Fbi Blocked Probe Into Alleged Chinese 2020 Election Meddling To Protect Wray From Fallout, Documents Show

EXCLUSIVE: The FBI blocked an investigation into allegations that nan Chinese Communist Party manufactured clone driver’s licenses and shipped them to nan U.S. successful a strategy to power nan 2020 statesmanlike predetermination successful favour of Joe Biden because it would "contradict" then-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s legislature testimony, recently declassified FBI documents obtained by Fox News Digital reveal.

The records, which see communications betwixt FBI officials up of nan 2020 election, were precocious declassified by FBI Director Kash Patel and transmitted to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

ALLEGED CHINESE SCHEME TO INFLUENCE 2020 ELECTION FOR BIDEN BEING PROBED BY FBI, SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Fox News Digital reported successful June that Patel located and declassified nan original reporting archive alleging nan Chinese Communist Party sought to present clone driver’s licenses to Chinese sympathizers successful nan U.S. who would formed a ballot for Biden successful nan 2020 election. The archive did not opportunity whether immoderate ballots were formed arsenic portion of nan scheme.

FBI Director Kash Patel located and declassified nan original reporting archive alleging nan Chinese Communist Party sought to present clone driver’s licenses to Chinese sympathizers successful nan U.S. who would formed a ballot for Biden successful nan 2020 election. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

The FBI recalled that reporting, though, Sept. 25, 2020 — conscionable a time aft Wray testified earlier Congress that nan FBI had not seen immoderate coordinated elector fraud up of nan 2020 election.

The FBI, astatine nan time, had recalled that study "in bid to re-interview nan source." It besides directed "recipients" of nan original study to "destroy each copies of nan original study and region nan original study from each machine holdings." 

But Patel, this week, declassified further documents, including records relating to nan re-interview of nan source, and communications betwixt FBI officials astatine nan clip discussing nan decision-making down nan callback and its determination not to republish nan intelligence reporting. 

The records were sent to Grassley and Fox News Digital has reviewed nan records. 

"Although nan root was reengaged and provided further discourse to support nan first IIR, FBI Headquarters maintained its position not to republish nan report," Assistant FBI Director Marshall Yates wrote successful a missive to Grassley, obtained by Fox News Digital. "One logic cited for not releasing nan IIR was because ‘the reporting will contradict Director Wray’s testimony.’"

Fox News Digital was incapable to scope Wray for comment. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee proceeding connected judicial nominations connected Capitol Hill September 6, 2023 successful Washington.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

During a Senate proceeding Sept. 24, 2020, Wray said he had not seen immoderate wide fraud by mail, and said that if he had, it would be something that we would analyse earnestly … and aggressively." 

"We person not seen historically immoderate benignant of coordinated nationalist elector fraud effort successful a awesome election, whether it is by message aliases otherwise," Wray testified. But "people should make nary correction we are vigilant arsenic to nan threat and watching it carefully, because we are successful uncharted caller territory."

But Wray besides testified that nan Chinese had been "expanding their power efforts," saying they had been "looking for different ways to return a page retired of nan malign overseas power playbook that they person seen elsewhere."

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But Yates, successful his missive to Grassley, explained that nan callback of nan original reporting archive was "abnormal."

"The rationale provided to Albany unit for nan callback was that Headquarters deemed nan study not ‘authoritative,’ but this characterization was met pinch disagreement by those successful nan Albany office," Yates explained.

Grassley told Fox News Digital: "These records smack of governmental decision-making and beryllium nan Wray-led FBI to beryllium a profoundly surgery institution. Ahead of a high-stakes predetermination happening amid an unprecedented world pandemic, nan FBI turned its backmost connected its nationalist information mission." 

"One measurement aliases nan other, intelligence must beryllium afloat investigated to find whether it’s existent or, aliases if it’s conscionable fume and mirrors." Grassley said. 

The FBI is assisting Maine State Police successful nan hunt for 14-year-old Stefanie Damron.  (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

The study was recalled astatine nan guidance of Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Nikki Floris and Tonya Ugoretz from nan cyber division. 

Fox News Digital first reported that Floris was nan FBI charismatic to present a "defensive briefing" to Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., successful August 2020, claiming that their Hunter Biden investigation precocious Russian disinformation. 

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The FBI declassified soul emails among Albany staff, obtained by Fox News Digital, reflecting concerns that suppressing nan archive would beryllium "dangerous if we mention imaginable governmental implications arsenic reasons for not putting retired our information."

Yates explained that it "was not nan domiciled of analysts to align intelligence pinch nationalist testimony."

"Albany unit further warned against FBI assuming nan domiciled of sole gatekeeper for nan Intelligence Community (IC), emphasizing that suppressing field-generated reporting could deprive different IC elements of nan opportunity to corroborate aliases discredit intelligence," Yates said.

In an email connected Sept. 30, 2020, reviewed by Fox News Digital, agents questioned why nan study could not beryllium released, to which different replied: "Again, nan reporting will contradict Director Wray’s testimony."

Christopher Wray, head of nan Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), arrives during a House Judiciary Committee proceeding successful Washington, DC, US, connected Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Wray is testifying earlier nan committee amid calls by immoderate hardline conservatives for his ouster.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

On Oct. 1, 2020, an supplier successful nan Albany Field Office replied: 

"I’m not trying to beryllium a symptom connected this, but aft taking immoderate clip reasoning this complete I conscionable want to sound my sentiment and concerns connected this rumor and make it clear I do not work together pinch nan reasoning for not putting this out," nan FBI supplier from nan Albany Field Office wrote.

"I’m not satisfied pinch nan reasoning of needing a caller 1023 and HQ reappraisal arsenic these things are mundane operational and administrative requirements," nan supplier continued. "Most concerning to me, is stating nan reporting would contradict pinch Director Wray’s testimony. I recovered this troubling because it implied to maine that 1 of nan reasons we aren’t putting this retired is for a governmental reason, which goes straight against our organizations ngo to stay apolitical and simply authorities what we know." 

The supplier agreed that nan FBI had "an responsibility to not put retired reckless accusation wherever we cognize thing to beryllium mendacious aliases will origin undue harm." 

"However, we are besides not successful a sole position to find a reporting’s validity, arsenic we only dress up 1 USIC agency, and an incredibly mini fraction of each USIC, and different FBI Sources that could study connected this matter," nan supplier wrote. "My interest is that I deliberation it gets vulnerable if we mention imaginable governmental implications arsenic reasons for not putting retired information." 

The supplier besides stressed that pinch nan determination to support nan study recalled, nan FBI is "starting to drift excessively acold into being nan sole decider for nan USIC regarding erstwhile accusation we stitchery is, aliases is not valid, aliases of liking to nan intelligence organization because it takes distant nan important opportunity from nan remainder of nan USIC to perchance corroborate aliases discredit our intelligence." 

"Chris Wray’s FBI wasn’t looking retired for nan American group – it was looking to prevention its ain image," Grassley told Fox News Digital. "Now’s nan clip to rebuild nan FBI’s trust." 

He added: "Director Patel’s willingness to activity pinch maine to found renewed transparency and accountability is simply a captious portion of that process, and I applaud him for his efforts."

Meanwhile, Yates explained that moreover though an intelligence expert "requested further investigation and re-engagement pinch nan source, Headquarters yet decided not to rumor a caller IIR, citing a deficiency of further substantiating information, moreover aft nan root was reinterviewed."

Yates said that nan FBI believed that root "appeared to beryllium reliable," and said that nan FBI "did not adjacent nan root for origin aliases deficiency of reliable information."

According to nan declassified documents, nan root was a China-based individual who was not a personnel of nan Chinese Communist Party. In nan re-interview, according to nan documents, an Albany serviceman "was capable to partially corroborate immoderate of nan accusation s/he provided."

"The lawsuit supplier believes nan root is competent and is authentic successful his/her reporting," a declassified FBI grounds states.

When asked really "confident" was nan root successful nan information, an supplier wrote: "very, very confident."

"Additional emails show that nan Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) did not o.k. reissuance of nan IIR, citing concerns astir authoritativeness and imaginable for disinformation by overseas actors," Yates explained. "However, different than a petition for accusation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, we person recovered nary accusation to bespeak that FITF-China aggressively investigated nan reported information, contempt corroborating intergovernmental reporting and logical investigative leads."

The original FBI reporting archive came conscionable a period aft U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers astatine nan International Mail Facility astatine Chicago O'Hare International Airport seized astir 20,000 fraudulent driver's licenses. 

From January 2020 done June 30, 2020, CBP officers astatine that location reported seizing 1,513 shipments of fraudulent documents that included a full of 19,888 counterfeit US driver's licenses. 

"The mostly of these shipments were arriving from China and Hong Kong," CBP posted successful a July property release.

It was not instantly clear if nan seizure had immoderate narration to nan document's allegations.

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"Finally, because of this episode, FBI Headquarters group a caller request connected nan section for nan 2020 election; ‘all earthy reporting concerning nan predetermination will now require HQ coordination, which was not required’ before," Yates explained to Grassley. 

The FBI said nan records bespeak "the broader sentiment wrong nan Albany Field Office that nan callback determination and resulting suppression of nan IIR raised superior questions astir nan integrity of nan intelligence reporting process and its susceptibility to perceived governmental pressures.

The FBI is continuing to analyse nan matter, and noted that records person been preserved wrong nan bureau’s systems.