A top Senate Republican raised “concerns” with FBI Director Christopher Wray about the raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, warning the bureau chief that the search may “further erode confidence” in federal law enforcement.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) revealed he raised his concerns over the FBI’s secrecy surrounding the Trump raid directly to Wray in the wake of the explosive operation.
“Last night’s raid on the home of a former U.S. president without explanation will only further erode confidence in the FBI and the Justice Department,” Grassley said in a letter announcing he spoke with the top bureau official.
DOJ AND FBI SILENT ON TRUMP RAID
“If the FBI isn’t extraordinarily transparent about its justification for yesterday’s actions and committed to rooting out political bias that has infected their most sensitive investigations, they will have sealed their own fate. The FBI’s mission and the many patriotic agents who work hard to carry it out will be forever overshadowed by the distrust the bureau has sown.”
Grassley also reiterated his recent criticisms of the bureau following whistleblower allegations that the FBI downplayed or buried evidence about Hunter Biden in 2020 by labeling it “disinformation.”
“Less than a week ago, I expressed serious concern that what little remains of the FBI’s credibility is on the line following its inconsistent handling of politically sensitive investigations, failure to hold its own employees accountable for misconduct and consistent disregard for congressional oversight,” Grassley said.
The senator added, “I reiterated these concerns to Director Wray today.”
The Monday search by the FBI was reportedly related to boxes of materials Trump brought back with him to his Florida resort after leaving office. The National Archives and Records Administration said some presidential records in 15 boxes obtained from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year included materials marked as classified.
Other congressional Republicans have also sought to put Wray in the hot seat.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to Wray telling him “to produce the court filings the FBI used for the search warrant of Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago, the documents the National Archives sent in their criminal referral to the FBI, and the documents obtained in the agency’s unprecedented raid.”
Turner also demanded an immediate briefing from Wray “concerning any national security threats used to justify your decision” and tweeted that he was “exceptionally skeptical” about the raid being “anything other than politically motivated.”
And Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the top House Judiciary Committee Republican, is calling for House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) to bring Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland to testify before the panel on Friday.
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More than two days after the raid, the Justice Department and FBI have remained tight-lipped about the purpose and justification behind it, repeatedly declining to comment. The search warrant and FBI affidavit for the raid remain sealed.
President Joe Biden also didn’t respond to questions from reporters Tuesday when asked what Garland had told him about the raid. Biden officials have said the White House was not informed about it beforehand. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say whether Garland personally signed off on it.
Senior members of the Republican Party said they believe a double standard is on display with the Justice Department’s handling of its investigation into Hunter Biden compared to the Trump raid.
