FBI steps up investigations into unsolved Biden-era cases

By Efe Ozkan and Elif Gultekin Karahacioglu

ISTANBUL / The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Monday it is stepping up investigations into three high-profile, unsolved cases from former US President Joe Biden’s administration.

“Shortly after swearing in, the Director and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that, understandably, have garnered public interest,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote on X.

He said the FBI has decided to “either re-open, or push additional resources and investigative attention” to the discovery of cocaine in the White House in 2023; the Capitol Hill pipe bombing investigation; and the leak of a US Supreme Court draft text overturning abortion laws in 2022.

“I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly, and we are making progress,” Bongino added, urging everyone with leads to contact the FBI.

- White House cocaine incident

On July 2, 2023, authorities detected a small plastic bag containing less than a gram of a suspicious white substance. As a precaution, the White House was evacuated, and tests later confirmed the substance was cocaine.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson at the time, said that the cocaine was detected in a busy area of the complex frequently used by visitors.

An investigation failed to determine who smuggled the drugs inside.

However, US President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social, without evidence, that the cocaine was for the use of Biden or his son, Hunter.

- Leak of draft text overturning Roe v. Wade

In May 2022, the political news website Politico leaked a draft opinion showing the Supreme Court was preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision guaranteeing the right to abortion nationwide.

At the time, President Biden emphasized that it was unclear whether the leaked document was authentic or final. Around a month later, it was confirmed to be legitimate when the Supreme Court overturned the decision.

Later, an eight-month Supreme Court investigation said it had failed to identify who was responsible.

- Capitol Hill pipe bombs

On Jan. 5, 2021, the night before the Capitol riot, a suspect placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee.

The bombs were discovered 15 hours later and did not explode, but the FBI has said they were viable devices that could have caused serious injury or death.

In January, the FBI announced renewed efforts to identify the suspect, releasing surveillance footage and offering a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.