Biden Time

I think Grassley and Comer played the FBI pretty good. This is speculative, but based on the specific way that information has been revealed, I think it was a deliberate plan to expose what subterfuge the FBI would employ to try to hide trenchant information from Congress. Hang in there, I think the strategy becomes clear with Step 9 (which happened yesterday):

(1) Grassley and Comer (“G&C”) subpoena the FBI for a 1023 document from an FBI informant-turned-whistleblower, who claims he was told by a foreign national (“FN”) that FN personally bribed Hunter and Joe Biden (while Joe was VP), $5 million each, in return for political favors that would benefit FN.

(2) The FBI claims they don’t know what document G&C are asking for, and FBI won’t admit that there even exists a 1023 form accusing Joe Biden of accepting a bribe.

(3) There is a weeks-long back-and-forth in which G&C make their request increasingly more specific (i.e., providing the date of the document, other details) and threaten contempt for Wray, and the FBI continues to stonewall.

(4) Grassley and Comer then reveal that they have already seen (a copy or photo of) the 1023 they are asking for. Suddenly, the FBI admits the 1023 exists.

(5) Then there proceeds another round of escalation during which G&C demand that the whole Oversight Committee be given access to the 1023 document (which is unclassified), and the FBI counters that only Comer and Raskin (chair and ranking member of House Oversight) will be permitted to view the document, redacted to protect sources and methods.

(6) The struggle continues. During this time, Comer and Raskin view the document and are briefed on it. It’s unclear how much redaction was included in the document shown to Comer and Raskin.

(7) Comer continues to insist that the whole Oversight Committee be shown the 1023 document and threatens contempt again if the FBI doesn’t comply. On the day before the contempt hearings are to start, Wray concedes and agrees to show the redacted document to the entire Oversight Committee, in a secure SCIF (even though the document is not classified).

(8) The whole Committee sees the redacted document and starts talking about it to the press. In these interviews/statements, Republicans emphasize the corruption alleged in the document, and Democrats downplay the document as baseless allegations. Ok, typical impasse.

(9) Then yesterday, Grassley announces on the floor of the Senate that—included in the 1023, but apparently REDACTED FROM THE VERSION SHOWN CONGRESS—the whistleblower claims that FN said he has 17 audio recordings (15 of Hunter, 2 of Joe) specifically upholding the claims of bribery being alleged by FN, which FN kept as an “insurance policy” to protect himself.

So, this whole time, I’ve been very confused by one simple question: if this document is unclassified, why don’t G&C just release the entire document either to the Oversight Committee or to the public at large? Why the whole show of trying to get the FBI to release it?

As I indicated at the top, I think the answer is that G&C have been playing the FBI to see how far they (the FBI) are willing to go to hide evidence of bribery against Joe Biden. I think that G&C have been very clever, asking the FBI for things that they (G&C) already know but that the FBI doesn’t know whether G&C know. So when the FBI denies, stonewalls, or ignores their requests, G&C know exactly how obstructive the FBI is being. I don’t think the FBI knew (or at least not for sure) that G&C knew about the audio recordings, which the FBI redacted out of the 1023 shown to the House Oversight Committee. But the FBI looks increasingly partisan as G&C keep revealing the information that the FBI (without any justification) is trying to hide from Congress and the public. I would suspect, further, that G&C possess the audio recordings that Grassley mentioned yesterday.

This pattern can’t continue. At some point, the FBI—and the Democratic Party more generally—are going to give up Biden.

Biden will not be the Democratic nominee for President on election day 2024.

The cracks are starting to show. From this morning’s Senate hearing with FBI Deputy Director Abbate:

(1) FBI won’t answer why they redacted any mention of audio recordings from the 1023 they showed to the House Oversight Committee:

(2) FBI won't answer Cruz whether they have the audio recordings:

The FBI’s position is not sustainable.