On Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray threatening that the Committee may hold him in contempt of Congress for the Bureau’s failure to comply with the Committee’s subpoenas investigating the FBI’s weaponization of its law-enforcement powers against Americans exercising their First Amendment rights.
On February 3, 2023, the Committee issued a subpoena to Director Wray for documents and information related to the FBI’s use of the Patriot Act to target concerned American parents who speak out at school board meetings. On April 10, 2023, the Committee issued a subpoena to Director Wray for documents and information related to a memorandum issued by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office that linked “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists” (RMVEs) with a radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology.
The FBI’s productions to date have been heavily redacted to exclude critical information or simply failed to include material responsive to the subpoena that the Committee knows is, or has reason to believe may be, in the FBI’s possession. The Committee’s subpoenas impose legal obligations for Director Wray to comply and produce responsive materials, and his refusal to produce these documents—months after the return dates—is wholly inadequate and unacceptable.
Chairman Jordan has given the FBI until July 25, 2023, to substantially improve its subpoena compliance before the Committee considers compulsory action, including the invocation of a contempt of Congress.
Read the full letter to FBI Director Wray here.
