House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has announced he’s ready to begin serving subpoenas to members of President Joe Biden’s family and the effort could move forward “in a matter of days.”
Mr. Comer indicated his subpoena plans during an interview with Newsmax host Eric Bolling on Thursday.
“This has taken a long time. Obviously, the Biden families have fought us, but we’ve built a case that will win in court, and we’ve made it all the way to the personal bank records of the Bidens,” the Republican lawmaker said.
In recent weeks, Mr. Comer has identified two checks that Joe Biden received between his time as vice president and his return to the White House as president that he believes indicate Joe Biden participated in his family’s business dealings. His brother, James Biden, sent him a $40,000 check on Sept. 3, 2017, and a $200,000 check on March 1, 2018.
Mr. Comer has similarly asserted James Biden’s $40,000 check to Joe Biden came at the end of a series of transactions from a Chinese energy company called CEFC to businesses operated by Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
Comer Could Move On Subpoenas in ‘Matter of Days’
While Mr. Comer’s claims about the two loan repayment checks rely on circumstantial evidence, he expressed confidence in his conclusions, telling Newsmax, “Now we can trace the money that Joe Biden got, the two checks, back to influence peddling schemes.”“So now that we can trace the money, we have enough bank records that we can bring the Bidens in,” Mr. Comer continued. “So we’re preparing everything now to be able to serve them and try to bring them in.”
Mr. Comer said he’s expecting a couple more sets of bank documents to review before issuing any subpoenas, but said once those records come through, “When that all comes in—it should be in a matter of days—then I think the American people who want to see this family held accountable, I think they’re gonna be very satisfied with the next step.”
Mr. Bolling repeatedly asked Mr. Comer to specify which members of the Biden family he would subpoena, but the Republican lawmaker didn’t single out any by name. Mr. Comer said he believes at least nine Biden family members received payments in connection with influence peddling schemes involving Joe Biden but suggested some of the family members may not have been directly aware of what was going on. With respect to a subpoena for President Biden specifically, Mr. Comer said that he would likely only testify during an impeachment hearing.
White House, Democrats Push Back
The Biden White House has pushed back on Mr. Comer’s suggestion that the 2017 and 2018 checks to Joe Biden amount to any evidence of wrongdoing.Ian Sams, a special assistant to the president and a spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office, has emphasized that the two checks came through to Joe Biden when he was out of office. Mr. Sams has also insisted the two checks were for the exact “loan repayment” reason stated in the memo line.
“Comer’s financial records show Joe Biden (when he was out of office, no less) giving his brother *his own money*, then his brother paying him back, and Comer claims it’s ‘bribery,’” Mr. Sams wrote in an X post on Wednesday. “These extreme House Republicans have officially jumped the shark. In case that wasn’t clear already.”
“One brother gives one brother money, the other brother pays it back. No one is elected at all. They’re both private citizens. What are we talking about? Yeah. Okay. ‘Oh, well, it could be this. It could be that. We think it’s this.’ No evidence! We’re back to the same thing,” Mr. Moskowitz said. “Listen, James, this is your friend Jared talking to you. Don’t make me continue to embarrass you in committee.”
While President Biden’s allies have insisted the checks were a simple loan repayment, Mr. Comer has continued to question the documentation for the original loan payments Joe Biden allegedly sent his brother for which he was repaid. Mr. Comer has also said that even if there was a loan, the financial arrangement may still run afoul of tax laws.
