Senator Chuck Grassley said he hopes former President Donald Trump is encouraged by his oversight of alleged wrongdoing by the Biden family.
The Iowa Republican spoke on the Senate floor on Monday, claiming to have knowledge of the existence of 17 recordings made by an executive at Burisma—a major Ukrainian gas company—that described an "insurance policy" for alleged business dealings that could be legally damning for President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Grassley cited a redacted FBI FD-1023 form as potential proof, saying it contained "credible" information from a foreign source who can purportedly link the Bidens to crimes.
"By the way, you should know that just about when you were making those comments on the floor of the Senate, I was interviewing former President Donald Trump and I'm the person who played your audio to him," Simon Conway, radio host of WHO-AM in Des Moines, Iowa, told Grassley on Wednesday during an interview. "He was really shocked."
"Well, I hope he thinks I'm doing good work," Grassley replied. "I'd like to have him think that of my oversight work.
"I don't know whether the Bidens are guilty of anything. All I know is the charges that have been made in this 1023 document, and I'm oversight of the FBI. I want to know the FBI—are you doing your work? I want to see your work. Have you listened to these tapes?"
Grassley has said on previous occasions that he is unaware whether the allegations against the Bidens are true.
An aide for Grassley told Newsweek on Thursday that Grassley conducted oversight of the Trump administration as well, including business actions by the president's family. He also brought in Donald Trump Jr. for a transcribed interview and sought to subpoena former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort.
Those who want "a fair and functioning government" should support strong congressional oversight, the aide added.
"Grassley has made clear from the start that his key objective is to ensure the FBI and Justice Department are doing their job free from political infection or general incompetence," the aide said.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who has investigated the investigations alongside Grassley, subpoenaed the FBI last month for access to the redacted form in question. After threatening to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt last week, congressional members were able to finally view the document in secret.
In an interview on Tuesday with Newsmax, the Kentucky Republican echoed Grassley's concerns but would not go so far as to say the claims have been verified.
"I can confirm they were listed in the 1023 that the FBI redacted," Comer said. "We don't know if they're legit or not, but we know the foreign national claims he has them."
Comer has focused on the Biden family, particularly Hunter Biden, since the GOP regained the House majority in January.
Aside from allegations surrounding Burisma, members of the Biden family, outside of the president and Hunter, have been investigated for allegedly receiving more than $1.3 million in payments from accounts related to family associate Rob Walker and his limited liability company established in 2008 in Delaware.
Trump has campaigned off the Biden investigation. On his personal Instagram account, Comer posted an image of a Trump campaign email reading: "What Congressmen James Comer and Jim Jordan have revealed about the Biden Crime Family would be Watergate times 10 if this News was revealed 10 years ago!"
Comer captioned the image: "I appreciate the vote of confidence from President Trump!"
"Republicans begging for Donald Trump to give them an ounce of validation for doing his political dirty work tells you everything you need to know about the seriousness of these political stunts," Ammar Moussa, spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, told Newsweek on Wednesday.
"Whether it's Chuck Grassley pining for Trump to give him an 'attaboy' or James Comer coming out and effectively admitting as much, it's clear congressional Republicans are embarrassingly peddling the same conspiracy theories to help Donald Trump's political prospects in 2024."
Numerous other Republican representatives and senators have expressed doubt about the veracity of the claims or have not gone so far as to say the apparent proof in the redacted FBI document is evidence of any legal wrongdoing.
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo in May that "you have to infer what's happening here." Though in a recent interview with conservative radio show host Vicki McKenna, Johnson said to take the FBI form "with a grain of salt."
South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace, a House GOP Oversight Committee member, would not discuss potential impeachment proceedings for Biden in relation to this investigation. She has made comments connecting the investigation and the alleged crimes being drowned out by legal actions against Trump.
"Every time @GOPoversight finds evidence of Biden family corruption, Donald Trump is indicted," Mace tweeted. "This time, Joe Biden wants to give Trump a death sentence."
"The exact same day that the FBI is forced to turn over to Congress absolutely damning and credible allegations regarding Joe Biden's illegal, egregious, and treasonous corruption, Joe Biden weaponizes his Department of Justice to indict Donald Trump," New York Representative Elise Stefanik said in a statement.
"The phony Boxes Hoax indictment is an attempt to distract the American public from the millions of dollars in bribes that the Biden Crime Family received from foreign nationals," Florida Representative Matt Gaetz tweeted.
"On very same day the FBI agreed to allow members of the Oversight Committee to review documents tying Joe Biden to a $5 Million bribery scheme with a foreign national, President Trump is informed that he will be indicted by Biden's DOJ," Texas Representative Wesley Hunt tweeted.
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee told Fox Business that there is a "reason" the FBI redacted the form, claiming the bureau is "shielding Joe and Hunter from accountability."
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said the FBI has "stonewalled the Senate Judiciary Committee at every turn."
The White House declined to comment to Newsweek on the investigation, citing the Hatch Act. They referred to comments Biden made last week, when he called the allegations "a bunch of malarkey."
Update 6/15/23, 3:52 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from a Grassley aide.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
