Republican Oversight Chair Targets Biden Family Over ‘Influence Peddling’

Flanked by House Republicans, U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 17, 2022. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Republicans, now in control of the House of Representatives, have begun their investigation into government “waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement,” as well as “holding the Biden Administration accountable.”

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, outlined on Jan. 30 his committee’s objectives.

Speaking at a National Press Club Headliners Newsmaker event, Comer said the committee will start investigating the Biden family for alleged “influence peddling” and that the first hearing will be held next week.

“The family has taken millions of dollars from adversaries mainly in China. I think we need to determine what the money was for and who supplied it,” Comer said.

He noted that Hunter Biden and other Biden family members have received at least 150 suspicious activity reports in connection with their questionable overseas business dealings. However, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen continues to block public access to these reports, he said.

“If it’s not money laundering, why are you trying to hide it from the media?” Comer said.

“When you see the country [China] has donated so much money to the Biden family, shouldn’t someone look into that to make sure that everything’s is in order? That’s what we are doing.”

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, speaks at a National Press Club Headliners Newsmaker event on Jan. 30, 2023. Emel Akan/The Epoch Times

In terms of classified documents, Comer hoped that both parties could achieve an agreement on bipartisan legislation that governs how documents are packed up when the president and vice president leave office.

“[We have to] reform the way that documents are boxed up,” he said.

The House Oversight Committee will also hold its first hearing this week on COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud. According to Comer’s estimates, almost $560 billion in pandemic relief funds were lost due to waste, fraud, and mismanagement.

The committee will also probe how the Biden administration handled border security and the pullout from Afghanistan.

During the past two years, “there have been zero cabinet secretaries” in front of the House Oversight Committee, according to Comer.

“I think that’s unacceptable,” he said.

Comer noted that a subcommittee, appointed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), will investigate the origins of COVID-19. The subcommittee will be housed within the Oversight Committee.

The Kentucky Republican said he hoped that investigating the origins of COVID would be a bipartisan effort, but he accused Democrats of ignoring this issue in the past two years by not scheduling hearings.

Comer wrote in an opinion piece published recently that mounting evidence indicated that the virus originated from a lab leak in Wuhan, China.