House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer on Monday announced he will hold contempt of Congress hearings for FBI Director Christopher Wray over a bureau document that alleges President Joe Biden’s involvement in a foreign bribery scheme.
Comer made the announcement after reviewing an internal FBI report that alleges Biden received payments from a foreign national when he served as vice president. Comer said he will initiate contempt proceedings this Thursday after the FBI refused to allow the Oversight panel to keep a copy of the FBI report, known as an FD-1023.
"Given the severity and complexity of the allegations contained within this record, Congress must investigate further," Comer said at a press conference.
The Kentucky Republican provided new details about the FBI document at the press conference that he says bolsters the credibility of the allegations. He said the source for the information in the document is a "trusted, highly credible informant" who has provided information to the FBI for more than a decade. The informant has also been paid "over six figures" by the FBI, according to Comer.
Comer has acknowledged that it is unclear whether Biden received bribes, but he said Monday that the underlying allegation "has not been disproven." He said the FBI informed lawmakers that the allegations are "currently being used in an ongoing investigation," but did not provide additional details.
Comer subpoenaed the FD-1023 last month after an FBI whistleblower came forward with details about the document, which was created in June 2020. The FBI initially refused to grant lawmakers access to the report, but relented last week after Comer threatened contempt proceedings against Wray.
Republicans have investigated the Biden family’s foreign business dealings, with an emphasis on Hunter Biden’s activities in the Ukraine and China. The younger Biden received at least $6 million from a Chinese energy conglomerate linked to Chinese military intelligence. A former Biden family associate said he met with Hunter and Joe Biden in 2017 to discuss the arrangement, contradicting Joe Biden’s claims that he has never been involved in his son’s business affairs.
The White House and congressional Democrats have sought to downplay the FBI document.
"This whole charade is theater to get media attention as part of their series of staged stunts to attack the President politically," White House spokesman Ian Sams said Monday.