NEW: FBI Blocked Probe Into Chinese Election Meddling, Documents Reveal

The FBI blocked an investigation into allegations that the Chinese government manufactured fake driver’s licenses and shipped them to the United States as part of a scheme to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. The scheme, which was allegedly hatched to benefit then-candidate Joe Biden, was covered up because it would “contradict” then-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony before Congress, newly declassified FBI documents reveal.

The records, which were obtained by Fox News, include communications between FBI officials ahead of the 2020 election. They were recently declassified by FBI Director Kash Patel and transmitted to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

Earlier this month, it was reported that Patel had located and declassified the original reporting document alleging the Chinese Communist Party conspired to deliver fraudulent driver’s licenses to Chinese nationals in the U.S. who would then vote for Joe Biden in the presidential election. The document did not reveal whether the ballots were ever cast.

That document, dated September 25, 2020, came just a day after Director Wray testified before Congress that the FBI had not uncovered any evidence of widespread voter fraud ahead of the 2020 election.

At the time, the FBI had noted that it had recalled the report “in order to re-interview the source.” It also directed “recipients” of the original report to “destroy all copies of the original report and remove the original report from all computer holdings,” Fox News reported.

Earlier this week, Patel declassified a number of additional documents, including records relating to the re-interview of the source, and communications between FBI officials at the time that outlined the bureau’s reasoning for opting not to republish the report.

“Although the source was reengaged and provided additional context to support the initial IIR, FBI Headquarters maintained its position not to republish the report,” Assistant FBI Director Marshall Yates wrote in a letter to Grassley. “One reason cited for not releasing the IIR was because ‘the reporting will contradict Director Wray’s testimony.’”

During a Senate hearing on September 24, 2020, Wray testified that he had not seen any evidence of widespread voter fraud by mail. He further claimed that if he had, he would investigate it “seriously” and “aggressively.”

“We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it is by mail or otherwise,” Wray testified. But “people should make no mistake. We are vigilant as to the threat and watching it carefully, because we are in uncharted new territory.”

The FBI director did concede that the Chinese government had been “expanding their influence efforts,” saying they had been “looking for different ways to take a page out of the malign foreign influence playbook that they have seen elsewhere.”

In his letter to Grassley, Yates explained that the recall of the original document was “abnormal.”

“The rationale provided to Albany staff for the recall was that Headquarters deemed the report not ‘authoritative,’ but this characterization was met with disagreement by those in the Albany office,” Yates explained.

Grassley told Fox News Digital: “These records smack of political decision-making and prove the Wray-led FBI to be a deeply broken institution. Ahead of a high-stakes election happening amid an unprecedented global pandemic, the FBI turned its back on its national security mission.”

“One way or the other, intelligence must be fully investigated to determine whether it’s true or if it’s just smoke and mirrors,” Grassley said.