GOP House members want to hold FBI Director in contempt for not following subpoena.

House Republicans Divided on Contempt for FBI Director Over Whistleblower Allegations Against Biden

House Republicans are at odds over whether to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee. The subpoena seeks a document with whistleblower allegations that now-President Joe Biden received a bribe from a foreign official.

The Allegations

In a letter to Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote that they have received legally protected and highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures. The disclosures allege that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) possess an unclassified FD-1023 form that describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.

The May 3 subpoena required the FBI to hand over any FD-1023 forms with the word “Biden” in them. The FBI refused to comply with the subpoena’s May 10 deadline.

The Response

“It’s clear from the FBI’s response that the unclassified record the Oversight Committee subpoenaed exists, but they are refusing to provide it to the Committee. We’ve asked the FBI to not only provide this record, but to also inform us what it did to investigate these allegations,” said Comer in a statement.

“While the FBI has failed to produce the specific document by the subpoena deadline, their offer to provide an accommodation process in response to our legitimate request indicates the document is real,” said Grassley in a statement.

A spokesperson for the FBI said that revealing such documents would jeopardize investigations.

Republican Reaction

Several House GOP members have expressed their willingness to hold Wray in contempt of Congress.

• “The FBI’s position is ‘trust, but you aren’t allowed to verify.’ That is unacceptable. We plan to follow up with the FBI and expect compliance with the subpoena,” said Comer.
• “The American people pay the FBI’s salaries, and they’re entitled to a fulsome response,” said Grassley.

The allegations against Biden are serious, and the American people deserve to know the truth. It remains to be seen whether the FBI will comply with the subpoena and provide the requested documents.