‘Silly charade’: White House blasts GOP’s contempt threat against FBI director

by Julia Shapero - 05/31/23 7:04 PM ET

The White House blasted House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Wednesday over his threat to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena.

“This silly charade by Chairman Comer is yet another reminder that his so-called ‘investigations’ are political stunts not meant to get information but to spread thin innuendo and falsehoods to attack the President,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement.

Comer warned Wednesday that the Oversight Committee would begin contempt proceedings against Wray unless the FBI turned over the requested FD-1023 forms, which are used by the bureau to record interactions with confidential sources.

The committee subpoenaed Wray earlier this month for all forms from June 2020 that contained the word “Biden.”

Wray reportedly offered to allow the House Oversight Committee to view the documents in person at FBI headquarters during a call with Comer on Wednesday. However, the congressman dismissed the suggestion.

“We have been clear that anything short of producing these documents to the House Oversight Committee is not in compliance with the subpoena,” Comer said in a statement.

The White House hit back at Comer’s contempt threat, alleging that the Oversight chairman was simply attempting to “hurt the President’s poll numbers.”

“The only question left is how long he will waste time, energy, and taxpayer dollars to support a fact-free politically-motivated goose chase simply to get media attention and the Fox News spotlight,” Sams added.

The subpoena was issued in early May in search of a particular FD-1023 form that Comer claims contains allegations that “then-Vice President Biden engaged in a criminal bribery scheme with a foreign national.” The Oversight chairman said that Wray confirmed the existence of the document in their Wednesday call.

However, the FBI has previously warned that the form relays an unverified tip.

“Recording the information does not validate the information, establish its credibility, or weigh it against other information known or developed by the FBI,” acting Assistant Director Christopher Dunham said Tuesday in a letter to Comer.