Congressman James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has sharpened his investigative lens, offering new insights into an alleged bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden.
On Wednesday, Comer sent a detailed letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, providing more specific search terms to help the bureau find a record he demanded in a subpoena, whose deadline lapsed a fortnight ago.
Comer pointed to a specific FD-1023 form, which he believes may contain some references to the terms “five million” and “June 30, 2020.” He clarified that these terms correspond to the date on the form and the amount of money a foreign national allegedly paid to secure a preferred policy outcome.
Interestingly, this date lands about two weeks after Ukrainian officials publicized a $5 million bribe purportedly meant to halt an investigation into the founder of Burisma Holdings. You might remember Burisma as the Ukrainian gas company where Biden’s son, Hunter, served on the board for several years.
Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytsky emphasized at the time that neither of the Bidens was implicated in that particular proceeding.
Comer’s letter to Wray does not explicitly mention Ukraine or any other country. However, he expressed frustration over the FBI’s failure to acknowledge the existence of the document. He also mentioned that FBI staff had indicated his subpoena’s search terms were overly broad. Comer’s response? “To the extent, there are numerous documents referencing ‘Biden’ and ‘five million’ dollar payments, please let us know promptly.”
Senator Chuck Grassley and Comer believe, based on whistleblower disclosures, that the Department of Justice and FBI possess an unclassified FD-1023 form that outlines an alleged scheme involving then Vice-President Biden and a foreign national.
While the FBI confirmed the form is used to record information from confidential sources, they warned against the dissemination of unverified data from such informants, citing potential risks to investigations and individuals.
Comer, though, is not deterred. He assures that the oversight committee is not seeking to expose the confidential source behind the Biden-related allegations. He even suggested possible redactions to protect the source’s identity.
However, he did set a new deadline. Wray has until May 30 to produce the FD-1023 form or face potential contempt of Congress proceedings. The plot thickens, and as conservatives, we believe in upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability at all levels, even the highest offices of power. This investigation is something to watch closely.
