In a heated political climate, Maryland Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin, a key player in the House Oversight Committee, has requested the FBI to disclose public evidence, assuring that President Joe Biden isn’t involved in a federal bribery investigation. This is a consequence of allegations from an FBI informant, documented in form FD-1023, implicating Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in a purported $5 million bribery scheme with a foreign entity.
Raskin, alongside House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, reviewed the controversial FD-1023 form and received a detailed briefing during a private meeting with high-ranking FBI officials on June 5. The consequent responses from Raskin and Comer show a clear divide: Comer maintains that the FD-1023-associated investigation is still in progress, whereas Raskin argues it was concluded due to insufficient proof. The allegations have been staunchly refuted by Biden, dismissing them as “a bunch of malarkey.”
After the briefing, Raskin penned a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, asking for written confirmation of the non-confidential information provided during the meeting. As per Raskin, evaluating the credibility and substance of the second-hand allegations outlined in form FD-1023 is crucial. His request to publicize this evidence is driven by the need to assert Biden’s innocence and contradict Comer’s allegations about the ongoing investigation.
Following the FBI meeting, Comer announced on Fox News that “according to the FBI and former Attorney General Bill Barr, Joe Biden is currently under investigation for bribery.” He referred to Barr’s interview with the Federalist, where Barr discredited the idea of the investigation’s closure. He argued the case was transferred to Delaware for further scrutiny. This directly opposed Raskin’s assertion that Barr’s office had initiated but eventually ceased an investigation into the bribery allegations against Biden.
In addition, Comer suggested that the information contained in the FBI’s FD-1023 form didn’t originate from Rudy Giuliani and was indeed sent to Delaware for further investigation, as confirmed by Barr. This adds another layer to the ongoing disagreement over the status of the Biden bribery investigation.
The FBI briefing was intended to provide the necessary context to comprehend the FD-1023 form and the associated investigation. Raskin wrote to Wray that the briefing indicated this form was produced as part of an “assessment” ordered by former Attorney General Bill Barr. This was designed to investigate corruption charges against Biden by Rudy Giuliani, a former New York City Mayor who received Hunter Biden’s laptop from a Delaware computer repairman.
Giuliani alleged that Biden pressured Ukrainian officials to dismiss top Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin by threatening to withhold $1 billion in guaranteed loans. This was supposedly because Shokin planned to investigate Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company employing his son, Hunter Biden.
Despite corruption charges leading to Shokin’s dismissal in April 2016, he stated in an affidavit to a European court that his removal was due to his refusal to end the Burisma investigation.
After eight months of investigative work, Raskin stated that Brady’s team found insufficient evidence to escalate their “assessment” probe into a full investigation. Raskin suggested that Comer’s public statements contradicted the information provided by the FBI during the meeting. Comer, however, insisted that Raskin was not telling the truth when he claimed the FD-1023 assessment was shut down.
This all occurs as Republicans intensify their investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings following the indictment of former President Donald Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents. Republicans maintain their strong commitment to shedding light on potential misconduct, underscoring the importance of transparency and justice in these highly charged matters.