Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday released a confidential FBI informant’s unverified claim that the Biden family « pushed » a Ukrainian oligarch to pay them $10 million
Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday released a confidential FBI informant’s unverified claim that, years ago, the Biden family « pushed » a Ukrainian oligarch to pay them $10 million.
The exceedingly rare step by Grassley, R-Iowa, further promulgates an allegation that Democratic critics warned against accepting at face value and which the White House continues to deny, saying it has been investigated and « debunked. »
Details of the unclassified document, known as an FD-1023, have emerged in recent months as Republicans search for any evidence that President Joe Biden engaged in the controversial overseas business dealings of his son Hunter Biden, which the president and his aides have repeatedly said he didn’t do.
Republicans in Congress in May first subpoenaed the FBI for the FD-1023, which documents information relayed by a confidential human source in June 2020. The bureau later showed a redacted version to the top two members of the House Oversight Committee and then, under threat of a contempt vote against FBI Director Christopher Wray, shared it with the full panel.
The FBI’s deputy director, Paul Abbate, testified before the Senate last month that the FD-1023 had been redacted to protect the source: « This a question of life and death, potentially. »
In a statement on Thursday, Grassley said he was motivated by transparency: « The American people can now read this document for themselves, without the filter of politicians or bureaucrats. »
Grassley’s office said he obtained his version of the FD-1023, which is only lightly redacted, « via legally protected disclosures by Justice Department whistleblowers, » though the bureau said in a statement that such a release « at a minimum – unnecessarily risks the safety of a confidential source. »
Democrats pounced on Grassley for publishing the FD-1023, accusing him of selectively highlighting uncorroborated information to hurt a political opponent.
« It is remarkable that congressional Republicans, in their eagerness to go after President Biden regardless of the truth, continue to push claims that have been debunked for years, » White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement responding to the release.
