House Republicans will move to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress after Wray refused to provide information about what House Republicans have described as “a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national.”
According to a news release on the committee’s website, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer of Kentucky announced Wray’s resistance on Tuesday.
“Today, the FBI informed the Committee that it will not provide the unclassified documents subpoenaed by the Committee. The FBI’s decision to stiff-arm Congress and hide this information from the American people is obstructionist and unacceptable,” Comer said.
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Today, the FBI informed @GOPoversight that it will not provide the unclassified documents subpoenaed by the Committee.
The Committee will now be taking steps to hold FBI Director Wray in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a lawful subpoena.
Statement.👇 pic.twitter.com/VY3WudlFkG
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) May 30, 2023
“While I have a call scheduled with FBI Director Wray tomorrow to discuss his response further, the Committee has been clear in its intent to protect Congressional oversight authorities and will now be taking steps to hold the FBI Director in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a lawful subpoena,” he said.
“Americans deserve the truth, and the Oversight Committee will continue to demand transparency from this nation’s chief law enforcement agency,” Comer continued.
According to findlaw.com, if the full House votes to find Wray in criminal contempt of Congress and the Department of Justice or U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecutes the case, he could face up to one year in prison or a $100,000 fine.
If there is no criminal prosecution, Congress can file a civil suit in federal court and, if successful, obtain whatever was initially denied to it.
According to the Washington Times, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy supports proceeding with the allegation.
“We will move contempt charges against Christopher Wray and the FBI. They are not above the law,” he said.
“We have jurisdiction over the FBI, which they seem to act like we do not. I personally called Director Wray and told him he needed to send that document. Today is the deadline,” he said.
In a previous press release posted on the website of the House Oversight Committee, Comer referred to the refusal as “obstructionist.”
“Whistleblower disclosures that Joe Biden may have been involved in a criminal bribery scheme as vice president track closely with what we are seeing in our investigation into the Biden family’s influence-peddling schemes. Congress and the American people need to know what, if anything, the FBI did to verify the allegations contained within this record,” he said.
More on this story via The Western Journal:
In an earlier letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Wray, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Comer explained what they wanted and why it was needed. CONTINUE READING…
