The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) stressed that Wray wasn’t flying commercial and pleaded in vain for the FBI chief to reschedule the departure of his government jet.
Yet before leaving, Wray was pushed by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) about whistleblower arguments against Tim Thibault, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s DC field office, and FBI supervisory intelligence analyst Brian Auten.
Kennedy confronted Wray with accusations against the two FBI workers that Grassley announced last month.
“Isn’t it true that Mr. Thibault — Agent Thibault, excuse me — and [Auten] covered up derogatory information about Mr. Hunter Biden while working for the FBI?” Kennedy questioned Wray point-blank Thursday.
WATCH: SPEAKER JOHNSON CALLS ON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO RESIGN
“I want to be very careful not to interfere with ongoing personnel matters,” Wray answered. “I should say that when I read the letter describing the kinds of things you’re talking about, I found it deeply troubling.”
Kennedy further mentioned to Wray a variety of Thibault’s social media barbs against Republicans, which resembled the anti-GOP attacks by FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page throughout the bureau’s investigation of possible Russian collusion with Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
A CRYING SHAME: PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS FORCE USC TO CANCEL PRIMARY GRADUATION EVENT
Grassley’s July letter to Wray announced Auten and Thibault allegedly were involved in “a scheme” to “undermine derogatory information connected to Hunter Biden by falsely suggesting it was disinformation.”
Auten “opened an assessment which was used by an FBI Headquarters (‘FBI HQ’) team to discredit negative Hunter Biden information as disinformation improperly and caused investigative activity to cease,” Grassley wrote.
WATCH GREAT ANALYSIS: THE ABSURDITY OF ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS
“[V]erified and verifiable derogatory information on Hunter Biden was falsely labeled as disinformation,” Grassley wrote, mentioning unnamed whistleblowers.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS EXPOSE DARK SIDE OF 'FOOD DELIVERY' ECONOMICS
Thibault, in the meantime, supposedly attempted to kill off a valid avenue of investigation of possible Hunter Biden criminality.
SEE TO BELIEVE: COMING SOON TO A KID'S DRAG SHOW NEAR YOU...(WATCH)
“In October 2020, an avenue of additional derogatory Hunter Biden reporting was ordered closed at the direction of ASAC Thibault… [when] all of the reporting was either verified or verifiable via criminal search warrants,” Grassley wrote.
HARVEY WEINSTEIN'S CONVICTION OVERTURNED IN NEW YORK! WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE DISGRACED MOVIE MOGUL?
“Thibault allegedly ordered the matter closed without providing a valid reason as required by FBI guidelines…. [and] subsequently attempted to improperly mark the matter in FBI systems so that it could not be opened in the future.”
Kennedy on Thursday cited some of Thibault’s social media messages and asked the FBI director, “Do you know how this looks to the American people?”
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
