Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is subpoenaing the FBI as part of his probe into the Russia investigation dubbed “Crossfire Hurricane.”
Johnson subpoenaed FBI Director Christopher Wray for all records and documents related to the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference, FISA abuse, and surveillance of Trump campaign affiliates. The subpoena demands all documents be turned over to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz by Aug. 20.
“The FBI has already been producing documents and information to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which are directly responsive to this subpoena,” the FBI told Fox News. “As always, the FBI will continue to cooperate with the Committee’s requests, consistent with our law enforcement and national security obligations.”
The Senate Homeland Security Committee authorized subpoenas to the FBI and other agencies involved in Russia investigations in early June. Johnson indicated more subpoenas are being prepared for others, such as former State Department employee Jonathan Winer who met with Christopher Steele.
Johnson also shared a 12-page letter Monday morning, laying out how Democrats are attempting to smear his committee’s investigation into abuse at the highest levels of the FBI and Department of Justice as “Russian disinformation,” and defended his investigations into Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter over their dealings with Ukraine.
“We didn’t target Joe and Hunter Biden for investigation; their previous actions had put them in the middle of it,” Johnson wrote.
As Chairman Grassley and I have pointed out in rebuttals to their unfounded accusations, it is Democrats who have sought out and disseminated Russian disinformation. It was the Democratic National Committee, together with cutouts for the Clinton campaign, that paid for and helped peddle the Steele dossier. And now, once again, Democrats are falsely accusing Chairman Grassley and me of the very behavior they themselves are engaging in.
The letter also addressed a weekend Washington Post op-ed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in which he claimed that “disinformation and deception are gaining a toehold in Congress” as Johnson moves forward with an investigation “using documents provided to the senator by the son of a former KGB officer.”
“This is false,” Johnson wrote. “Not only have we have repeatedly and publicly denied it, no one has presented evidence to the contrary — nor can they, because there is none.”
