Grassley, Johnson request top FBI officials explain agency's interference in Hunter Biden probe

Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson sent a letter Friday to two top FBI officials requesting their appearance for a transcribed interview to explain what they say is the agency's interference in the their investigation of President Biden's son Hunter Biden's laptop and overseas business dealings.

Officials that they asked to appear are Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Bradley Benavides and Field Office Intelligence Division Nikki Floris. 

Grassley is a top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Johnson is the top Republican on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

On August 6, 2020, Ms. Floris and Mr. Benavides provided Sens. Grassley and Johnson an unnecessary briefing on behalf of the FBI and Intelligence Community on matters purportedly related to the senators’ investigation into Hunter Biden. The briefing led to a leak that falsely labeled the investigation as advancing Russian disinformation, according to the senators. 

According to the letter, Grassley and Johnson requested relevant records relating to what happened at the briefing and the FBI has consistently failed to respond in full to each request and failed to provide those critical records.

"FBI officials initiated a scheme to downplay derogatory information on Hunter Biden for the purpose of shutting down investigative activity relating to his potential criminal exposure by labeling it 'disinformation,' " the senators wrote.

They also said whistleblowers have alleged that local FBI leadership instructed employees not to look at the Hunter Biden laptop immediately after the FBI had obtained it.

Just the News has reached out to the Department of Justice and will update the article accordingly.