House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made it crystal clear to FBI Director Christopher Wray that if he doesn’t come across with the evidence on May 30, he will be held in contempt. He’s backing the play of Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who issued a subpoena for paperwork related to an alleged $5 million bribe involving Joe Biden. The FBI has been dragging their feet over the release of one or more “FD-1023 forms” which are “records of interactions with confidential sources.” What they really want to know is whether the FBI bothered to investigate the claims, if so, what happened? Apparently nothing. If it really was nothing, the bureau would have handed over the records proving that a long time ago.
House wants the document
Christopher Wray offered to call the chairman to discuss the form in question but that’s not what the House is angrily demanding. They don’t want a phone call, they want the file. After what John Durham had to say in his report, nobody trusts Wray or Garland as far as they can throw a fit. Hiding more evidence of their own guilt is only going to make things worse. Joe apparently isn’t accused of taking the bribe in question. It appears he came up with the cash for it.
It also appears that Hunter’s web of shell companies had something to do with that. From what amateur experts have pieced together from the clues, the timing matches with a big $5 million bribe in Ukraine. One intended to end a prosecution which wasn’t going favorably for the company Hunter Biden was being paid by, Burisma. If that really happened, the FBI should have done a major investigation into it. That’s their job.
According to the House committee, the form requested contains information related to “an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.” McCarthy read Durham’s report and he’s still steamed about what it says.
I have a message for FBI Director Christopher Wray: If he misses today's deadline to turn over subpoenaed documents to Congress, I am prepared to move contempt charges against him. pic.twitter.com/D3hyW3VIpX
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) May 30, 2023
“So let me not just tell you, let me tell Director Christopher Wray, right here, right now: If he misses the deadline today, I am prepared to move contempt charges in Congress against him,” the speaker firmly declared Tuesday morning.
On May 24, the House sent a reminder to Christopher Wray which “expressed frustration at the FBI’s inability to accommodate the committee’s request and threatened to bring contempt charges if the subpoena deadline of May 30 was not met.” Wray loves deadlines, especially the “wooshing” sound they make as they go by. This one isn’t going to go by. It’s going to run him over like a bus.
“Instead of working with the Committee, the FBI has refused to even acknowledge whether the FD-1023 form exists. And the agency has made no attempts to engage in a reasonable accommodation process.” Indirectly, they admit it exists because they claim it contains old news already in the public domain. “The FBI’s refusal to produce this single document is obstructionist.”
Conservatives stand solid
The biggest thing about the House Speaker’s announcement is that it broadcasts a message of strong solidarity on the issue. He’s telling Chris not to call him whining about it, just hand over what’s been asked for and bite the bullet.
“McCarthy’s pledge to bring contempt charges gives weight to Comer’s threat. He said he personally called Wray to tell him to produce the document.” Cough it up today.
“Comer subpoenaed the document that he has requested. We have jurisdiction over the FBI, which they seem to act like we do not. I personally called Director Wray and told him: He needs to send that document. Today is the deadline.” He’s all set to use that gavel he fought around the clock in the House for three days to get.
Comer Tell Wray. We Don’t Want A Phone Call. WE WANT THE FBI FILE ON JOEY BIDEN NO MORE BLAH FRIGGING BLAH https://t.co/O8zLxpYzlE
— Queen Isabella (@MaldonDonmal) May 30, 2023
“We have jurisdiction over this. He can send us that document. We have the right to look at that. Republicans and Democrats alike in that committee, and if he does not follow through with the law, we will move contempt charges against Christopher Wray and the FBI. They are not above the law.” Merrick Garland is of the opinion he really runs this country so anything the FBI does is totally legal, always.
Just last week, the FBI begged for mercy, claiming the standard excuses. “Releasing confidential source information could potentially jeopardize investigations and put lives at risk. The FBI remains committed to cooperating with Congress’s oversight requests on this matter and others as we always have.”
If they want to use that excuse the House demands they produce some solid evidence there really is an investigation to jeopardize. If so, why it’s taken so many years to get nowhere. Those will be the only ways he can get out of a conviction on the contempt of Congress charges. The charges will be coming first. If he has any defense at all, he’ll have to produce it or head to prison. Chris Wray isn’t having a nice day.
