As RedState previously reported, Rep. James Comer and other Republicans in both the House and Senate are currently in the midst of an investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving the Biden family. Specifically, the FBI is in possession of a 1023 form that includes supposed evidence and witness testimony to that effect.

But while the FBI has not denied that they have the form, they have attempted to stonewall, claiming confidentiality concerns. Now, another roadblock has appeared. According to Comer, some witnesses have gone missing while others are in jail, and the FBI is refusing to assist in locating them.

That was said on Fox News on Sunday, and Jonathan Turley summarized Comer’s remarks.

…Comer also told Bartiromo that "nine out of ten people . . . with very good knowledge are . . . currently in court, in jail, or currently missing." He said that is why they are seeking information from FBI…

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 14, 2023

…Comer just said "we are going to end up in court." that is the first clear indication that the Committee is now moving in that direction to force the release of this information.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 14, 2023

I look at this two ways. One, I’m sure Comer is telling the truth about what’s in the 1023 form, and the fact that the FBI wants to try to jump through hoops to not release it only testifies to that further. The informant in question obviously has a name, and the fact that they’ve gone missing is extremely suspicious. I’m not so much suggesting someone pulled a Hillary Clinton here as I’m suggesting intimidation is at play, and that’s what Comer seems to be saying. He goes on to say that he knows who is intimidating these witnesses from within the White House and that he will be “dealing” with the situation.

With that said, Comer promised the world with this bribery scandal, and it’s not going to be enough to claim he can’t find the witnesses after laying everything out in such vivid detail. You’d think he’d have covered that base already.

Turley goes on to explain that if a court follows the law, the FBI should be forced to give up the 1023 in question and any other information pertinent to the investigation.

…The tricky aspect will be dealing with material like the 1023 form given privilege arguments from the FBI. Yet, there is also the refusal to present information in a classified setting. Any oversight investigation will likely involve material used in prior investigations…

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 14, 2023

…The other question is time. With only two years remaining in the Administration, they could run out of runway before this can take off. That is why they need to move quickly to court while seeking other possible avenues for this information.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 14, 2023

That last statement is the biggest issue Republicans in Congress face. The White House and FBI, along with the DOJ, are obviously going to try to run out the clock here. Going to court takes time, and it could take years to force the executive branch to produce the documents in question.

Fortunately, Democrats have set the precedent of impeachment and pursuing criminal charges after a president leaves office. They’ve also set the precedent that executive privilege simply doesn’t apply to former officeholders if the current president says it doesn’t. If Republicans win in 2024, they shouldn’t let this go. They should move full speed ahead, and make Democrats play by the rules they set.