Grassley Reveals the FBI Suppressed Evidence of China Meddling in 2020 Election

The FBI suppressed intelligence about Chinese meddling in the 2020 election, according to emails released Tuesday by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. 

The FBI declassified and provided requested records to Grassley after the senator received whistleblower information about the matter. 

Emails show that on Sept. 25, 2020, the FBI’s field office in Albany, New York, recalled an intelligence report that showed potential Chinese election interference. The report had information from an FBI confidential human source who said the Chinese government was producing “tens of thousands” of fraudulent driver’s licenses to manufacture mail-in votes for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 election. 

Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Sept. 24, 2020, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it is by mail or otherwise.”

A three-page cover letter to Grassley from FBI Assistant Director Marshall Yates that accompanied the records release stated, ”One reason cited for not releasing the IIR [intelligence information report] was because ‘the reporting will contradict Director Wray’s testimony.’”

“The rationale provided to Albany staff for the recall was that headquarters deemed the report not ‘authoritative,’ but this characterization was met with disagreement by those in the Albany office,” the cover letter continued. “Internal emails reflect that Albany staff had concerns that suppressing the IIR would be ‘dangerous if we cite potential political implications as reasons for not putting out our information,’ emphasizing that it was not the role of analysts to align intelligence with public testimony,” the Yates cover letter added. 

In the documents provided to Grassley, the FBI said the allegations were never fully investigated and that that the bureau prevented other intelligence community agencies from accessing or studying the document. 

“These records smack of political decision-making and prove the Wray-led FBI to be a deeply broken institution. Ahead of a high-stakes election happening amid an unprecedented global pandemic, the FBI turned its back on its national security mission,” Grassley said in a public statement. 

“One way or the other, intelligence must be fully investigated to determine whether it’s true or if it’s just smoke and mirrors,” Grassley continued. “Chris Wray’s FBI wasn’t looking out for the American people—it was looking to save its own image. Now’s the time to rebuild the FBI’s trust. Director [Kash] Patel’s willingness to work with me to establish renewed transparency and accountability is a critical part of that process, and I applaud him for his efforts.” 

There was no public contact information for Wray, and The Daily Signal was not able to reach out for comment. 

Fox News reported that he couldn’t be reached for comment on this matter.

The post Grassley Reveals the FBI Suppressed Evidence of China Meddling in 2020 Election appeared first on The Daily Signal.