How refreshing? Republicans are finally telling Americans the truth about their investigations and political brinksmanship around the debt ceiling.
After complaining that the FBI would redact the FD-1023 form he demanded (even though he was reportedly fine with that before), House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer admitted that he had already seen and knew what was in the document. Then Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said it was “guaranteed” House Republicans would hold FBI Director Wray in contempt even though the entire committee knew exactly what was in the document. Now, Senator Chuck Grassley has given up the whole game, admitting that Republicans aren’t interested in whether the accusations in the form are accurate or not, they just want to make them public.
This was all happening at the same time House Republicans admitted they were holding the full faith and credit of the U.S. hostage to collect on Speaker McCarthy’s corrupt bargain. First, Rep. Matt Gaetz admitted that House Republicans who voted for the Default on America Act “don’t feel like we should negotiate with our hostage” and that the corrupt bargain gave MAGA Republicans the “best version of Speaker McCarthy.” Then, Rep. Dan Bishop lamented that the bipartisan compromise meant a Republican presidential candidate couldn’t use the issue of the debt ceiling in the 2024 election. Last, Marjorie Taylor Greene said she would vote for the bipartisan compromise, which she called a “shit sandwich,” in exchange for the impeachment of a Biden official – she voted for the bill in the end.
James Comer And Chuck Grassley Admitted They Were Going After The FBI Just Because They Can
JAMES COMER ADMITTED HE HAD ALREADY SEEN THE FORM HE WAS REQUESTING FROM THE FBI AND KNEW WHAT WAS IN IT
Rep. James Comer Said He And Chuck Grassley Already Knew What Was In The FD 1023 Form They Requested From The FBI And Had Already Seen It. REP. JAMES COMER: “Well, to answer that question, Sean, he offered us the opportunity to come look at it in a private SCIF, but he was going to redact it. My experience with getting documents from the FBI when they’re redacted, there’s very — it’s all black lines, they don’t show anything. But I’m going to say on this show what we told Director Wray, what Senator Grassley told Director Wray. He and I have already seen 1023 form. We knew what was in the 1023 form. Until we told Director Wray that, he never even admitted that the form existed. So the level of confidence that we have with Director Wray only went down. It only declined throughout the conversation. So we will go there and look at the redacted document, but we know what’s in the document.” [Fox News, Hannity, 5/31/23] (video)
- Washington Post’s Philip Bump: “But Comer And Grassley Have Been Aware Of Its Contents For A Month, And All They Appear To Have Done Is Pester The FBI About It.” “But Comer and Grassley have been aware of its contents for a month, and all they appear to have done is pester the FBI about it. Remember, Comer held a news conference in early May during which he alleged that foreign money had at times moved between members of Biden’s family. That was the product of months of investigations based on financial documents the Oversight Committee had retained. There was no evidence presented of a $5 million payment to then-Vice President Joe Biden or his intermediaries. Perhaps the bank records were too narrow. Or perhaps there was no such payment.” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/1/23]
- Washington Post’s Philip Bump: “Instead, They Spent A Month Hammering The FBI In Keeping With The Political Right’s (And Donald Trump’s) Interest In Casting The Bureau As A Political Opponent.” “The letter from Comer and Grassley came out May 5, by which point they’d presumably seen the document. At the very least, they knew what the accusation was. Since then, though, there’s no evidence that they did anything to investigate it. Instead, they spent a month hammering the FBI in keeping with the political right’s (and Donald Trump’s) interest in casting the bureau as a political opponent.” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/1/23]
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Confirmed The Committee Knew Exactly What Was On The FD-1023 Form, But Would Hold FBI Director Wray In Contempt Of Congress Anyway
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Said It Was “Guaranteed” House Republicans Would Hold FBI Director Wray In Contempt Of Congress Even Though She Said The Committee Knows Exactly What Is On The Document. “Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Thursday it is ‘guaranteed’ Congress will be holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt for not providing the House Oversight Committee with a document allegedly related to President Joe Biden. In a phone interview with the Daily Caller, Greene said Wray ‘does not know what else we [the House Oversight Committee] know and we know more than we’ve already told.’ While Greene would not provide specifics on what else the committee knows, she did say they know exactly what is on the document and that they have a whistleblower. The document in question is an FBI-generated FD-1023 form that allegedly shows an arrangement exchanging money for policy decisions.” [Daily Caller, 6/1/23]
JAMES COMER COMPLAINED THAT THE FBI WOULD REDACT THE FORM WHEN VIEWING IT IN PERSON, EVEN THOUGH HE EARLIER TOLD A REPORTER THAT WOULD BE FINE
Rep. James Comer Complained About The FBI Potentially Redacting The Form He Was Seeking After The FBI Offered To Let Him View It In Private In A Secure Room. REP. JAMES COMER: “Well, to answer that question, Sean, he offered us the opportunity to come look at it in a private SCIF, but he was going to redact it. My experience with getting documents from the FBI when they’re redacted, there’s very — it’s all black lines, they don’t show anything.” [Fox News, Hannity, 5/31/23] (video)
Huffington Post’s Arthur Delaney Said Rep. James Comer Told Him The FBI Could Hand Over The FD-1023 Form, “All They Have To Do Is Redact The Source’s Name.” Huffington Post Reporter Arthur Delaney tweeted: “Comer said FBI director Wray offered Republicans the chance to look at the FD-1023 form, ‘but he was gonna redact it.’ Told me the other day the FBI could hand it over and ‘all they have to do is redact the source’s name.’” [Twitter, Arthur Delaney, 5/31/23]
JAMES COMER SAID HE COULD SUBPOENA THE PERSON WHO GAVE THE INFORMATION TO THE FBI, BUT HE WOULDN’T
Rep. James Comer Said They Could Subpoena The Person Who Submitting The Information In To The FBI In The 1023 Form, But He Wouldn’t. FOX NEWS’ AINSLEY EARHARDT: “Why is that form 1023 so pertinent, so important to this investigation? Could you just subpoena the person who have that information to you?” COMER: “Well we’ve subpoenaed the FBI who’s in possession of the 1023 form and that’s as good…” FOX NEWS’ AINSLEY EARHARDT: “Can’t you find the person who gave the FBI that information and talk to them, find out what’s on that sheet of paper?” COMER: “Well we could, but what the FBI is saying is they don’t want to jeopardize their human informant so, you know, we know a lot more about this than what I’m going to disclose right now. The FBI needs to comply with our request.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 5/31/23] (video)
- Washington Post’s Philip Bump: “Skeptical Viewers Might Also Have Wondered Something Else: If You Already Know What The Allegation Is, Why Don’t You Just Investigate The Allegation?” “We should note quickly that Comer didn’t say what Wray planned to redact. So when he told Hannity that he, too, would redact part of the document — the source’s name — skeptical viewers might have wondered if that was all Wray similarly intended. Skeptical viewers might also have wondered something else: If you already know what the allegation is, why don’t you just investigate the allegation? ” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/1/23]
SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY EVEN ADMITTED REPUBLICANS DID NOT CARE IF ACCUSATIONS WERE TRUE OR NOT, THEY JUST WANTED TO PUBLICIZE THEM
HEADLINE: “‘Political Stunts’ To Get ‘Booked On Fox’: White House Slams GOP Effort To Demand FBI Document On Biden” [The Hill, 6/1/23]
HEADLINE: “Republicans ‘Not Interested’ In Whether Biden Bribe Allegation Is True, Chuck Grassley Says” [Huffington Post, 6/1/23]
HEADLINE: “GOP Senator Admits Republicans Don’t Care If Accusations Against Joe Biden Are ‘Accurate’” [New Republic, 6/1/23]
- Senator Chuck Grassley: “We Aren’t Interested In Whether Or Not The Accusations Against Vice President Biden Are Accurate Or Not.” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Next topic, you talked to the FBI director Christopher Wray on the phone yesterday, right? And you’re trying to get a look at this document. From what I understand he says you’re okay to come to the Bureau and look at it. Is that the case and is that good enough for you?” SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY: “I have read that document, if he would read it, and it’s an unclassified document, he admits it exits. And we aren’t interested in whether or not the accusations against Vice President Biden are accurate or not. We’re responsible for making sure the FBI does it’s job and that’s what we want to know.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)
- Senator Chuck Grassley Admitted He Did Not Know If The Accusations In The FBI Document Were Accurate Or Not And He Was Not Interested In Figuring That Out. FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Senator, how damning is this document to the sitting U.S. president?” GRASSLEY: “Well, its, I don’t know that, and that what we need…” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “But you’ve read it.” GRASSLEY: “I read it. Let’s put it this way. There’s accusations in it, but it’s not for me to make a judgment about whether these accusations are accurate or not. It’s up to my job to make sure the FBI’s doing their job.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)
- Senator Chuck Grassley Refused To Say What Was In The FBI Document He Had Requested Despite Having Admitted To Reading It. FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Senator let me stop you there, you just said you read the document, is that right?” GRASSLEY: “Yes.” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Then what did it say?” GRASSLEY: “Well, I’m not going to characterize it, we’re going to make it public when they get it delivered to us.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)
HEADLINE: “Republican Says It Doesn’t Matter If Joe Biden Accusations Are ‘Accurate'” [Newsweek, 6/1/23]
HEADLINE: “Grassley Admits He Doesn’t Care If GOP Accusations Against ‘Vice President Biden’ Are ‘Accurate Or Not'” [AlterNet, 6/1/23]
House Republicans Admitted They Were Holding The Full Faith And Credit Of The U.S. Hostage To Collect On Speaker McCarthy’s Corrupt Bargain
REP. MATT GAETZ ADMITTED HOUSE REPUBLICANS WERE HOLDING THE U.S. ECONOMY HOSTAGE AND HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY WAS BEHOLDEN TO THE CORRUPT BARGAIN
HEADLINE: “House Republicans Pretty Much Admit They Are Taking Debt Limit ‘Hostage’” [Huffington Post, 5/23/23]
Rep. Matt Gaetz On The Debt Ceiling Negotiations: “I Believe The One-Person Motion To Vacate Has Given Us The Best Version Of Speaker McCarthy And I Think He’s Doing A Good Job.” Semafor reporter Joseph Zeballos-Roig tweeted: “👀 Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) telling me the quiet part out loud on how McCarthy is maneuvering through debt limit talks: ‘I believe the one-person motion to vacate has given us the best version of speaker McCarthy and I think he’s doing a good job.’” [Twitter, Joseph Zeballos-Roig, 5/23/23]
Rep. Matt Gaetz: “I Think My Conservative Colleagues For The Most Part Support Limit, Save, Grow, & They Don’t Feel Like We Should Negotiate With Our Hostage.” Semafor reporter Joseph Zeballos-Roig tweeted: “More from Gaetz, who rejects any debt limit compromise with the White House: ‘I think my conservative colleagues for the most part support Limit, Save, Grow, & they don’t feel like we should negotiate with our hostage.’ Default would almost certainly throw US into recession.” [Twitter, Joseph Zeballos-Roig, 5/23/23]
HEADLINE: “Matt Gaetz Admits Republicans Are Holding America “Hostage” Over Debt Ceiling” [New Republic, 5/23/23]
REP. DAN BISHOP SAID THE BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE MEANT A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COULDN’T USE THE ISSUE OF THE DEBT CEILING IN THE 2024 ELECTION
Rep. Dan Bishop Lamented That The Bipartisan Compromise Would Remove The Issue Of The Debt Ceiling From The 2024 Presidential Election So That A Republican Presidential Candidate Could Not Use It. REP. DAN BISHOP: “And what is the divisive two years do? It removes the issue from the national conversation during the presidential election to come. How could you more successfully kneecap any Republican president than to take that issue out of his or her hands? That’s what’s being done.” [House Freedom Caucus Press Conference on Debt Ceiling Negotiations, 5/30/23] (video) 00:29:00
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAID SHE WANTED THE IMPEACHMENT OF A BIDEN OFFICIAL IN EXCHANGE FOR VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Said She Would Vote For The Bipartisan Compromise On The Debt Ceiling, Which She Called A “Shit Sandwich,” If She Could Get The Impeachment Of A Biden Official As Her “Beautiful Dessert.” “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday that she’s inclined to support the bipartisan debt ceiling proposal set to hit the House floor Wednesday, but she first wants to secure a commitment from GOP leaders to move several other proposals in the future, including the impeachment of President Biden or a top cabinet official. ‘If you have to eat a shit sandwich, you want to have sides, OK? It makes it much better,’ Greene told reporters just outside the Capitol office of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). ‘So what I’m looking for is, I’m looking for some sides and some desserts.’ […] Then she named her ‘beautiful dessert.’ ‘Somebody needs to be impeached,’ Greene said. She singled out Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of the Homeland Security Department, as ‘the lowest hanging fruit’ in the eyes of Republicans for his handling of the migrant crisis at the southern border.” [The Hill, 5/30/23]
- 5/31/23: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Voted In Favor Of Passing The Fiscal Responsibility Act. According to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene voted “aye” on passage of H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. [U.S. House Floor, H.R. 3746, Vote 243, 5/31/23]