FBI Director Christopher Wray refuted accusations of bias against conservatives during a tense House committee hearing on Wednesday, calling the notion "somewhat insane." Responding to Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Wray, a registered Republican, defended his leadership and the FBI's actions, citing his personal background as evidence against the claims.

Hageman pointed to the Twitter files, Missouri v. Biden disclosures, the Durham investigation, and the "Russian collusion hoax" as reasons for public distrust in the FBI. She accused the agency of weaponization against conservatives and of circumventing the First Amendment by using social media companies as proxies to suppress free speech. Wray denied involvement in weekly meetings with these companies and stated that any such meetings would be on hold due to the injunction.

(L) Rep. Harriet Hageman (R) FBI Director Christopher Wray (Getty Images)

He also denied that the Biden administration violated First Amendment rights through collaboration with social media platforms. When pressed on whether disciplinary actions were taken following the court ruling, Wray declined to comment on "personnel matters." He maintained his commitment to ensuring the agency operates ethically and legally.

Representative Kevin McCarthy speaking with Representative-elect Harriet Hageman (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Wray emphasized that the FBI's role is not to "police" speech but to collaborate lawfully with companies to protect communities from threats like child predators, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors. He reiterated that the FBI does not censor content or tell social media companies which accounts to restrict.

Christopher Wray being sworn in during a House Judiciary Committee hearing (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Following the hearing, Hageman criticized Wray for dismissing concerns about bias within the FBI, citing the Missouri v. Biden decision, Twitter Files, and whistleblowers as evidence. She specifically called out the Foreign Influence Task Force, formed under Wray's leadership, for allegedly suppressing conservative voices.

An FBI press release issued during Wray's testimony underscored the agency's position on social media censorship, stating that the FBI's focus is on working with companies to combat crime and national security threats, not on policing online content.