'Substantially corrupted': Chuck Grassley warns FBI is 'losing the trust of the American people'

In remarks on the Senate floor, Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday warned that alleged political bias in the FBI was hurting the bureau's trust among Americans.

The Iowa senator pointed to his repeated warnings about Washington Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault, whom he asserts has shown evidence of partisan bias in his handling of investigations into the Trump campaign and Hunter Biden.

Grassley highlighted his two previous letters to the FBI and Department of Justice regarding Thibault, noting he has "since been referred to the Office of Special Counsel for potential Hatch Act violations."

He further recalled whisteblower testimony asserting that Thibault secured approval to investigate the Trump campaign from Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray by concealing that partisan nature of his initial evidence. Moreover, he discussed accusations that Thibault worked to discredit evidence against President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and stifle an investigation into him.

Grassley also pointed to Robert Pilger, who worked in the Election Crimes Branch. The Iowa Republican emphasized Pilger's aid to Thibault in opening the investigation into Trump's campaign and his allies before citing testimony from former Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, who said that "Pilger’s conduct frustrated the department’s ability to properly operate the Election Crimes Branch."

He went on to discuss the bureau's efforts to curtail investigation into Hunter Biden, whom Grassley and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson had investigated previously.

"Whistleblowers have told my office that the FBI maintains many sources that have provided extensive information on Hunter Biden. That information allegedly involves potential criminal activity such as money laundering," he said. "That’s the same criminal concern that Senator Johnson and I raised in our 2020 Biden Reports. According to allegations, the underlying information was verified and verifiable. However, instead of green-lighting investigative activity, the FBI shut it down."

"If these allegations are true and accurate, the Justice Department and FBI are – and have been – substantially corrupted," Grassley said. "Attorney General Garland and Director Wray: You have an obligation to the country to immediately investigate these allegations and clean house."