House committee to hold contempt hearing on FBI Director Chris Wray

By
Suzanne Downing
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36

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced the committee will conduct a contempt hearing for FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday at 9 a.m.

The move comes in response to Wray’s violation of a congressional subpoena by not providing unclassified documents sought in a broadening investigation into foreign payments tied to President Joe Biden and his family.

Wray’s refusal to release the documents has added fuel to Republicans’ growing concerns about potential corruption within the FBI, perceived as favoring left-leaning politicians. The FBI director’s noncompliance has provoked significant backlash from GOP leaders who argue it undermines the agency’s credibility.

Republicans continue to press their claims of partisanship within the bureau, based on an ongoing investigation into the Biden family receipt of millions of dollars in foreign payments.

Jim Geraghty, writing in the Washington Post, explains why Americans should care:

“Let’s assume that, as President Biden’s fans insist, there’s no evidence of lawbreaking in the deals that had foreign companies paying more than $10 million to Biden family members during and after Biden’s years as vice president,” Geraghty wrote.

“And no doubt, the House Oversight Committee led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has its own preconceived narrative that Biden is on the take from all kinds of shady characters. An indictment of bribery or corruption would require proof that, at some point while in office, Biden acted or influenced a U.S. government policy decision to benefit one of those companies, and the House Oversight Committee, so far, does not have that proof.

“Yet we’re still left with a motley collection of odd and unsavory figures sending a lot of money through a lot of companies to a lot of members of the Biden family, with little explanation why. Comer contends that bank records confirm more than $10 million in payments, run through at least 20 businesses, mostly limited liability companies, to the president’s son Hunter Biden; the president’s brother, James Biden; James’s wife, Sara Jones Biden; Hallie Biden (widow of Joe Biden’s son Beau, who died in 2015); Hunter’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle; Hunter’s current wife, Melissa Cohen; and, as Comer noted, ‘three children of the president’s son and the president’s brother.'” the columnist wrote in May.

Chairman Comer, referring to an anonymous informant who brought the allegations to light, said the person was a “trusted, highly credible informant, who has been used by the FBI for over ten years and has been paid over six figures.”

“We need answers, transparency, and accountability,” Comer stated during his announcement, voicing frustrations mirrored by many Americans who have lost faith in the FBI’s ability to impartially enforce the law.

The White House has dismissed the allegations surrounding the Biden family, insisting that these claims are unfounded.

Wray served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division in George W. Bush’s administration, from 2003 to 2005. On June 7, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Wray to be the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, replacing James Comey, who was fired by Trump a month earlier.

Wray barely survived the Trump administration and was kept on by President Biden in 2021.

He has contradicted both the Trump and the Biden Administration official party lines at times. For instance, this year, he told Fox News he supports the theory that the Covid-19 virus may have leaked from a Wuhan, China laboratory. On March 2, 2021, Wray told a Senate committee that the Jan. 6 surge into the U.S. Capitol was a case of domestic extremism.

Majority members of the Oversight Committee are:

The Democrat minority consists of:

36 COMMENTS

  1. As per the FBI website …
    “Our priority is to help protect you, your children, your communities, and your businesses from the most dangerous threats facing our nation—from international and domestic terrorists to spies on U.S. soil, from cyber villains to corrupt government officials, from mobsters to violent street gangs, from child predators to serial killers. Along the way, we help defend and uphold our nation’s economy, physical and electronic infrastructure, and democracy.”
    Maybe(?), the enemy (ie: most dangerous threat and corrupt government officials) is within???

  2. Do it. It’s past time the Intelligence Community is held accountable.

    Pity they can’t jail him.

    • I think you give him too much credit. He’s what the Soviets called Apparatchik.

      A mindless functionary whose purpose is to hold the institution together without thinking. Just do as told.

      Criminals usually have more creativity and common sense.

  7. So Jim Jordan ignores a Congressional subpoena but that’s just fine, correct? If that’s the case, what’s the problem with Wray doing something similar?

      • Why would anyone in their half-right mind comply with anything Gym “Shorts” Jordan asks. He may be more of a moron than the Orange Fat Trumpy himself. All Gym “I never pass the Bar Exam” Jordan is doing is the bidding of a 270 lb wanna be dictator. What is wrong with you people, get a brain and a clue.

    • We could go back and forth on who has ignored subpoenas in both parties. How about everyone just start following the laws? Otherwise, why bother having laws?

      • Subpoenas in the House don’t work the same as for court. Those are two different processes in two different branches of government.

        But I too would appreciate that folks show up for a subpoena when issued by the Congress. I would also like to see parties hold their members accountable to showing for subpoenas.

        • The only way to ensure these bureaucrats show up is to apply a penalty for non compliance. And that penalty has to hurt. It’s my understanding that even after being found in contempt, a further vote needs to be taken on a penalty, and that vote rarely passes. Not sure what penalties congress can apply but until they remove large sums of money or large blocks of personal freedom, nothing is going to force these clowns to come and face congress unless they really want to.

  8. This is fairly simple: Director Wray is contemptuous and the agency he leads has become a criminal organization.

  9. Wray has been operating in contempt. Contempt of Congress. Contempt of and for the United States Constitution. Contempt of and for American Citizens and Taxpayers.

    To bad he has a whole organization that has fallen right in line behind him.

  10. Sad thing is, nothing will come of it. They can throw the book at him, like they did with Holder, and the DOJ will refuse to prosecute him.

    Just like Holder.

    But it’s still good to see a Republican actually trying for a change.

  11. Since the FBI is an investigatory entity, why do they always appoint a lawyer to run the place? Why wouldn’t they promote an actual FBI agent to the post? Something I’ve never understood.

    • A great deal of FBI agents are either lawyers or accountants. They seem to like hiring people from those fields as opposed to people specifically trained to be law enforcement.

      The FBI is under the DOJ so it makes sense for the Director to be a lawyer.

    • Paul, this is just one of many things not understood. These lawyers you refer to are not the former personal injury attorneys you may be acquainted with. They typically come from high level DOJ positions, including former US Attorneys. Also, I believe former US Attorneys and Deputy Directors in the DOJ have a fair amount of investigative experience. Jack Smith seems to be conducting a thorough and efficient investigation of Fat Old Trumpy, just listen to Trumpy whine about it.

    • The FBI does fall under the control of the DOJ but it’s the investigative branch of that department. The ONLY thing the FBI can do after investigating someone is recommend charges. The lawyers at the DOJ are the ones that actually file the charges. As to lawyers having investigative experience, can’t see that happening. Outside of digging up the exact law someone broke, unless they are former law enforcement they in fact have no training in criminal investigations. And high ranking types like US attorneys are just politicians. They deal with people not cases.

      I still say the best head of an investigative agency is the top investigator.

  12. It’s a tragedy that under Comey’s and Wray’s leadership, the FBI has degenerated into the Fascist Bureau of Intimidation. If Wray avoids any criminal prosecution for his role in election meddling, it will send a chilling message to Americans!

    • Boy it is a tragedy that these fascist FBI current and former Directors would even consider enforcing the laws of this country and attempting to hold the Orange Blob Trumpy accountable for his assorted crimes. God help us. In contrast you MAGA Juggalos appear to support the House Committee Clown Trains where we hear statement gems like “well if it’s not illegal it should be” (James Comer) and “we aren’t interested in whether or not the accusations against Vice President Biden are accurate or not” (Chuck Grassley). MAGA hypocrisy at its best!

  13. I’ve noticed our usual lefty trolls are more snarky than usual. Been going on since Grandpa Badfinger face planted in Colorado.

    • They are upset because the world is going to end in a couple of weeks. They have to go to their safe space.

  14. They should throw that sob in solitary confinement for 9 months and slide oatmeal in under the door. The FBI is rotten to the core. Who in the hell does he think he is James comey the traitor thief .??

  15. It’s a curiosity to me, perhaps even a conundrum, but it seems on major issues, there is widespread opinion that processes and procedures and policies that have carefully designed and implemented, are shot through with loopholes, with intent and purpose diluted and made ineffective, then those people rendering the implosion, demand that everything be scrapped, with entreaties to start over again. But, doesn’t that mean the original purpose has changed– like what sort of mission statement is an aimless ‘tear it down’. I never hear what will be done thereafter. It seems chaos is the answer and the one that stands highest on the hill of plunder then gets overall power. I think that scenario is the antithesis of democratic republicanism.

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