GOP's Chuck Grassley admits his ‘criminal scheme’ allegations against Joe Biden may be false
Two days after hurling incendiary allegations at President Joe Biden, Sen. Chuck Grassley admitted his assertion may have been false.
The Iowa Republican on Wednesday issued a joint statement with Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) alleging Biden was involved in a “criminal scheme” when he served as vice president that involved a foreign national. The two Republican lawmakers called on the Justice Department to release a 2020 document them claim alleges Biden’s involvement in the scheme.
“We believe the FBI possesses an unclassified internal document that includes very serious and detailed allegations implicating the current President of the United States," Grassley said in a statement.
"The FBI’s recent history of botching politically charged investigations demands close congressional oversight.”
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But Grassley was singing a different tune on Friday, admitting to Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren that he no evidence to back his claim, Newsweek reports.
"It is a very serious allegation. I wish I could say that I knew it was true or untrue," the 89-year-old lawmaker told Van Susteren.
According to the report, Grassley’s comments echoed a similar statement he made Thursday to Fox News’ Chad Pergram that he couldn’t confirm "whether or not it's really criminal activity.”
White House spokesman Ian Sams told Newsweek that the allegations against Biden are without merit.
“… lobbing unfounded, unproven, politically-motivated attacks against the president and his family without offering evidence for their claims or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. interests."
"That's because they prefer floating anonymous innuendo, amplified by the megaphone of their allies in right-wing media, to get attention and try to distract and deflect from their own unpopular ideas and lack of solutions to the issues the American people actually care about."
A Grassley spokesperson on Friday reiterated the senator’s demand for documents.
Taylor Foy told Newsweek: "Given the precise nature of the information provided by department whistleblowers with a high degree of credibility, we're confident that the FBI has had these significant allegations for some time now.
"The question is what did the FBI do with that information. That's what Senator Grassley would like to illuminate."