(NewsReady.com) – The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for a document they believe the FBI has that contains unsubstantiated allegations about President Joe Biden and his family. Congress gave the agency until May 30 to comply, but Director Christopher Wray refused. Now, he could face jail time.
On May 30, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) issued a statement saying his committee would move forward with steps to hold Wray in contempt for refusing to comply with the subpoena. The director said he would not hand over the document lawmakers wanted because it was against the FBI’s rules. Instead, Wray offered to allow committee members to view the document in a secure location that protected the privacy of the alleged informant and kept others involved safe.
On Thursday, June 1, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) appeared on Fox News and said he supports Comer’s decision to move forward with contempt charges against Wray. The senator said the FBI has to produce the document, saying it was another example of the agency “not being forthcoming to the public.” The 89-year-old also revealed he had read the document. However, he said he didn’t want to “characterize it.”
Republicans can vote to hold the director in criminal contempt of Congress. However, they don’t have the authority to decide whether he’s actually charged with a crime. Attorney General Merrick Garland ultimately makes that decision, and he has not shown a desire to move forward with those referrals in the past. When Democrats held the majority, the AG angered them by refusing to charge former Donald Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and the administration’s social media director, Dan Scavino, after they failed to comply with congressional subpoenas.
The attorney general has not commented on the current kerfuffle in Congress. It’s unclear when Comer plans to move forward with the referral for the contempt charges.
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