FBI Buried 2020 Election Interference Probe
Internal FBI documents, made public by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday, reveal that the FBI under then-Director Christopher Wray deliberately suppressed an investigation into alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 presidential election. The decision, driven by a desire to avoid contradicting Wray’s September 24, 2020, Senate testimony, prioritized the agency’s image over its duty to protect American democracy.
The suppressed report from the Albany, N.Y., field office detailed a credible claim of China producing “tens of thousands” of fake driver’s licenses to facilitate fraudulent mail-in votes for Joe Biden. Americans expect the FBI to act as an impartial guardian of national security, but this incident under the Biden administration exposed a willingness to sideline critical intelligence for political convenience, severely damaging public trust.
Wray’s Testimony and the Cover-Up
On September 24, 2020, Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee, “We have not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it is by mail or otherwise,” assuring lawmakers the FBI would “investigate seriously” any voter fraud threats.
Yet, the very next day, FBI headquarters, including deputy assistant director Nikki Floris, ordered the recall of an Albany intelligence report that directly challenged Wray’s claims. The report, based on a “competent” and “authentic” confidential source rated “9-10” in reliability, sparked significant interest at headquarters but was abruptly buried.
An assistant section chief noted the report generated “a lot of attention from all [headquarters] divisions,” yet the order to suppress it prevented further investigation, raising alarms about the FBI’s commitment to its apolitical mission under Biden’s leadership.
Analyst’s Outcry Against Political Bias
An FBI Albany intelligence analyst voiced strong objections in an October 2020 email, writing, “Most concerning to me is stating the reporting would contradict with Director Wray’s testimony. I found this troubling because it implied to me that one of the reasons we aren’t putting this out is for a political reason, which goes directly against our organization’s mission to remain apolitical and simply state what we know.”
The analyst’s frustration highlighted a deeper issue: the FBI’s decision to prioritize Wray’s public statements over pursuing credible intelligence.
By requiring all election-related reports to undergo headquarters coordination post-recall, the agency further stifled field offices from acting on or sharing the information, effectively shielding the Biden campaign from scrutiny while undermining the integrity Americans expect from their premier law enforcement agency.
Supporting Evidence Ignored
Customs and Border Protection’s 2020 seizures of 19,888 counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, primarily from China and Hong Kong, lent weight to the Albany report’s allegations. CBP’s Chicago port director, Ralph Piccirilli, warned, “These counterfeit driver’s licenses can lead to disastrous consequences,” noting their sophistication, including functional barcodes on fake Michigan licenses.
Despite this corroborating evidence, the FBI’s China division of the foreign influence task force failed to pursue the allegations, with the bureau admitting to Grassley on June 27, 2025, that no significant investigation occurred beyond a cursory request to CBP.
This inaction, driven by the need to align with Wray’s testimony, left a potential threat to the 2020 election unaddressed, further eroding public confidence in the FBI’s impartiality during the Biden years.
Grassley and Patel Push for Accountability
Grassley, leveraging whistleblower disclosures, condemned the FBI’s actions, stating, “These records smack of political decision-making and prove the Wray-led FBI to be a deeply broken institution.”
He criticized the agency for abandoning its national security mission during a critical election year, adding, “Chris Wray’s FBI wasn’t looking out for the American people – it was looking to save its own image.”
Current FBI Director Kash Patel, appointed by President Trump, has prioritized transparency, noting on X last month, “In 2020, facts about CCP election interference were buried by FBI leadership for political convenience. Thanks to relentless oversight from @ChuckGrassley and the hard work of our FBI team, the truth is finally coming to light.”
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