Biden lashes out at reporter for 'dumb question' on FBI informant

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden pounced on Thursday at a reporter after being asked what he called a "dumb question" about an FBI informant's allegations.

“Why did the Ukraine FBI informant file refer to you as the big guy?” a reporter asked Biden at the end of a White House event

Biden quickly retorted: "Why'd you ask such a dumb question?"

At issue is an FBI document long-sought by congressional Republicans containing an unsubstantiated allegation implicating US President Joe Biden in wrongdoing as part of a bribery scheme with Ukrainian nationals while he was serving as vice president during the Obama administration.

The claim was made by an FBI informant in what is known as a FD-1023 form, and Republicans in the House of Representatives threatened to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress unless he handed it over.

A resolution was reached late June 7 when Wray allowed all members of the House Oversight Committee to view the document. Wray had previously allowed Committee Chairman James Comer, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin to view it at a secure location at the FBI's headquarters, and briefed the lawmakers on it.

Conservative US media outlets have said the FBI form includes information that a Ukrainian oligarch referred to Biden as the "big guy" during a conversation.