Washington, D.C. - In case you missed it, today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray during HPSCI’s Annual Threat Assessment hearing on whether a counterintelligence investigations into either presidential candidates is ongoing, if he was aware of an audio recording of Joe Biden telling his ghostwriter that he had “just found all the classified stuff downstairs,” Biden’s mishandling of classified information, and the national security threat TikTok presents. FBI Director Wray repeatedly dodged Congresswoman Stefanik’s questions.
Watch her line of questioning here.
Read a full transcript of her line of questioning below:
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Director Wray, have you read Robert Hur’s special counsel report?
Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation: “I have reviewed it.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Do you believe Joe Biden mishandled classified information?”
Mr. Wray: “I’m not gonna discuss the report. That’s the Special Counsel’s report, and I’ll refer to him.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “In your opinion, as director of the FBI, do you believe he mishandled classified information?
Mr. Wray: “Again, I'm just going to refer to the report and the Special Counsel can speak for himself on his report.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Are you aware, and this is breaking news right now, are you aware that there is an audio recording of Joe Biden saying to his ghost writer, in February ‘I just found all the classified stuff downstairs.’ Are you aware of that audio recording?”
Mr. Wray: “Again I would just, respectfully refer you to the Special Counsel.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “No, I’m asking you: Are you aware as the director of the FBI? You’re either aware or you’re not.”
Mr. Wray: “Am I aware of what now?”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Whether the audio exists of Joe Biden saying in February 2017, ‘I just found all the classified stuff downstairs,’ to his ghostwriter.”
Mr. Wray: “Again, I’m just gonna refer to the Special Council, and his testimony, and his report.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “It sounds like you might be aware of it then. In front of this very committee, in an open session, your predecessor Jim Comey testified that he did not follow the proper protocol regarding the notification of Congress of the opening of the crossfire hurricane that will be the counterintelligence investigation into President Trump in 2016. To address this illegal abuse of power by the FBI, this committee included direction to the FBI in the IAA requiring notification to Congressional leadership of any counterintel investigation into a federal candidate for office. Is there any counterintelligence investigation into either Joe Biden or Donald Trump?”
Mr. Wray: “I would just say I’ll refer you to the Special Council.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “That is not a question about the Special Counsel. That is a requirement of the IAA of the FBI. Is there a counterintelligence investigation into either Joe Biden or Donald Trump?”
Mr. Wray: “There is no investigation that I can confirm here, no.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Is there a counterintelligence investigation?”
Wray: “Again, I’m not confirming any investigation into either candidate.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: Are you aware that you’re required by the IAA to notify Congress of any counterintelligence investigation?
Mr. Wray: “And we will comply with the law.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Have you already complied with the law? Has there been a notification?”
Mr. Wray: “I believe we have been in compliance with the law.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “You believe you have been or has there been a notification to Congress of any counterintelligence investigation of a federal candidate?”
Mr. Wray: “I believe we have complied with the law.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Has there been a counter-intel assessment conducted on either President Biden or President Trump?”
Mr. Wray: “Again, there's no assessment that I would confirm here in any way. I believe we have been in compliance with the law.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “How about on an immediate family member and by that I mean spouses or children of either President Biden or President Trump?”
Mr. Wray: “Again, I’m not in the business of confirming, especially not at an open hearing assessments or anything like that when it comes to counterintelligence matters.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “So you will confirm in a classified setting when we ask you this question of whether there is a counterintelligence investigation because you are aware that according to the IAA, you were required by law to notify Congress of any counterintelligence investigation, not just for Presidential candidates but any federal candidate?”
Mr. Wray: “We will comply with the law.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “So you will answer this in a classified hearing later today?”
Mr. Wray: “We will comply with the law.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “And what’s your understanding of the law?”
Mr. Wray: “There is a whole series of oversight requirements that we have related to counterintelligence matters. I'm not going to try to go through all of them.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “But specifically the notification of Congress of the counter-intel investigation on to a federal candidate, how do you, what is your understanding of the law?”
Mr. Wray: “Again, I would want to refer to the lawyers to make sure that I’m appropriately complying with it but can tell you we're going to comply with the law. My understanding is that we have been.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Is your assessment that you’re required to notify Congress of any counter-intel investigation into any federal candidate?”
Mr. Wray: “I would again I'm going to defer to the lawyers as to the precision of that.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “You’re the director of the FBI. They report to you. What is your understanding of the requirement in the IAA?”
Mr. Wray: “We’re going to comply with the law including whatever’s in the IAA.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “I want to turn to the search warrants and the search in one case of Mar-a-Lago, an unprecedented raid and a search working with Joe Biden’s legal team. Were you or your staff, did you have any communication about either the execution of the search warrant on Mar-a-Lago or the search of documents working with Joe Biden's lawyer? Was there any communication with Joe Biden of you or your team?”
Mr. Wray: “Not to my knowledge.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “With any White House staff?”
Mr. Wray: “By me or my team?”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “By you or a personnel at the FBI.”
Mr. Wray: “Again I want to make sure I’ve got your question right. By me or my staff with who about which?”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “With the White House staff about the execution of the search warrant on Mar-a-Lago or the search working with Joe Biden’s lawyers of classified information.”
Mr. Wray: “Not to my knowledge.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “What about the attorney general?”
Mr. Wray: “I can’t speak for the attorney general.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “No, was there any communication with your staff with the attorney general or you regarding the execution of the search warrant or the search of Joe Biden’s classified documents?”
Mr. Wray: “Well, any search would be done in coordination with the Department of Justice. As to whom may have communicated with whom in the FBI, the department, that I can’t.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “I'm asking if you communicated?”
Mr. Wray: “Whether I communicated?”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “With the attorney general prior or after the execution of the search warrant on Mar-a-Lago.”
Mr. Wray: “No.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Do you think it is a national…”
Mr. Wray: “Hold on, prior or after?”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Prior or after.”
Mr. Wray: “Well, I would've had conversations with the Attorney General about the appointment at that time of Mr. Lausch.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “And what were those conversations?”
Mr. Wray: “Just about the fact that he was going to be named. That’s not really about the search itself I suppose.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “And my last question is do you think it is a national security threat to have a federal campaign account on TikTok?”
Mr. Wray: “Well, I have been very clear about my views about TikTok and the national security concerns it presents. And we banned TikTok on all FBI devices. As to what campaigns choose to do with their platforms, I’ll leave that to them.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “So you don’t think it's a national security threat?”
Mr. Wray: “I'm not weighing in on that.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “As the Director of the FBI. I agree with you that TikTok is a national security threat. I think it’s a national security threat to have campaign accounts on TikTok. You cannot say here today that you think that’s a national security threat?”
Mr. Wray: “I think TikTok represents all sorts of national security threats. As to whether specific account holders choose to exercise their right to access a TikTok account I’ll leave that to them.”
Congresswoman Stefanik: “Well we have a disagreement. I think it's a national security threat to have a presidential campaign on TikTok.”
