Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has urged the FBI to release evidence confirming that President Joe Biden is not under investigation for bribery.
The request stems from allegations made by an FBI informant, detailed in form FD-1023, which claimed that then-Vice President Biden was involved in a $5 million bribery scheme with a foreign national.
Read More: Alleged $5 Million Biden Bribery Scheme Links Unearthed by FBI Informant
Raskin and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) reviewed the FD-1023 form and received a briefing from senior FBI officials during a closed-door meeting on June 5.
Biden dismisses bribery allegations as ‘a bunch of malarkey’
Comer stated after the briefing that the investigation connected to FD-1023 was still ongoing, while Raskin maintained that it had been closed due to insufficient evidence.
President Biden dismissed the bribery accusations as “a bunch of malarkey.”
Raskin subsequently wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, requesting written confirmation of the non-classified information provided during the briefing, with a deadline of June 23 to give the evidence.
Raskin urges public disclosure to dispel Biden investigation claims
Raskin emphasized that the public disclosure of the evidence is necessary to confirm that Biden is not under FBI investigation for bribery, countering claims made by Comer suggesting that the agency may be continuing the FD-1023 investigation.
Raskin cited Comer’s remarks from a June 11 interview on Fox News, stating that the FBI did not indicate during the briefing that “Joe Biden is currently under investigation for bribery.”
Contradictory statements emerge regarding Biden’s investigation
Comer had referred to statements made by former Attorney General Bill Barr, who said in an interview with the Federalist that the investigation was not closed and had been forwarded to Delaware for further investigation.
Barr’s statement contradicted Raskin’s claim that his office initiated but later dropped an investigation into the allegations made by the FBI informant in FD-1023.
Also Read: Biden again refuses to answer any press questions – smirks as they are escorted away
Hunter Biden denies tax probe allegations
Barr clarified that the informant’s claims were sent to the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office for further investigation, which is currently examining Hunter Biden’s tax affairs.
Hunter Biden has denied any wrongdoing related to the tax probe.
Biden bribery investigation dispute: continuation or termination?
The ongoing dispute revolves around whether the Biden bribery investigation is continuing or has been terminated.
During the June 5 meeting, senior FBI officials provided crucial context and answered questions from Raskin and Comer for about an hour.
Raskin explained that the FD-1023 form was part of an “assessment” assigned by Barr to examine corruption allegations against Biden, as raised by Rudy Giuliani.
Debate over Biden’s alleged involvement in Ukrainian investigation
Giuliani alleged that Biden pressured Ukrainian officials to fire a prosecutor investigating Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden was employed.
However, Giuliani’s claims and Biden’s involvement have been debated and controversial.
Raskin noted that FBI officials informed him and Comer that, after eight months of investigation, the team assigned to Giuliani’s allegations found insufficient evidence to escalate the assessment into a complete study.
Raskin, Comer clash over FBI statements on Biden investigation
Raskin highlighted the inconsistency between the statements made by the FBI during the briefing and Comer’s public comments.
On the other hand, Comer insisted that Raskin lied about the closure of the FD-1023 assessment, citing Barr’s confirmation that the form was forwarded to the U.S. Attorney in Delaware for further investigation.
Read Next: Oversight committee could ‘destory’ Biden’s 2024 re-election plans
Republicans ramp Up Biden family business investigation
The article concludes by mentioning that Republicans have intensified their inquiries into the Biden family’s business dealings following the indictment of former President Donald Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Biden, who is also facing scrutiny over handling classified documents as vice president, has not been charged with wrongdoing.
Tags:
