Democrat Zoe Lofgren is now up. She says that she is concerned whether the FBI "has been reluctant to do its job" when it comes to investigating Donald Trump.

She asks whether the FBI started looking into the ex-president's role in 6 January Capitol riots the day after they happened, or if their probe was delayed.

Wray responds by saying he cannot discuss ongoing investigations.

Lofgren references reporting by the Washington Post, which she says makes clear the FBI resisted pursuing the president "vigorously", with both the riots and his handling of classified documents.

Wray says his agency "takes great pains to be rigorous, professional, objective, and follow all policies and procedures ... and sometimes that is frustrating to others".

It's now Republican Thomas Massie's turn to speak and he asks Wray about an ongoing FBI investigation into pipe bombs that were placed near the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee on 5 January, 2021, one day before the riots on Capitol Hill.

Massie accuses the FBI of not being forthcoming on its findings.

In a defence of the investigation, Wray says the FBI has "done thousands of interviews, reviewed 40,000 video files, assessed 500 tips," in relation to the case.

"It's been 900 days, you need to tell us what you find," Massie responds.

Republican House representative Mike Johnson is up first in today's round of questioning.

The director and Johnson engage in a heated back-and-forth on the FBI's stance on misinformation and free speech.

Both men interrupted each other throughout the exchange, which seems to be the tone we can expect from today.

Image source, Reuters

We're now hearing from the FBI director Christopher Wray, who has given his opening remarks.

Wray praises the "sheer breadth and impact of the work" the FBI's 38,000 employees do everyday, from targeting drug cartels to investigating claims of Chinese spying.

"The work that they do to protect the American people go way beyond the one or two investigations" that have captured headlines, he says.

"Those men and women would choose to dedicate their careers, their lives, to this kind of work and to fulfil the FBI mission are inspiring," Wray adds.

A face-off between the FBI and House Republicanspublished at 15:32 British Summer Time 12 July 2023

15:32 BST 12 July 2023

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Chris Wray’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee will be as much about congressional Republicans publicly airing grievances as it is the FBI director reporting on the state of his agency.

Central to Republican concerns are the way the FBI has handled multiple Justice Department investigations into Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.

The former included an unprecedented search of the former president’s Mar-a-Lago home last year and culminated in his indictment on multiple felonies.

The latter resulted in a plea deal on tax evasion and gun charges with no prison time.

The concern, according to conservatives, is that the FBI and government investigations have been politicised – or “weaponised”, in a term they frequently use – by the Democrats.

It’s part of what conservatives say is a two-tier system of federal law enforcement that treats the right differently than the left.

Republicans are also sure to bring up the 2016 Russian election-meddling investigation, and the conclusion by special counsel John Durham that the FBI should not have opened up a full inquiry into possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives.

Much of this has little to do with Wray, who he himself was appointed by a Republican - Donald Trump - after the then-president fired FBI director James Comey.

Conservative gripes, however, are with what they see as ongoing political bias in the FBI’s entire leadership structure – a point they are sure to make repeatedly over the next few hours.

We've heard from Republican Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Democrat Jerry Nadler.

Jordan outlined a series of claims about corruption of the FBI. He says he hopes Democrats will work with Republican lawmakers "to stop the weaponisation of the government against the American people".

Nadler, in response, says these claims are "performance art" to protect Donald Trump from the consequences of his actions, referring to the indictment of the former president in relation to his handling of classified documents.

"You'll hear claims that the indictment against Trump is unfair, maybe even unlawful," Nadler says.

He says these claims are made by Republicans with the goal to get Trump re-elected in 2024.

"I trust in the rule of law, Mr Trump will have his day in court," Nadler says.

Image source, EPA

He may have been appointed by then-president Donald Trump, but FBI director Christopher Wray is not too popular with some Republicans.

This hearing, with a Republican-majority committee, puts him on a collision course with lawmakers who have actively called for his impeachment.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced Articles of Impeachment against Wray back in May, for what she claimed was the director “turning the FBI into Joe Biden and Merrick Garland's personal police force”.

Greene’s impeachment resolution is co-sponsored by six Republicans, two of whom sit on the Judiciary Committee who will grill Wray today — Barry Moore and Jeff Van Drew.

And the chair of the Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, is a staunch Trump ally.

Last month, Jordan told CNN he believes “federal agencies have been turned on the American people”.

The hearing has started, with committee chairman Jim Jordan giving his opening remarks.

You can click the Play button at the top of this page to watch a live stream.

The hearing is titled: "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation".

The House Judiciary Committee’s website says the hearing “will examine the politicisation of the nation's preeminent law enforcement agency under the direction of FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland”.

A main point of discussion will likely be former president Donald Trump’s indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents, which came after the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Another topic likely to be discussed is the plea deal for President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.

The plea deal - for two misdemeanour tax crimes and admitting to illegally possessing a gun while a drug user - was criticised by top Republicans as evidence of a "two-tiered system of justice".

Image source, Getty Images

The committee‘s website says it acts as “the lawyer for the House of Representatives”.

Perhaps the most notable role it serves is during impeachment proceedings.

The committee approved impeachment resolutions against Donald Trump in 2019, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Richard Nixon in 1974.

The focus of the committee is broad and includes law enforcement agencies, federal courts and homeland security.

Any legislation that carries a possibility for criminal or civil penalties can be referred to the committee.

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan is the current chairman, and Republicans hold a majority in the committee.

Image source, Reuters

The star witness of today’s hearing is the FBI director, Christopher Wray.

Former President Donald Trump tapped Wray to be the FBI’s chief back in 2017 during a chaotic time for the bureau.

Wray took over from acting director Andrew McCabe, who was appointed on an interim basis after Trump dramatically sacked James Comey.

Wray is a former assistant attorney general and was head of the justice department's criminal division during the George W Bush administration.

The New York Times, at the time of his appointment, described Wray as a “safe, mainstream pick” that is "likely to allay the fears of FBI agents who worried that Mr Trump would try to weaken or politicise the FBI".

Hello and thank you for joining our coverage of FBI director Christopher Wray appearing before the House Judiciary Committee.

Wray was called on by the committee, led by Republicans in the lower chamber of Congress, to answer questions about claims of “politicisation of the nation's preeminent law enforcement”.

Lawmakers are expected to grill Wray, who was appointed by former US president Donald Trump, about the FBI's investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, as well as other cases.

Stay tuned as we bring you coverage and analysis of the hearing.