Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has released internal FBI emails indicating that the agency suppressed intelligence on alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 election. The move was reportedly to protect then-FBI Director Christopher Wray from political fallout after he provided Congress with inaccurate testimony.

The FBI declassified and shared these records with Grassley following whistleblower disclosures. The documents reveal a decision by the FBI's Albany Field Office to recall an Intelligence Information Report (IIR) alleging that China produced fraudulent drivers' licenses to create mail-in votes for Joe Biden. Despite initial credibility, the investigation was halted, preventing further scrutiny by other field offices or intelligence community elements. The stated reason was that "the reporting will contradict Director Wray’s testimony."

Grassley commented, "These records smack of political decision-making and prove the Wray-led FBI to be a deeply broken institution." He emphasized the need for full investigation into intelligence reports and praised current Director Patel's efforts toward transparency.

An analyst from the FBI Albany office expressed concern over political motivations behind suppressing information, stating it contradicted the organization's apolitical mission. An official described the source of the IIR as competent and confident in their information.

The recall decision involved significant attention from headquarters divisions, with Nikki Floris, then-Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence, playing a key role. Floris had previously briefed Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson on their Biden family investigation, which was later leaked as Russian disinformation.

During Senate testimony on September 24, 2020, Wray asserted there was no evidence of coordinated national voter fraud but emphasized vigilance against threats. However, follow-up investigations were not aggressively pursued by FITF-China despite corroborating leads.

Grassley criticized FITF-China's lack of action and supported its closure under the Trump administration due to its conduct during his Biden family probe.