FBI Director Christopher A. Wray Wednesday skirted around a question Wednesday on whether President Trump or Attorney General William P. Barr have pressured him to investigate Hunter Biden or anyone else connected to the Trump impeachment proceedings.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat, asked the FBI director if he had been asked to investigate 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, his son Hunter or any member of Congress as revenge for impeachment.
“I have assured Congress, and I can assure Congress today that the FBI will only open investigations based on the facts of the law and proper predication,” Mr. Wray responded in congressional testimony.
When Mr. Nadler rephrased the question, Mr. Wray responded, “No one asked me to open an investigation based on anything other than the facts of the law and proper predication.”
The Bidens have been key figures throughout the impeachment fight. Democrats say Mr. Trump abused his power when he pushed the Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter Biden’s lucrative contracts with Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company.
Republicans have countered that Mr. Trump was trying to get to the bottom of corruption by the Bidens, including allegations that the elder Mr. Biden pushed to oust a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the company that counted Hunter Biden among its board members.
On Dec. 18, the House impeached Mr. Trump on two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate will vote on whether to convict him or acquit him.
Later in the hearing, Mr. Wray was asked if he had been pressed to investigate former National Security Adviser John R. Bolton, who has emerged as a central figure in the impeachment drama.
Again, Mr. Wray declined to answer the question.
“My commitment to doing things by the book includes not talking about whether or not a particular investigation does or does not exist,” he said. “You shouldn’t read anything into that. That’s not a hint that anything is happening. I just don’t think that’s a question I can responsibly answer if I’m going to be faithful to my commitment to doing things by the book.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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