Subpoenas? C'mon man.
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House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued the following statements on the FBI failing to comply with Chairman Comer’s subpoena seeking an unclassfied FBI generated FD-1023 form that allegedly details a bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national.
“It’s clear from the FBI’s response that the unclassified record the Oversight Committee subpoenaed exists, but they are refusing to provide it to the Committee. We’ve asked the FBI to not only provide this record, but to also inform us what it did to investigate these allegations. The FBI has failed to do both. The FBI’s position is ‘trust, but you aren’t allowed to verify.’ That is unacceptable. We plan to follow up with the FBI and expect compliance with the subpoena,” said Chairman Comer.
“While the FBI has failed to produce the specific document by the subpoena deadline, their offer to provide an accommodation process in response to our legitimate request indicates the document is real. So the question remains, what did the FBI do to investigate very serious allegations from an apparent trusted FBI source implicating then-Vice President Biden? Today’s letter from the FBI raises additional questions, including whether the FBI has an open investigation based on these allegations. The American people pay the FBI’s salaries, and they’re entitled to a fulsome response,” Senator Grassley said.
Based on whistleblower disclosures, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation possess an unclassified FD-1023 form that describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions. It has been alleged that the document includes a precise description of how the alleged criminal scheme was employed as well as its purpose.
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https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/05/fbi-to-james-comer-pound-sand.php
Comer joined Jesse Watters on Monday night and said the FBI had been very patronizing during their meeting, but that he remains determined to obtain the document.
If need be, he will use the power of the purse. He told Watters he plans to work with Senate Republicans to hold the FBI’s budget “hostage” until the agency gets new leadership or provides the document.
They don’t respect anyone in Congress. They’ve been able to get away with this for a long time. The media continues to turn a blind eye. The Senate Republicans continue to fund the FBI. Why would you change your business model when you’re getting everything you want?”
What we’re going to have to do in this House is demand that the senators get our backs like they’re doing as we speak with these debt ceiling negotiations. And hold their budget hostage until they get new leadership at the FBI or produce the document that we want.
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I think we need to look at contempt. … We need to take extreme measures on trying to get this whistleblower to come forward publicly and say what exactly is in this document.
House Republicans must use every tool at their disposal to obtain this document from the FBI. Comer was eventually able to acquire copies of approximately 170 Suspicious Activity Reports involving transactions in Biden family and Biden family-associated bank accounts from the Treasury Department after more than two months of stonewalling.
And Wray’s obstruction likely motivates the GOP more than ever.
Wray’s credibility and that of the agency he runs have taken some serious hits lately. Shockingly, even NBC News’ Chuck Todd, the far-left host of “Meet the Press,” sees it. Here’s what he told viewers on Sunday:
We need a real [Sen. Frank] Church [D-ID] Committee. Like this is a moment when the J. Edgar Hoover FBI clearly was no longer helping the American people, there was a moment. It feels like we might be in one of those moments. … It seems like we have to do something to restore trust.
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@Mik said in Subpoenas? C'mon man.:
What justification?
"Confidential sources."
"Ongoing investigations."
Usual bullshit. The document is not classified. And even if it were, Congress can demand a closed-door hearing.
Perhaps Wray and
HolderLernerBannon can be cellmates? -
I’m surprised Trump didn’t give Wray a Presidential Commendation when he gave one to Fauci…
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@Jolly said in Subpoenas? C'mon man.:
Book 'im, Danno!
So, what's the process here. Comer recommends holding Wray in contempt. The committee votes to proceed on a 100% partisan basis, and it hits the floor of the House next week.
Assuming that the resolution passes, then what?
Who's going to arrest the director of the FBI, Barney Fife? Can they really
treat him like Bannon, or will it be a Holder, Lerner thinglock him up? -
FBI 'afraid' informant could be killed over Biden family information if unmasked: Congresswoman Luna
Who would do the killing?
Hunter, the Big Guy?
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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced Wednesday night that the FBI has “caved” and will allow each member of the panel the opportunity to review an informant file held by the bureau that accuses President Biden of a $5 million bribery scheme while he was vice president.
As a result of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s change of heart – after weeks of refusing to hand over a physical copy of the FD-1023 form to the committee – he will no longer be subjected to a contempt of Congress hearing that was slated for Thursday.
The FBI is also making two additional documents referenced in the informant file available for Comer (R-Ky.) and House Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to review, the panel announced.
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Unclassified - but you still can't see.
Last week, I came to the Senate Floor to give a speech about the Biden Justice Department and FBI playing games with the American people by hiding the FBI-generated 1023 document from Congress.
Director Wray was going to be held in contempt for refusing to produce the 1023 that I told Chairman Comer about. Then, instead of contempt, the FBI committed to showing the 1023 and related documents to Congress.
So, the FBI showed but didn’t provide possession of that 1023 to the House Oversight Committee last week.
As the public knows that 1023 involves an alleged bribery scheme between then-Vice President Biden, Hunter Biden and a foreign national. The same allegations that Chairman Comer and I made public on May 3 of this year.
And on the same day that the FBI provided a redacted version of the 1023 to the House Oversight Committee, the Justice Department announced that former President Trump had been indicted and charged with 37 crimes relating to his alleged mishandling of classified records.
Attorney General Garland signed off on prosecuting Trump for conduct similar to what Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton engaged in. Two standards of justice in this country will turn our constitutional Republic upside down. Thanks to the political infection within the Biden Justice Department and FBI, we’re well along the road for that to happen.
This senator will do all that he can to fight that political infection. And you fight it by bringing transparency to what the government does. The public’s business ought to be public. Transparency brings accountability.
With respect to the 1023 shown to that House Committee, from what I’ve been told by folks who’ve reviewed it, it’s filled with redactions. So, Director Wray placed redactions on a document that’s already unclassified.
More than that, the FBI made Congress review a redacted unclassified document in a classified facility. That goes to show you the disrespect the FBI has for Congress. On a previous time on the Senate Floor, I asked my fellow senators what’s so unusual about an unclassified document being given to the public, when on May 18 of this year, there was leaked to the New York Times a classified document and even the name of a confidential human source. So, we’re kind of in a strange situation here. A classified document can be leaked to the New York Times, but an unclassified document can’t be made public to 300 million Americans.
Accordingly, Congress still lacks a full and complete picture with respect to what that document really says. That’s why it’s important that the document be made public without unnecessary redactions for the American people to see.
Let me assist for purposes of transparency.
The 1023 produced to that House Committee redacted reference that the foreign national who allegedly bribed Joe and Hunter Biden allegedly has audio recordings of his conversations with them. Seventeen total recordings.
According to the 1023, the foreign national possesses fifteen audio recordings of phone calls between him and Hunter Biden. According to the 1023, the foreign national possesses two audio recordings of phone calls between him and then-Vice President Joe Biden. These recordings were allegedly kept as a sort of insurance policy for the foreign national in case he got into a tight spot. The 1023 also indicates that then-Vice President Joe Biden may have been involved in Burisma employing Hunter Biden.
So, as I’ve repeatedly asked since going public with the existence of the 1023, what, if anything, has the Justice Department and FBI done to investigate?
The Justice Department and FBI must show their work. They no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt. It’s clear that the Justice Department and FBI will use every resource to investigate candidate Trump, President Trump and former President Trump.
Based on the facts known to Congress and the public, it’s clear that the Justice Department and FBI will use every resource to investigate candidate Trump, President Trump and former President Trump. Based on the facts known to Congress and the public, it’s clear that the Justice Department and FBI haven’t nearly had the same laser focus on the Biden family.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has used a recording against former President Trump. Well, what’s U.S. Attorney Weiss doing with respect to these alleged Joe and Hunter Biden recordings that are apparently relevant to a high-stakes bribery scheme?
Getting a full and complete 1023 is critical for the American people to know and understand the true nature of the document and to hold the Justice Department and FBI accountable.
It’s also important for asserting constitutional congressional oversight powers against an out-of-control Executive Branch drunk with political infection. Remember, Congress has received 1023’s in the past and they’ve been made public. So asking for this 1023 to be turned over to the American people to read is not unusual.
Congress owes it to the American people and the brave and heroic whistleblowers to continue to fight for transparency in this matter and make this document public without unnecessary redactions.
I want everyone to remember, that I have read the unredacted version.
"I have the receipts. And I have audio."
