A high-ranking U.S. senator is demanding answers from the FBI after claiming the bureau, under former Director Christopher Wray, ordered the destruction of an intelligence report alleging that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempted to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. The report, recently turned over to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), suggests the CCP may have plotted to fabricate mail-in ballots to help Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
The intelligence document, originally produced by the FBI’s Albany Field Office in mid-2020, outlines concerns about potential foreign influence in the election during a time when mail-in voting surged due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a spokesperson for Grassley, the document was provided to the senator in response to a whistleblower disclosure protected by law.
“Chairman Grassley is in receipt of an FBI document responsive to a request he made based on legally protected whistleblower disclosures,” the spokesperson told National Review. “The document alleges serious national security concerns that need to be fully investigated by the FBI.”
Grassley is now pressing FBI Director Kash Patel—appointed earlier this year after the departure of Wray—to provide further documentation and clarity. In a letter sent Tuesday, Grassley asked for records indicating who ordered the destruction of the intelligence report, why the source for the memo was re-interviewed, and how the FBI has handled verification of the memo’s claims.
Grassley specifically requested communications involving several named FBI officials, including Intelligence Analyst Jordan Siri, Supervisory Special Agent Charles Keller, and Nikki Floris, Intelligence Analyst in Charge of the Washington Field Office.
“Please provide all records relating to that re-interview and recall,” Grassley wrote, “including but not limited to all communications between and among agents and intelligence analysts.”
The Iowa senator also demanded a detailed explanation of the FBI's rationale for recalling and ordering the destruction of the original report, especially in light of federal record-keeping laws.
“Explain why the FBI under your predecessor required the original [Intelligence Information Report] to be destroyed, whether this practice is consistent with the FBI’s past and current practice, and how it comports with federal record preservation requirements,” Grassley’s letter said.
The claims were first reported by the conservative outlet Just the News, which published the declassified 2020 document earlier this week. The outlet noted the memo’s timing—just months before the election—and its explosive content, alleging coordinated efforts by foreign actors to influence the vote via fraudulent ballots.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the documents had been found, reviewed, and declassified.
“The FBI has located documents which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election, including allegations of interference by the CCP,” Patel said. “I have immediately declassified the material and turned the documents over to Chairman Grassley for further review.”
While the FBI has yet to comment officially on the matter, Patel’s cooperation marks a notable shift in the bureau’s tone toward internal oversight—particularly under congressional pressure. Grassley, a long-time advocate for whistleblower protections and government transparency, has given the bureau a July 1 deadline to respond.
Context: The 2020 Election and Ongoing Allegations
Joe Biden narrowly defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 election, in large part due to Democratic support for expanded mail-in voting amid the pandemic. While multiple courts and audits rejected widespread claims of voter fraud, Trump and his allies have continued to allege that the election was rigged.
In 2024, Trump made a political comeback, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden withdrew from the race citing cognitive health issues. The reemergence of this CCP interference memo is expected to fuel renewed political debate about election security, foreign influence, and the FBI’s conduct under prior leadership.
