Comer vs. Wray

FBI officials today briefed congressional leaders on a potential bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden. The briefing centered around an FBI document from a transcribed interview with a “highly credible” source. The issue at hand is what the FBI did or did not do with this information.

Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee and Sen. Charles Grassley want to know if the FBI investigated the allegation or ignored it as more “Russian disinformation.”

It is important to recall how we got here. Wray and the FBI ignored a subpoena and refused to allow congressional oversight leaders to even see the unclassified FBI document for weeks. It took the threat of a contempt citation to get Wray to respond, even now he’s still playing games. 

A “senior law enforcement official” leaked to NBC News that the FBI “reviewed the allegation when it was made in 2020” and determined that the “bribery allegation was not substantiated.”

Really? So, Wray spent weeks defying Congress over nothing? Then why fight to keep the document secret? And who is leaking to NBC News?

You may recall that a Department of Justice inspector general’s report found “a cultural attitude at the FBI that was far too permissive of unauthorized media contacts.” One of the worst offenders was former FBI Director James Comey.

This afternoon, Chairman Comer announced that the FBI is still refusing to comply with his committee’s subpoena and he will begin contempt hearings against Director Wray later this week.