Raskin claims GOP’s contempt for FBI director is part of their ‘anti-law enforcement’ campaign.

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Vows to Fight Contempt Charges Against FBI Director

“Any Republican who describes himself or herself as pro-law enforcement will be in a very strange position to be putting the FBI director in contempt for doing his job,”

– Jamie Raskin (D-MD)

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has pledged to fight contempt charges against FBI Director Christopher Wray. Raskin plans to persuade as many Republicans as possible to join Democrats on the committee in opposing the charges.

Speaking to reporters after votes on Monday, Raskin criticized Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) for his pledge to hold Wray in contempt of Congress. Raskin called the move “absolutely ridiculous” and stated that the FBI has complied with everything the committee has asked them to do.

The Subpoena and Contempt Charges

In early May, Comer subpoenaed an FBI-generated FD-1023 tip sheet that he says alleges then-Vice President Joe Biden partook in a $5 million bribery scandal with a foreign national. The FBI briefed and made the document available to both Comer and Raskin on Monday but refused to release it to the whole committee, which Comer said violated the subpoena. Comer pledged to hold Wray in contempt of Congress.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has stated that the full House will take up the contempt charges after the Oversight Committee approves them, setting up a potentially historic vote to hold the director of the FBI in contempt of Congress.

Raskin’s Response

Raskin compared Comer’s attempt to hold Wray in contempt to members refusing to testify in front of the Jan. 6 Select Committee after they received a subpoena. Raskin stated that the Democrats will “embarrass” the Republicans on the committee for making “a vast mountain range out of a tiny molehill” if a contempt vote is brought to the full committee.

Raskin said the Justice Department had already looked into and discredited this tip, saying it relates to the information former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani provided the department in 2020 regarding Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine. But Comer said the FBI confirmed Monday that the document is being used in an active investigation.

Wray could turn over the document to the full committee and avoid contempt proceedings. On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he would allow the full House Foreign Affairs Committee to view the Afghan dissent cable after Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) said he would hold a hearing on contempt charges later this month.

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