House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a major warning to President Joe Biden during a press conference on Monday, where he also put FBI Director Christopher Wray on notice.
Comer said that he would move to hold Wray in contempt for repeatedly failing to turn over a subpoenaed document in an ongoing congressional investigation regarding alleged corruption that includes the president and his family.
But he also said that he has now at least seen the document — an FD-1023 that cites allegations from a source the bureau has used frequently in the past and adjudged to be a “very credible source.”
“Today, FBI officials confirmed that the unclassified, FBI-generated record has not been disproven and stated several times the information contained within it is currently being used in an ongoing investigation,” Comer said.
“The confidential human source who provided information about then-Vice President Biden being involved in a criminal bribery scheme is a trusted, highly credible informant who has been used by the FBI for years,” he continued.
“These are facts and no amount of spin, and frankly lies, from the White House or Congressional Democrats can change this information,” he said. At the briefing, the FBI again refused to hand over the unclassified record to the custody of the House Oversight Committee and we will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.
“Given the severity and complexity of the allegations contained within this record, Congress must investigate further,” Comer added.
“Americans have lost trust in the FBI’s ability to enforce the law impartially and demand answers, transparency, and accountability. The Oversight Committee must follow the facts for the American people and ensure the federal government is held accountable,” he said.
He then warned the president: “The investigation is not dead. This is only the beginning.”
???
The FBI confirmed the unclassified record alleging then-VP Biden engaged in a $5 million bribery scheme is from a highly credible informant & being used in an ongoing investigation.
The FBI refused to hand over the doc.
I will hold Director Wray in contempt of Congress pic.twitter.com/2p1fNdmBJ1
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) June 5, 2023
CNN’s Manu Raju said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) supports holding Wray in contempt.
“It can’t be where you show documents just to the chair and the ranking, all the members have the right to see the document,” McCarthy said, according to Raju.
“If he doesn’t allow every member in the committee to see the documents, we have jurisdiction, they have the right to see it, you’re not going to pick one or two people, we’ll move contempt,” McCarthy added.
“If he doesn't allow every member in the committee to see the documents, we have jurisdiction, they have the right to see it, you're not going to pick one or two people, we’ll move contempt,” McCarthy said
FBI concerned release of Biden doc to Hill could compromise human sources— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 5, 2023