House Republicans are threatening to file contempt charges against FBI Director Christopher Wray after the agency neglected to hand over a subpoenaed document during a closed-door meeting.
James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, described how lawmakers are requesting a document from the FBI that purportedly details a “criminal scheme” involving former Vice President Joe Biden and an unnamed “foreign national.”
Comer threatened contempt proceedings against Wray.
“They don’t respect anyone in Congress,” Comer said on Fox News. “They’ve been able to get away with this for a long time. The media continues to turn a blind eye. The Senate Republicans continue to fund the FBI. Why would you change your business model when you’re getting everything you want?”
Comer demanded the document from Wray on Friday, accusing the agency of interfering with his subpoena issued with Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley on May 3. The agency has not yet delivered the document.
“At today’s staff briefing with FBI officials, the FBI again did not produce the unclassified record subpoenaed by Chairman Comer. The Oversight Committee will announce the next steps soon,” said Jessica Collins, a spokeswoman for the committee.
After weeks of impasse, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated on Sunday that he expects the FBI to turn over a file believed to contain evidence of bribery involving Vice President Joe Biden.
In an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” the Republican from California stated that the potential breakthrough occurred after he spoke with FBI Director Christopher Wray last week, according to The Daily Wire. The discussion concerned the bureau’s refusal to comply with a valid congressional subpoena for the file.
“I explained to the director that we will do everything in our power, and we have jurisdiction over the FBI, that we have the right to see this document,” McCarthy said during the interview. “I believe after this call, we will get this document.”
James Comer (R-Kentucky), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, issued a subpoena with a May 10 deadline for the file. Whistleblower disclosures, according to GOP investigators, indicate the existence of an FBI form detailing an alleged influence-peddling scheme involving Biden and a foreign national during his tenure as vice president.
On the deadline day, the FBI responded to the request by denying the existence of the specified record. The response also cautioned against releasing “unverified or incomplete” information that could “harm investigations, prejudice prosecutions or judicial proceedings, unfairly violate privacy or reputational interests, or create misimpressions among the general public.”
Comer appeared dissatisfied, despite the fact that Christopher Dunham, the acting Assistant Director for Congressional Affairs, committed to working with lawmakers to resolve the issue in his response.
“It’s clear from the FBI’s response that the unclassified record the Oversight Committee subpoenaed exists, but they are refusing to provide it to the Committee,” Comer said at the time. “We’ve asked the FBI to not only provide this record, but to also inform us what it did to investigate these allegations. The FBI has failed to do both.”
Democrats have accused Republicans of digging up any filth they can find on Biden in order to undermine him ahead of the 2020 presidential election. They have also been the target of verbal attacks from the White House.
“House Republicans have shown no evidence of any policy decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. national interests,” tweeted White House spokesperson Ian Sams last week. “That’s because they can’t.”
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
House Republicans have been focused on the bribery issue for months. In February, Comer’s committee launched an investigation into business dealings linked to the first family to include Joe Biden himself and his son, Hunter Biden, as well as others. CONTINUE READING…
