Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) says that “highly credible” whistleblowers have come forward to him “alleging a widespread effort within the FBI to downplay or discredit negative information about” Hunter Biden, reports CBS News, which has reviewed a letter that Grassley’s office sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland on July 25.
“The information provided to my office involves concerns about the FBI’s receipt and use of derogatory information relating to Hunter Biden, and the FBI’s false portrayal of acquired evidence as disinformation,” Grassley, the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote in the letter. “The volume and consistency of these allegations substantiate their credibility and necessitate this letter.”
According to Grassley, the whistleblowers say that the FBI falsely characterized damaging information and intelligence regarding Hunter Biden as disinformation and effectively shut it down prior to the 2020 election. Grassley referred to a 2020 FBI intelligence assessment that was “used by an FBI headquarters team to improperly discredit negative Hunter Biden information as disinformation.” He added, “Based on allegations, verified and verifiable derogatory information on Hunter Biden was falsely labeled as disinformation.”
A month before the election, “an avenue of derogatory Hunter Biden reporting was ordered closed” by a senior FBI agent at the bureau’s Washington Field office — Grassley identified the agent as Timothy Thibault.
“[T]he allegations provided to my office appear to indicate that there was a scheme in place among certain FBI officials to undermine derogatory information connected to Hunter Biden by falsely suggesting it was disinformation,” Grassley claimed in the letter.
NEW: Multiple “highly credible” FBI whistleblowers have come forward to senior Senate Republican @ChuckGrassley alleging widespread effort to downplay or discredit negative information about the President 's son Hunter Biden, according to letters @CBSNews https://t.co/hw5kGiTFVv pic.twitter.com/xAgMcpdXMu
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) July 26, 2022
Thibault likely violated “[f]ederal laws, regulations and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) guidelines,” Grassley says.
“In light of these allegations, I remain very concerned that political bias by a select group of Justice Department and FBI officials has infected the Justice Department’s and FBI’s usual process and procedure to open and pursue high-profile and politically charged investigations,” Grassley wrote. He also called on Attorney General Garland and Director Wray to address the “systemic and existential problems” within their agencies.
Update—August 30, 8:57 p.m.: Thibault’s legal counsel released a statement on Tuesday denying that the agent was fired and claiming that he had submitted his voluntary resignation a month before his last day with the Bureau. He also denies that his client was “escorted” from the building. Rather, the attorney said, Thibault merely walked through the field office with “friends” before exiting the building alone. The attorney also denied that Thibault was involved with the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and said he had no involvement in the investigation into Hunter Biden’s laptop. He further claimed that he “did not seek to close the investigation.”
MEDIA STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF TIMOTHY R. THIBAULT
For Immediate Release⁰[Timothy R. Thibault has retained the pro bono services of Morrison & Foerster LLP.] The following statement may be used, in whole or part, + attributed to Mr. Thibault’s counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP pic.twitter.com/xpWA6hxguJ— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) August 31, 2022
Join the conversation as a VIP Member