Wray, raised concerns about the selection process for the new FBI headquarters. Wray criticized the Biden administration's decision to choose Greenbelt, Maryland over an alternative site in Springfield, Virginia, stating that the General Services Administration (GSA) demanded the relocation to Maryland despite the better scoring of the Virginia site on selection criteria.

In a statement, Wray expressed disappointment with the lack of fairness and transparency in the process and GSA's failure to adhere to its own site selection plan. He also raised concerns about a conflict of interest, claiming that a senior official at GSA overruled a site selection panel in favor of the Greenbelt location. The official in question is Nina M. Albert, a former vice president for the transit authority who served as GSA's director of real estate until last month. Wray pointed out that Albert's previous position at the transit authority and her current role as the acting deputy mayor for planning and economic development in the District of Columbia raised concerns about impartiality.

Robin Carnahan, the administrator of GSA, responded to Wray's claims, accusing him of making inaccurate claims directed at her employees. She defended the process and the decision, stating that there was no inappropriate interference and that they stood behind the entire selection process and the public servants involved.

The selection of Greenbelt for the new FBI headquarters has drawn mixed reactions. Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, along with a bipartisan group of Virginia House members, called the decision "irrevocably undermined and tainted" and demanded that the plan be abandoned. Lawmakers in Maryland and Virginia have long been at odds over the location of the headquarters.

The proposed new campus would be built near the Greenbelt Metro station as part of a larger multiuse development. It would replace the deteriorating J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington, which has been covered in netting to protect pedestrians from falling concrete. The new headquarters would accommodate most of the FBI's employees, while a smaller office would still be maintained in downtown Washington.

The selection of Greenbelt is seen as a boost to Prince George's County, one of the largest majority-Black suburbs in the nation. Leaders in the county have touted the site as a crucial economic project, highlighting its ample space for expansion, access to public transportation and major highways, and a more diverse range of businesses compared to the Hoover building location. The decision to build in Greenbelt also takes into account the historical racial inequities in the FBI's hiring practices and improper surveillance of civil rights leaders during J. Edgar Hoover's tenure as director.

The plan to move the FBI headquarters to the suburbs has had a long and contentious history. In 2018, the Trump administration scrapped earlier plans to select a site in Virginia or Maryland, proposing instead to rebuild at the existing location and relocate some employees to other states. However, lawmakers in Maryland and Virginia reversed that decision after Trump left office, reviving the plan to move the headquarters to the suburbs.

The final approval of the plan and the funding for the new headquarters will ultimately rest with Congress. However, Wray's doubts about the selection process and his political leverage as the FBI director could potentially impact the approval process. House Republicans may seize on his concerns to hold up funding or demand changes. The outcome of this battle over the FBI's new headquarters remains uncertain, with both sides presenting their arguments and concerns.