U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz accused the Federal Bureau of Investigations of covering up an alleged bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son, Hunter Biden, and an executive of a Ukranian natural gas company, Burisma Holdings, of which Hunter was a board member.
“Every day when I’m home in Texas I hear from Texans who are deeply dismayed about the growing politicization, weaponization of the Department of Justice and the FBI,” Cruz said at a Senate Judiciary hearing on Tuesday. “If you are not, everyone of you should be deeply concerned about the damage being done about the integrity of the institutions in which you operate.”
Cruz was directly addressing members of the intelligence community called to testify about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Among them was Paul Abbate, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whom Cruz grilled “about the politicization and weaponization of the Department of Justice and the FBI … which is profoundly damaging to the rule of law in our nation.”
Last month, a FBI whistleblower came forward with an FD-1023 report claiming when President Joe Biden was vice president in the Obama administration, he and his family members were involved in a $5 million bribery scheme.
Biden has brushed off the allegations, telling critics to “show me the money.”
Cruz asked Abbate if he would confirm the report existed and Abbate replied, “I’m not going to comment on that, senator.”
“Why is that?” Cruz asked.
“I’m just not going to comment on information we’ve received about an investigation on an ongoing matter,” he said.
“You don’t owe an obligation to the American people to be candid about evidence of corruption by the president of the United States?” Cruz asked.
“This is an area I’m not going to get into with you senator,” he replied.
“I understand you don’t want to. And that’s why people are mad at the FBI because you’re stonewalling and covering up serious allegations of evidence of corruption from the president,” Cruz said. “Just yesterday, Sen. Chuck Grassley stood on the Senate floor and alleged there are 17 recordings of this informant from Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company, 15 of them are voice recordings of him [the informant] talking to Hunter Biden, two of them are voice recordings of him talking to Joe Biden.”
He then asked Abbate, “does the FBI have 17 voice recordings laying out evidence of a bribery scheme?”
“I’m not going to comment on any investigative matter,” Abbate replied.
“This is why you are damaging the institution,” Cruz said. “The American people have a right to know whether there is serious, credible evidence the president of the United States took a $5 million bribe.
“By the way, if it’s false – Chairman Durbin (Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL) just rolled his eyes – if Chairman Durbin were interested in the rule of law, we’d have a hearing on these allegations. But of course, the Democrats don’t want a hearing on this.
“To be clear, if the allegations are false, you know who could disprove them? Joe Biden. He could call for this to be released publicly. But the FBI is stonewalling.”
Abbate said, “no one is stonewalling. The 1023 was provided in response to a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee. I reject your assertion that the FBI is politicized.”
“Why did you refuse to answer my question?” Cruz continued.
“I just answered your question,” Abbate replied.
“Ok, so yes you have the 1023. Do you have the recordings? Yes or no,” Cruz asked.
Abbate said, “I’m not going to get further into it.”
“So, you’re stonewalling. You can’t I’m not refusing to answer your question, but I won’t answer your question,” Cruz said.
“I’m gonna answer within the parameters that we operate under,” Abbate replied.
“That’s the problem,” Cruz said. “The FBI has right now unlimited hubris that you believe you are unaccountable. You don’t believe you’re accountable to United States Congress and you don’t believe you’re accountable to the American people.”
He then asked Abbate if he’d provide the 1023 and 17 recordings to the Senate Judiciary Committee “so we can assess what is the evidence, the specific, credible evidence that Joe Biden personally took a $5 million bribe from a foreign national?”
Abbate said he would “take that back” to his superiors and wouldn’t answer yes or no.
“Did you investigate in any way shape or form these allegations?” Cruz asked.
Abbate wouldn’t comment.
