The FBI under former Director Christopher Wray is facing renewed scrutiny for allegedly suppressing an intelligence memo warning of alleged Chinese efforts to interfere in the 2020 election on behalf of then-candidate Joe Biden, the latest in a series of damaging disclosures casting a shadow over Wray’s tenure.
Newly revealed documents and congressional letters show that the FBI, under former President Joe Biden and the leadership of Wray, not only failed to investigate the claims but also ordered the original memo destroyed and discouraged further inquiry.
The latest allegation of secrecy from the bureau under FBI Director Kash Patel’s predecessor is now drawing outrage from lawmakers and watchdogs, who say it marks a pattern of deception and misconduct during Wray’s time leading the bureau.
China election plot buried under Biden-era FBI’s watch, whistleblowers say
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) revealed this week that the FBI under Wray ordered the destruction of a 2020 intelligence report from its Albany Field Office detailing an alleged Chinese Communist Party plan to fabricate mail-in ballots for Biden.
According to whistleblower disclosures, the report was sent to other intelligence agencies before the FBI abruptly issued a recall order instructing recipients to “destroy all copies.” The stated reason was a re-interview of the source, but no further investigation took place.
“Chairman Grassley is in receipt of an FBI document responsive to a request he made based on legally protected whistleblower disclosures,” a spokesperson for Grassley’s office told the Washington Examiner. “The document alleges serious national security concerns that need to be fully investigated by the FBI.”
In a June 17 letter to Patel, Grassley demanded all records tied to the memo’s recall, including internal communications between FBI analysts and officials. He also requested an explanation of how the destruction order aligned with federal records laws.
“The FBI has an obligation to perform a complete investigation and provide full transparency to the American public about this matter,” Grassley wrote, noting he is asking Patel to “describe all investigative steps the FBI has taken, or will take, to determine the veracity of the allegations in the IIR as well as who recalled the IIR and the basis for the recall, if that basis extends beyond the request for the source to be re-interviewed,” using an acronym for an intelligence information report.
Patel, who replaced Wray after Trump’s reelection, has since declassified the memo and turned it over to Congress. “The FBI has located documents which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election, including allegations of interference by the CCP,” Patel announced.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) slammed the previous FBI leadership for reportedly pressuring agencies not to investigate. “Border Patrol actually found some of this and tried to have it investigated, and the FBI said, ‘don’t touch it,’” she told Just The News, which reported about the Chinese election plot earlier this week.
Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky called the revelations “shocking,” noting the report came from a confidential informant and may have been corroborated by U.S. Customs’ 2020 seizure of nearly 20,000 fake driver’s licenses from China. “Instead of following the lead, the FBI told everyone to destroy the report,” von Spakovsky said. “They did nothing.”
Catholic memo spread far wider than Wray admitted
In a separate scandal from before Patel’s tenure, Wray’s FBI is under fire for falsely claiming an intelligence memo targeting Catholic groups was limited to its Richmond office. Newly disclosed records revealed earlier this month show the February 2023 document was actually circulated to more than 1,000 employees across the country and received positive feedback from other field offices.
The memo, which characterized “Radical Traditionalist Catholics” as domestic threats, cited reporting from the Southern Poverty Law Center and warned about supposed links to violent extremism. Internal FBI emails obtained by Grassley reveal that field offices in Portland, Buffalo, Louisville, and others flagged Catholic organizations for monitoring.
Wray testified in March 2023 that the memo was a “single product” that had been “withdrawn.” But Grassley’s findings contradict that testimony and reveal that the FBI later attempted to delete distribution records, including an Excel file showing which employees accessed the memo. Former Deputy Director Paul Abbate is believed to have ordered the deletion the day the memo became public.
Grassley called the FBI’s actions “false and obstructive,” adding that “the reported permanent loss of records … shows once again that Director Wray’s previous testimony to Congress … was false.”
Wray also withheld key documents now handed over by new FBI
A third scandal involving Wray surfaced this month when the FBI, now under Patel’s leadership, turned over hundreds of pages of subpoenaed documents that Republicans say were withheld for years.
The documents, delivered to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), include material related to the FBI’s investigation into threats against school officials, the unsolved pipe bombs planted on Jan. 6, and the bureau’s internal coordination with social media platforms about foreign election interference.
The FBI’s assistant director said in a letter that this was “phase 1” of a broader transparency push. “We are thankful for Director Patel’s work,” said Jordan’s spokesman, Russell Dye, confirming some of the records were new.
The belated release of these materials further fuels GOP frustration with Wray, who routinely cited investigative confidentiality to justify withholding information from congressional oversight.
FBI GIVES CONGRESS FILES ON ALLEGED CHINESE PLOT TO INTERFERE IN 2020 ELECTION
Patel, a former Trump adviser, was narrowly confirmed to replace Wray and has since installed former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino as deputy director. The new leadership has pledged to cooperate with lawmakers and rebuild public trust in the bureau in an effort to undo the damage to the public’s trust in the bureau that occurred under the leadership of Trump’s first-term appointee, Wray.
Grassley, meanwhile, is continuing his investigation into Wray-era mismanagement. His next deadline for FBI compliance for more information on the alleged Chinese 2020 election plot is July 1.