Republicans accuse the FBI of withholding an unclassified document that implicates President Joe Biden in a criminal bribery scheme.
In a new twist to the ongoing conflict between Republicans and the FBI, Representative James Comer (R-Ky.) has accused the bureau of withholding an unclassified document that allegedly implicates President Joe Biden in a criminal bribery scheme.
Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has stated that if the document is not released, Republicans will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against FBI Director Christopher Wray.
The revelation came to light in a letter dated May 3, by Comer and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). They claimed to have received “highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures” indicating the existence of a document 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.”
While Wray has confirmed the document’s existence, he has refused to provide it to the committee, leading to an intensifying standoff between House Republicans and the FBI.
Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and the White House have challenged the document’s credibility, dismissing it as based on unsubstantiated allegations.
In a recent meeting with Wray, Comer stated that the FBI director acknowledged the document’s credibility, its origin from a trusted FBI source, and its current status as the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation. Comer emphasized the importance of the document, asserting that no amount of spin or denials from the White House or congressional Democrats could change the facts.
Comer stated, “Today, FBI officials confirmed that the unclassified FBI-generated record has not been disproven and is currently being used in an ongoing investigation,” added, “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”
“These are facts, and no amount of spin and, frankly, lies from the White House or congressional Democrats can change this information,” Comer said.
Expressing frustration over the FBI’s refusal to hand over the unclassified record, Comer announced the Republicans’ intention to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Wray.
Comer expressed to the Epoch Times that the documents should be open to all: “I think everybody should see it.”
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) supported this move, insisting that every member of the committee should have access to the document for oversight purposes. He said, “Everybody on that committee has the responsibility of oversight….[Wray] needs to supply it to everybody on the committee. If not we will move forward.”
The clash between Congress and the FBI occurs against the backdrop of a series of Republican investigations into the Biden family and the administration.
Previous reports have raised questions about President Joe Biden’s involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine, suggesting that the former vice president may have profited from those arrangements.
Should the alleged document be deemed authentic and credible, it could potentially trigger further legal actions against President Biden, who has announced his intention to seek a second term. If the Oversight Committee advances a contempt charge, it will require a full House vote. If the charges are recommended, Attorney General Merrick Garland will be tasked with determining whether a crime has occurred.
The FBI, in response to inquiries, has called the move to proceed with contempt proceedings against Wray “unwarranted.”
“The FBI has continually demonstrated its commitment to accommodate the committee’s request, including by producing the document in a reading room at the U.S. Capitol,” an FBI spokesperson stated.
