Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) says the FBI has failed to produce an unclassified document alleging President Joe Biden may have engaged in a criminal bribery scheme, and that Republicans in turn will move to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.
In a May 3 letter, Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, joined by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) revealed that they received “highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures” that the FBI possessed an unclassified record that “describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money-for-policy decisions.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray has since confirmed that the document exists but, in an escalating showdown with House Republicans over the document, has refused to release it to the panel.
Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and the White House have each refuted the credibility of the document.
Raskin said it was based on previous “allegations that went nowhere.” The White House has described Comer’s investigation as a “silly charade” intended to tarnish the president’s reputation and boost Republicans’ poll numbers.
After a June 5 meeting with Wray to view the document, Comer claimed that Wray confirmed that this is not the case. Wray allegedly acknowledged that the document is credible, comes from a long-trusted FBI source, and is currently the subject of an active FBI investigation.
“Today, FBI officials confirmed that the unclassified FBI-generated record has not been disproven and is currently being used in an ongoing investigation,” Comer said. “The confidential human source who provided information about then-Vice President Biden being involved in a criminal bribery scheme is a trusted, highly credible informant who has been used by the FBI for over 10 years, and has been paid over six figures.
Comer said the FBI “refused to hand over the unclassified record” to the Oversight panel, and that Republicans will follow through on initiating contempt of Congress proceedings against Wray.
“At the briefing, the FBI again refused to hand over the unclassified record to the custody of the House Oversight Committee. And we will now initiate contempt of Congress hearings this Thursday,” Comer said.
The threat to hold Wray in contempt has won the important backing of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who on May 30 said he’d help hold Wray in contempt if it came to that.
The development in the growing feud between Congress and the FBI comes amid a flurry of GOP investigations into the Biden family and the president’s administration.
Previous reports based on findings from Hunter Biden’s laptop and testimony from former business associates suggest that the elder Biden took part in Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine, and received a cut of the profits from the deals—including while he was vice president.
If Comer is right about the authenticity and credibility of the document, it could prompt Republicans to undertake further legal action against the embattled president, who has announced that he will seek a second term in office.
Should Oversight Republicans advance a contempt-of-Congress charge through the panel, it will then be taken up by a vote of the full House. If the House votes to recommend charges, it will be up to Attorney General Merrick Garland to determine if a crime took place.
The FBI did not reply to a request for comment.
From The Epoch Times