House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is initiating measures to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress following the Bureau’s refusal to comply with a subpoena regarding a potential criminal scheme involving former Vice President Joe Biden.
Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, has issued a subpoena to the FBI for an FD-1023 form, which allegedly contains information about a criminal scheme implicating Biden and a foreign national in money-for-policy decisions.
Initially subpoenaed earlier this month, the FBI declined to hand over the document, citing the need to protect the confidentiality of its human source program.
Comer set a new deadline last week, requiring Wray to produce the document by Tuesday, May 30. Wray then scheduled a call with Comer for Wednesday, May 31.
However, the FBI informed the committee that it would not provide the requested document by the Tuesday afternoon deadline.
“On this day, the FBI notified the Committee of its refusal to provide the unclassified documents subpoenaed by the Committee,” Comer stated on Tuesday.
“The FBI’s decision to stiff-arm Congress and hide this information from the American people is obstructionist and unacceptable.”
“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,” Comer said.
He added: “Americans deserve the truth, and the Oversight Committee will continue to demand transparency from this nation’s chief law enforcement agency.”
The requested document has gained significance after a whistleblower approached Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, claiming that the FBI and the Justice Department had the document in their possession. The whistleblower stated that the document would provide “a detailed account of the employed criminal scheme and its intended objective.”
