During a hearing on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray declined to disclose to House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik whether the FBI is conducting counterintelligence investigations into Joe Biden or Donald Trump.
Stefanik pressed Wray on the matter during the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s Annual Threat Assessment hearing. She initially highlighted former FBI Director James Comey's acknowledgment during testimony that he did not adhere to the appropriate protocol regarding notifying Congress about the initiation of Crossfire Hurricane, the counterintelligence investigation into Trump in 2016.
Stefanik also pointed out that under the Intelligence Authorization Act, the FBI is mandated to notify “Congressional leadership of any counterintelligence investigation into a federal candidate for office” before inquiring about potential counterintelligence investigations into Trump or Biden.
After a prolonged pause, Wray tried to direct Stefanik to Special Counsel Robert Hur, but Stefanik insisted on a response, citing the IAA.
The FBI director continued, stating that he is “not in the business of confirming, especially not at open hearing assessments or anything like that when it comes to counterintelligence matters.” When asked if a counter-intel assessment had been conducted on either of the presumptive nominees or one of their immediate family members, Stefanik inquired if Wray would confirm this during a classified hearing later today. Wray responded by saying, “We will comply with the law.”
During the exchange, Stefanik also questioned Wray about Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on the Biden classified documents investigation, the Mar-a-Lago raid, and whether federal campaigns utilizing accounts on TikTok pose a national security risk.
