President Joe Biden is facing new allegations that he participated in a "a bribery scheme with a foreign national" and Republicans are seeking information from the FBI about the matter.
The allegations arise from information provided by a whistleblower, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday by Republicans Senator Chuck Grassley and Representative James Comer, who is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Comer has issued a subpoena to the FBI seeking an unclassified FD-1023 document relating to the alleged "criminal scheme" involving Biden while he was serving as vice president.
The Republicans' move has raised many questions due to the fact that no specific allegations have been made against the president and information about the whistleblower and the "foreign national" involved are limited.
Newsweek reached out to Grassley and Comer's offices on Thursday seeking more information. A spokesperson for Grassley pointed to the Republicans' joint press release.
Here's a summary of what we know so far.
What Are the Allegations Against Biden?
In their statement this week, Comer and Grassley said that information provided by a whistleblower "raises concerns that then-Vice President Biden allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with a foreign national."
The Republicans also said they are seeking an FBI record "alleging a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national."
That document "allegedly details an arrangement involving an exchange of money for policy decisions."
At the moment, the allegations against Biden are no more specific than that. It's not clear what policy decisions might be referenced in the document or what kind of money might have allegedly changed hands. There is also no information at this time about the foreign national.
What Do We Know About the Whistleblower?
No information has been provided about the whistleblower but that's not particularly surprising. When whistleblowers come forward, their anonymity is generally protected by those receiving information from them.
In their statement, Grassley is described as a "long-time whistleblower advocate"—that suggests the senator has a strong interest in protecting the identity of the whistleblower.
What Records Are Republicans Seeking?
Representative Comer has issued a subpoena to the FBI seeking "all FD-1023 forms that were "created or modified in June 2020" and that contain the word "Biden," as well as any related documents and attachments.
An FD-1023 form is generally a report about an informant and may involve someone speaking to the FBI about alleged crimes.
The time period in question covers the 2020 presidential election. Biden secured the Democratic presidential nomination on June 5, 2020 by winning the required number of delegates.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has acknowledged that it has received the subpoena but offered no further comment.
What Could Be in the FBI Records?
It's not yet clear what kind of information the FBI records could contain. Grassley said in the statement on Wednesday that he and Comer believe "the FBI possesses an unclassified internal document that includes very serious and detailed allegations implicating the current President of the United States."
Grassley later told Fox News: "I can't verify whether or not it's really criminal activity, but I do have faith in the whistleblowers that this document exists."
"We have a rough idea of what's in the document, and I just want to do what congressional oversight responsibilities I have to see what the FBI is and the DOJ has done to follow up on it," he added.
The FBI has until May 10 to comply with the subpoena and more information might become available at that time.
How Has the White House Responded?
Ian Sams, a White House spokesman, was strongly critical of the Republicans' move in a statement shared with Newsweek on Wednesday and continued his criticism on Twitter.
"For going on five years now, Republicans in Congress have been lobbing unfounded, unproven, politically-motivated attacks against the President and his family without offering evidence for their claims or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. interests," Sams said.
"That's because they prefer floating anonymous innuendo, amplified by the megaphone of their allies in right-wing media, to get attention and try to distract and deflect from their own unpopular ideas and lack of solutions to the issues the American people actually care about," he said.
Sams added that Biden "has offered an unprecedented level of transparency, releasing a total of 25 years of tax returns to the American public."
The FBI has a deadline next week to produce the records Grassley and Comer are seeking. It remains to be seen if any such documents will provide more information about the allegations against the president.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
