House Oversight Committee Initiates Contempt of Congress Process for FBI Director Christopher Wray

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has announced that contempt of Congress hearings against FBI Director Christopher Wray will commence on Thursday. The proceedings were initiated following a subpoena from Comer and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, demanding the FBI produce an FD-1023 form detailing an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national in exchange for policy decisions.

While the FBI agreed to bring the document to the Capitol for review, Comer deemed this insufficient and stated his intention to proceed with contempt of Congress proceedings.

According to Comer, FBI officials confirmed that the unclassified, FBI-generated record had not been disproven and is currently being used in an ongoing investigation. The source of this record, a trusted and highly credible informant who has worked with the FBI for years, had provided information regarding Vice President Biden’s alleged involvement in a criminal bribery scheme. Comer emphasized the need for further investigation to uncover the truth, expressing concerns about the FBI’s ability to enforce the law impartially and calling for transparency and accountability.

In response to the FBI’s actions, Comer declared the initiation of contempt of Congress proceedings since the FBI refused to hand over the unclassified record to the House Oversight Committee. Comer underscored the seriousness and complexity of the allegations within the document, asserting Congress’s responsibility to investigate and ensure accountability in the federal government.

Regarding the source of the document, Fox News reported that it came from a pre-existing, highly credible FBI source unrelated to the Biden family investigations. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, an Oversight Committee member, acknowledged the source’s credibility but noted that the reported information was secondhand hearsay from a conversation with someone else.

The FBI defended its actions, stating that it offered access to the requested document and a briefing to provide context. The bureau argued that the confidentiality protections sought were necessary to safeguard the physical safety of sources and maintain the integrity of investigations, citing routine employment of such measures in response to congressional requests and criminal proceedings.