Comer: FBI ‘Caved,’ Contempt Vote on Biden Bribery Document Canceled

Chairman James Comer (R-KY) of the House Oversight Committee revealed on Wednesday evening that the FBI has agreed to grant access to a document containing bribery allegations against President Joe Biden to all committee members. As a result, the committee has decided to remove a scheduled business meeting for Thursday, which was intended to vote on holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena. Comer's team made this announcement, expressing their satisfaction with the FBI's concession.

Comer stated in a press release, "After weeks of denying the existence of the FD-1023 record, the FBI has now given in and is allowing all members of the Oversight and Accountability Committee to examine this unclassified record. It memorializes a confidential human source's conversations with a foreign national who claims to have bribed then-Vice President Joe Biden." Comer emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, citing the erosion of trust in the FBI's ability to enforce laws impartially.

This development marks the latest development in a prolonged standoff initiated by Comer, who has been seeking possession of a specific FBI FD-1023 form based on whistleblower disclosures. These forms are employed by the FBI to record information obtained from confidential human sources. After allowing Comer and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the committee's ranking member, to review a redacted version of the document on Monday, the FBI contended that a contempt vote was unwarranted given the circumstances.

The FBI issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to accommodating the Oversight Committee's request while taking necessary precautions to protect sensitive information and ongoing investigations. In addition to providing access to the document, the FBI will offer a briefing to all committee members and make two additional documents referenced in the FD-1023 form available for Comer and Raskin to review.

It remains uncertain whether these accommodations by the FBI will be sufficient to prevent a future contempt vote. Comer has been persistent in his pursuit of custody of the unclassified document rather than merely reviewing it. Raskin acknowledged the FBI's efforts and Chairman Comer's acceptance of the further accommodations in response to the subpoena, highlighting the weeks of attacks on the FBI despite their extraordinary cooperation in providing the requested information.

The Biden administration has openly dismissed Comer's investigative efforts, characterizing them as political stunts aimed at spreading baseless accusations. White House spokesperson Ian Sams labeled Chairman Comer's actions a "silly charade" designed to attack the President rather than gather information. Comer alleges that the document pertains to Ukraine and contains allegations similar to those seen in other countries, such as Romania, involving suspicious transactions linked to members of Biden's family.

Without access to the FD-1023 record sought by Comer, the committee is unable to assess whether the allegations pose a national security risk. This hinders the panel's ability to gather further evidence and inform future legislation that may strengthen disclosure requirements. A contempt resolution released earlier on Wednesday included a 17-page report outlining the background of the subpoena standoff and the committee's justification for pursuing contempt. The report also revealed that Hunter Biden, President Biden's son, is implicated in the allegations.

The report states, "The allegations in the FD-1023 form span meetings and conversations that occurred over several years. They are complex, detailing business ventures, large payment amounts, and the reasons behind the foreign national's financial involvement with Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, as well as the financial complexity of the alleged scheme." Hunter Biden's tax affairs are already under investigation by U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware, as confirmed by former Attorney General William Barr.

Comer claims that FBI officials have informed Congress that the FD-1023 form is currently being utilized in an ongoing investigation.