Speaker Kevin McCarthy has stated that the FBI is about to hand over a potentially damning document on President Joe Biden — following an impassioned phone call with the agency’s director.
Appearing for a televised interview on Sunday, the California rep offered some insight into what happened between him and director Christopher Wray during Friday’s interview, which came a day after the FBI dismissed a subpoena calling for the still-unseen report. asked.
The official request was sent by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and related to a future financial form that several GOP lawmakers say contains an “alleged criminal scheme” involving Biden and an unnamed foreigner.
However, almost immediately afterward, the agency’s acting deputy director of congressional affairs wrote a letter to Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, informing him that the agency would not immediately provide the form in question.
McCarthy, 58, promptly issued his own statement disapproving of the response, denouncing Deputy Director Christopher Dunham’s official response as “unacceptable” — and vowed to speak by phone with his immediate superior on Friday.
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Speaker Kevin McCarthy has stated that the FBI is about to hand over a potentially damning document implicating President Joe Biden — after what he said was a passionate phone call with the agency’s director on Friday
Speaking to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo (left), the 58-year-old speaker confirmed the call had taken place and said he was hopeful that the document – the contents of which were reportedly substantiated by a “highly credible” whistleblower – would soon be are published. in house hands
Speaking to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo two days later, the speaker confirmed that the call had taken place and said he was hopeful that the document – the contents of which were allegedly confirmed by a “highly credible” whistleblower – will soon be in the hands of the home would be.
“I wanted to be clear to the FBI director,” McCarthy began, speaking for the first time about the promised phone call between him and Wray. “Congress has the right, and we have the jurisdiction, to oversee the FBI.
“This is a piece of paper that a committee chairman has asked for,” the conservative continued, towards the end of a roughly seven-minute spot in which he also addressed his final negotiations with Biden over the debt ceiling.
He said of the subpoenaed document: ‘[Dunham] has not even confirmed whether he has this document – he has not even provided it’.
Citing Congress’s status as a body overseeing the FBI and other federal agencies, McCarthy recalled Bartiromo attacking the agency’s chief on Friday by confronting him that Dunham’s refusal was not only constituted a violation of ethics, but also of the law. also.
“I explained to the director that we will do everything in our power, and [that] we have jurisdiction over the FBI – that we have the right to see this document,” the Republican said.
“I believe after this call we will get this document.”
Aside from that claim, the GOP agent declined to comment on the contents of the form — which according to Iowa’s Comer and Chuck Grassley is an FD-1023 form that details “an alleged scheme involving then-Vice President Biden was involved’.
Such forms are typically used to document unverified information obtained from confidential sources — and in this case, GOP representatives allege, it relates to Biden’s alleged dealings with “a foreigner regarding the exchange of money for policy decisions.” ‘.
Neither man has revealed any other details about the document in question, and neither has McCarthy.
McCarhty spoke to FBI Director Christopher Wray (pictured) during the Friday call, which came a day after the FBI serving under the bureau chief rejected a subpoena asking for the report — which lawmakers say contains an “alleged criminal scheme” involving Biden and a foreigner are involved
The request was sent by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (pictured) and related to a future financial form that was completed when Biden was vice president. Republicans have admitted they don’t know if the claims are accurate, putting further pressure on the FBI
Last week, Sen. Grassley — who also served with Comer on the subpoena — Grassley admitted that he and other Republicans don’t know if the allegations are accurate, putting further pressure on the FBI.
However, the official demand failed to influence Dunham, who immediately afterwards sent a letter to Cormer explaining why the agency would not provide the document immediately.
“An FD-1023 form documents information as told to an FBI agent. Inclusion does not validate the information, establish its credibility, or weigh it against other information known or developed by the FBI,” Dunham wrote to conservative Kentucky.
“The mere existence of such a document proves little more than the fact that a confidential human source provided information and that the FBI recorded it,” he added.
“The FBI regularly receives information from sources with significant potential biases, motivations and knowledge, including drug traffickers, members of organized crime or even terrorists,” he further stressed.
Comer, meanwhile, remained unconvinced — in a statement sent in retaliation, he argued that only the agency’s letter proves the document exists and that it is being shielded from Congress by agency officials.
“It is clear from the FBI’s response that the non-secret file subpoenaed by the oversight committee exists, but they are refusing to provide it to the committee,” Comer explained.
Deputy Director of the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs, Christopher Dunham, rejected the subpoena due to lack of evidence — a maneuver the GOP has since labeled “unacceptable,” urging McCarthy on Friday to pledge with the FBI’s superior. to speak to the FBI.
“We have asked the FBI not only to provide this file, but also to inform us of what it has done to investigate these allegations. The FBI has failed to do both. The FBI’s position is “trust, but you may not verify.” That is unacceptable.’
The statement came two days removed from an earlier claim by Comer, in which he said his panel “will only report facts to you if they are verified and indisputable” — referring to foreign money transferred to companies associated with the Biden family and their employees,
He added, “This commission will not conduct witch hunts, or string the American people on for years with false promises of evidence beyond circumstantial evidence.”
Grassley, meanwhile, sniped in a statement on Friday about the FBI’s refusal to hand over the document: “Today’s letter from the FBI raises additional questions, including whether the FBI has an open investigation based on these allegations.”
As of Sunday, the agency has yet to confirm whether any of the aforementioned claims regarding future financial shape are true. It’s not yet clear if the agency has begun investigating those claims.
Republicans have not yet seen the document.