BREAKING: FBI Refuses To Comply With House Oversight Subpoena; Comer Says Committee Now Moving On Contempt Of Congress

The FBI has informed the House Oversight Committee that it will not adhere to the subpoena demanding the unclassified documents connecting former Vice President Biden to the international bribery scandal.

Consequently, the House Oversight Committee announced plans to charge Christopher Wray, the Director of the FBI, with contempt of Congress.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued the following statement on the FBI’s refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena for unclassified records alleging a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national:

“Today, the FBI informed the Committee that it will not provide the unclassified documents subpoenaed by the Committee. The FBI’s decision to stiff-arm Congress and hide this information from the American people is obstructionist and unacceptable,” Comer stated.

“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.”

“Americans deserve the truth, and the Oversight Committee will continue to demand transparency from this nation’s chief law enforcement agency.”

BREAKING: The FBI has told House Oversight that it will NOT comply with a subpoena request for the unclassified documents it alleges directly link then-VP Biden to an international bribery scheme. The committee will now move to hold Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress. pic.twitter.com/Kfg9YZxUN7

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 30, 2023

On a Friday, Rep. Comer (R-KY) also sent a forceful letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, insisting on answers and accountability. In the letter, he voiced the committee’s escalating irritation over the concealment of the crime involving Biden with the foreign national.

Around the same time, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had issued an ultimatum to Wray: produce a document supposedly linking President Joe Biden to a bribery scheme or face contempt of Congress charges. McCarthy had made this declaration publicly on Fox News.

Contempt of Congress is a federal misdemeanor. It’s a statutory offense, applying to the proceedings of the Congress. This law is enacted to enforce obedience to mandates—such as subpoenas—issued by Congress, typically during investigations that committees are undertaking.

When an individual is charged with contempt of Congress, it means they have obstructed the work of either a single congressional committee or Congress as a whole. This usually involves refusing to testify or provide documents during a committee hearing or investigation.

After a contempt citation is issued, the matter is referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, whose duty it is to bring the issue before the grand jury. However, this is a matter of prosecutorial discretion. As an alternative, Congress can try to detain the person in contempt itself, or it can file a civil lawsuit asking a court to enforce the subpoena. The latter process has been the method most commonly used in recent years.

The document in question was said to contain testimony from an informant alleging President Biden’s participation in a $5 million bribery scheme during his term as vice president. The informant had disclosed this information in June 2020, coinciding with the interception of a supposed bribe by Ukrainian officials, aimed at halting an investigation into Mykola Zlochevsky, founder of Burisma Energy.

Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son and a board member of Burisma, was under federal scrutiny at the time for potential crimes tied to tax evasion and false statements on firearm purchase documentation.

While the FBI had provided Rep. Comer and the House Oversight Committee with a briefing on its informant activities, it had declined to release the document that would identify the informant and their testimony concerning President Biden’s alleged involvement in the bribery scheme. The Bureau had justified this by claiming that such a release would lend undeserved legitimacy to as-yet-unsubstantiated allegations.

In his letter, Comer referenced a previous communication from the committee, dated May 3, 2023, which brought attention to “legally protected and highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures.” These disclosures pointed to the existence of an FD-1023 form detailing a purported criminal operation involving Biden and a foreign individual. The committee had issued a subpoena demanding the release of all FD-1023 forms related to this case.

However, the FBI’s reaction fell short of the committee’s expectations. Comer noted that during a face-to-face meeting held on May 15, FBI personnel had neither produced the requested FD-1023 form nor proposed a reasonable solution for the committee’s examination. Expressing his dissatisfaction, Comer stated, “FBI requested a second briefing… the substance of that meeting… was unacceptable.”

After dispatching this sharp letter, Comer appeared on Sean Hannity’s show to further clarify his position.

Moreover, despite numerous requests, the FBI had failed to arrange a call with Senator Grassley and Chairman Comer to discuss the FD-1023 form. Comer asserted, “Senator Grassley and I remain open to speaking with you about the FD-1023 form.” However, the FBI’s lack of communication and cooperation forced the committee to intensify its response.

The committee’s frustration peaked during a subsequent meeting on May 22, 2023, when the FBI’s discussion revolved around general issues concerning the Confidential Human Source (CHS) program, instead of the specific document subpoenaed. Comer labeled the FBI’s evasive tactics as unacceptable.

The committee’s goal, Comer emphasized, was not to expose the CHS but to establish a reasonable review process. The committee even proposed to make necessary redactions and further limit the subpoena’s scope. Yet, the FBI denied the existence of the FD-1023 form and showed no willingness to engage in a cooperative process.

Labeling the FBI’s refusal to yield the document as obstructionist, Comer issued a stern warning. “If the FD-1023 form is not produced by May 30, 2023, the Committee will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.”

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