Top Republicans accuse Biden of bribery scheme, FBI subpoenaed

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 May 2023 09:42

Sen. Charles Grassley and Rep. James Comer ask the Bureau to provide them with a record that may contain a report of interactions with a confidential source.

Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., speaks during a hearing of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee concerning the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, in Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Washington. (AP)

Two top US Republicans subpoenaed the FBI on Wednesday after they received "legally protected and highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures" pointing to the possible involvement of US President Joe Biden in a bribery scheme back when he was vice president.

In a letter addressed to the FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Sen. Charles Grassley and Rep. James Comer requested the Bureau provide them with "an FBI-generated FD-1023 form," a record which they say may contain a report of interactions with a confidential source.

"It has come to our attention” that the FBI has such evidence describing "an alleged criminal scheme" involving Biden and a foreign national "relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions" when Biden was vice president, the letter states.

"It has been alleged that the document includes a precise description of how the alleged criminal scheme was employed as well as its purpose," they added.

BREAKING: James Comer and Chuck Grassley have just released a statement claiming the FBI has proof showing then-Vice President Joe Biden committed bribery in exchange for policy decisions with a foreign national.

"We have received legally protected and highly credible… pic.twitter.com/LlPDqZCbVh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 3, 2023

This comes in light of a string of investigations aimed at Biden and his family against corruption accusations.

But this particular subpoena marks a clear step further as it is the first to make direct mention of Biden.

"The American people need to know if President Biden sold out the United States of America to make money for himself," Comer said in a statement, adding that he and Grassley, R-Iowa, “will seek the truth to ensure accountability for the American people.”

White House responds

The White House has already expressed that the subpoena comes as the latest example in a string of "unfounded, unproven" political offenses against Biden by GOPs "floating anonymous innuendo."

"For going on five years now, Republicans in Congress have been lobbing unfounded politically motivated attacks against (the president) without offering evidence for their claims. Or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than US interests. They prefer trafficking in innuendo," Ian Sams said during a brief.

"When it comes to President Biden's personal finances, anybody can take a look: he has offered an unprecedented level of transparency, releasing a total of 25 years of tax returns to the American public."

House GOPs have long expressed the ambition to expose the wrongdoings of Democrats following years of criminal and civil investigations against former President Donald Trump.

Democrats argue that such actions are aimed at undermining allegations against Trump and his role in the assault on the US Capitol in 2021.

Republicans have built a reputation for spending excessive taxpayer money to carry out such investigations against Democrats. They reportedly spent $7 million for investigations related to the 2012 attack on the US mission in Libya but failed to conclude that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a role in the events, in addition to similar attempts against former President Barack Obama.