 at Amazon.
Ring Floodlight Cam with motion detection $120 (40% off)
Amazon
The Ring Floodlight Cam features 1080p HD resolution with motion-activated LED floodlights, a 105dB security siren and two-way talk. It allows you to receive notifications on your phone and check in anytime with Live View in the Ring app.
The device can be easily hardwired and connected to Wi-Fi for continuous security. Pair it with Alexa or a compatible device to monitor your home and get real-time notifications when motion is detected around your driveway, garage or backyard.
When paired with the Ring app, this device enhances your security by allowing you to view what’s happening, turn on lights, speak to visitors and even sound the siren if needed.
Find the Ring Floodlight Cam on sale at Amazon for $120, reduced from $200.
Sen. Bob Menendez speaks after being convicted on all charges in corruption trial
Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial verdict, and the charges he was found guilty of
This Amazon Ring video doorbell deal is the best Prime Day steal we’ve seen so far
Sen. Bob Menendez speaks after being convicted on all charges in corruption trial
Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial verdict, and the charges he was found guilty of