House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said he will begin contempt of Congress proceedings against FBI Director Christopher Wray if the bureau does not physically turn over the Biden document alleging a criminal bribery scheme, despite the FBI giving lawmakers access to the information at headquarters.
The document in question is an FBI-generated FD-1023 form that allegedly describes a $5 million criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.
REPUBLICANS TO HOLD FBI DIRECTOR WRAY IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS OVER BIDEN DOCUMENT
Comer had subpoenaed the document and set a May 30 deadline for Wray to physically turn it over to the committee, threatening to hold him in contempt of Congress if the deadline was missed. The FBI did not comply with the subpoena but instead offered assurances that lawmakers could access the information in a secure setting.
Comer, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Wray participated in a phone call Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the accommodations the FBI could offer for congressional oversight efforts, while maintaining the integrity of bureau investigations.
“Today, FBI Director Wray confirmed the existence of the FD-1023 form alleging then-Vice President Biden engaged in a criminal bribery scheme with a foreign national,” Comer said in a statement. “However, Director Wray did not commit to producing the documents subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee.
“While Director Wray—after a month of refusing to even acknowledge that the form existed—has offered to allow us to see the documents in person at FBI headquarters, we have been clear that anything short of producing these documents to the House Oversight Committee is not in compliance with the subpoena,” Comer explained.
“During today’s call, Director Wray offered to provide the Committee’s Chairman and Ranking Member an opportunity to review information responsive to the subpoena in a secure manner to accommodate the committee, while protecting the confidentiality and safety of sources and important investigative sensitives,” the FBI said in a statement. “The FBI has continually demonstrated its commitment to working with the Committee to accommodate its request, from scheduling briefings and calls to now allowing the Chair to review information in person. The FBI remains committed to cooperating with the Committee in good faith.”
Grassley said that the FBI “continues to treat Congress like second class citizens by refusing to provide a specific unclassified record.”
“Director Wray confirmed what my whistleblowers have told me pursuant to legally protected disclosures: the FBI-generated document is real, but the bureau has yet to provide it to Congress in defiance of a legitimate congressional subpoena,” Grassley said. “This failure comes with consequences.”
The FBI has repeatedly indicated it will not physically turn over the document to protect confidential human sources and avoid exposing methods.
The document is being sought after a whistleblower approached Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, alleging that the FBI and the Justice Department were in possession of it and that it would reveal “a precise description of how the alleged criminal scheme was employed as well as its purpose.”
Last week, Comer attempted to “narrow the breadth of the subpoena” in response to FBI staff criticisms, and the committee determined “additional terms based on unclassified legally protected whistleblower disclosures that may be referenced in the FD-1023 form.” The terms included “June 30, 2020” and “five million.”
The back-and-forth came after Comer and Grassley notified Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland this month about the “legally protected and highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures.”
Comer and Grassley said that based on “the alleged specificity within the document, it would appear that the DOJ and the FBI have enough information to determine the truth and accuracy of the information contained within it.”
The White House has maintained that the president never spoke to his son, Hunter Biden, about his business dealings and that the president was never involved in them. Officials also say the president has never discussed investigations into members of his family with the Justice Department.