FBI Investigation into Alleged Chinese Interference in 2020 Election
The FBI reportedly halted an inquiry into claims that the Chinese Communist Party generated fake driver’s licenses and sent them to the U.S. to influence the 2020 presidential election.
Recently declassified records, shared by FBI Director Kash Patel with Senator Chuck Grassley, reveal discussions among FBI officials leading up to the election.
Fox News Digital noted in June that Patel suggested the CCP had attempted to distribute counterfeit driver’s licenses to Chinese nationals in the U.S. who supported Biden in the election. The document does not clarify if these licenses were used to cast votes within this alleged operation.
The FBI had, at one point, mentioned in a report dated September 25, 2020—a day after Christopher Wray testified before Congress about the lack of coordinated voter fraud—that they needed to “reinterview the source.” Additionally, officials requested that all copies of this initial report be destroyed.
This week, Patel declassified documents that include records related to these reinterviews and the decision-making processes at that time regarding the recall and subsequent choice not to publish the findings.
The records sent to Grassley were reviewed by Fox News Digital. One letter from FBI Director Marshall Yates explained that the intel collected from sources supported the original report, but higher-ups opted not to publish it, in part because it contradicted Wray’s testimony.
During a Senate hearing on September 24, 2020, Wray claimed he had not witnessed widespread fraud, stipulating that if he had, it would warrant serious investigation. He acknowledged the potential of foreign influence, particularly from China, but emphasized that he hadn’t seen organized fraud in major elections historically.
However, Yates noted to Grassley that recalling the original report was an “abnormal” action, indicating that there was pushback from field office personnel who disagreed with the narrative provided by headquarters.
Grassley expressed concerns about the FBI’s handling of sensitive political matters, implying that the agency had strayed from its national security duties during a critical electoral period compounded by the global pandemic.
The recall directive originated from the Cyber Division’s Nikki Floris, who previously briefed Senators Grassley and Ron Johnson regarding the Hunter Biden investigation—claiming it involved Russian disinformation.
Yates pointed out that decisions to declassify information should align with integrity and should not be unduly influenced by public testimonies. Emails revealed internal dissent over the rationale for withholding the report, with some agents feeling political motivations were affecting operational decisions.
One Albany field agent, expressing frustration over the situation, stated that assessing the political implications of intelligence reporting should not be their responsibility. Their role, they noted, was to provide raw intelligence for higher-ups to interpret.
Director Patel’s aim to restore confidence in the FBI is apparent, as he talks about the need for more transparency. Meanwhile, it’s been reported that the agency’s operational integrity has been called into question, especially concerning the release of certain intelligence reports.
In the wake of these revelations, the FBI continues to investigate the alleged foreign interference and has preserved relevant records for future scrutiny.
