House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is threatening FBI Director Christopher Wray with a charge of contempt of Congress.
The move comes after an investigation by the House Oversight Committee. As CBN News reported last month, the committee announced it had evidence of an alleged “pay for play” scheme by then Vice President Joe Biden and his family. The committee is seeking an unclassified document with whistleblower testimony it believes will advance the investigation.
Speaker McCarthy told Fox News that Wray at first didn’t acknowledge the bureau even had the document. Later, in a statement, the FBI said it would make the document available in a reading room at the U.S. Capitol, a safeguard sometimes used to protect sources.
“That’s not how the Constitution works,” McCarthy said.
The House Speaker said contempt proceedings will begin against Wray on Thursday if he doesn’t release the actual unclassified document to the committee. He told Fox the document purports to accuse Biden of being involved in a scheme that involved foreign money being supplied to LLCs and that Biden family members were allegedly receiving money from those LLCs.
“This business the Bidens have: they don’t own any real estate. They don’t make anything. They don’t manufacture anything. But a lot of people in the Biden family get money — down to grandchildren, down to in-laws, but they don’t work there. Isn’t that a little awkward or odd, Doesn’t that raise the prospect that maybe you should look at this further?” McCarthy said.
Comer: FBI Not in Compliance with Subpoena
Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) has subpoenaed Wray for a copy of the document and warns he is prepared to hold him in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t provide it.
Comer says a more-than-hourlong briefing he and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the panel, received Monday from bureau officials about a June 2020 document that purportedly relates to Biden and his family, did not amount to compliance with the subpoena.
“The FBI again refused to hand over the unclassified record to the custody of the House Oversight Committee,” Comer told reporters after the briefing. “And we will now initiate contempt of Congress hearings this Thursday.”
The House Oversight Committee on Monday tweeted, “The FBI has refused to comply with @RepJamesComer ‘s subpoena. On Thursday, our committee will vote on holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress as a result.”
The FBI has refused to comply with @RepJamesComer‘s subpoena.
On Thursday, our committee will vote on holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress as a result.
https://t.co/fdlk96nbWk— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) June 5, 2023
In response to the contempt threat, Raskin said in a statement, “The FBI accommodated Chairman Comer’s May 3 subpoena by making available for in-person review the requested FD-1023 form and answering my and Chairman Comer’s questions for over an hour.”
“As the FBI explained at length during today’s briefing, and in previous conversations leading up to today’s accommodation, releasing this form publicly could place the Confidential Human Source in grave danger and undermine the integrity of FBI programs and investigations going forward,” the Maryland congressman added.
Comer said the document contains allegations that show a “pattern of bribery” in the Biden family that is consistent with other claims the committee is investigating.
The FBI said in a statement that the escalation to a contempt vote was “unwarranted” considering the bureau had “continuously demonstrated its commitment to accommodate the committee’s request,” while protecting the safety of sources and integrity of ongoing investigations.
The White House called the decision by Comer to move forward with contempt “another fact-free stunt” intended to “spread thin innuendo to try to damage the President politically and get himself media attention.”
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