Kevin McCarthy threatens to hold FBI director in contempt of court

Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warned Tuesday that he will file contempt of court charges against FBI Director Christopher Wray if he does not present the requested document before the deadline, which is at midnight on Tuesday. McCarthy is referring to the subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, also a Republican, earlier this May to compel Wray to file any form FD-1023, records of interactions with confidential sources, dated June 2020 containing the word Biden.

Comer alleged, without providing details, that this document he requested contains information that "then-Vice President Biden allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with a foreign national. The American people need to know if President Biden sold out the United States of America to make money for himself." In this regard, McCarthy was blunt: "So let me not just say it to you. Let me tell Director Christopher Wray, here and now: If he misses the deadline today [Tuesday], I am prepared to file contempt of Congress charges against him," McCarthy said Tuesday on Fox News Channel. In a letter sent to Wray on May 24, Comer expressed frustration with the FBI's lack of interest in addressing the committee's request and threatened to file contempt charges if it acted on them by May 30.

"Instead of cooperating with the Committee, the FBI has refused to even acknowledge that the FD-1023 form exists. And the agency has made no attempt to engage in a reasonable accommodation process," Comer said to Fox News. "The FBI's refusal to provide a single, unclassified document is obstructionist."

McCarthy's warning to file contempt charges lends weight to Comer's threat. The House speaker assured that he personally called Wray to ask him to present the document.