The GOP-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has made several important steps toward getting to the bottom of the Biden family’s questionable international business connections — and perhaps no one has been more instrumental in the process than House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY).
This week, he sent a letter to the Treasury Department reiterating his earlier request for documents related to 150 so-called Suspicious Activity Reports initially filed by U.S. banking institutions.
🚨🚨🚨
I am calling on @USTreasury to testify at a hearing on March 10.
The American people deserve transparency. Treasury’s failure to produce requested information related to the Biden family’s influence peddling schemes is unacceptable. @GOPoversight will get answers. https://t.co/znjqiIbhWz
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) February 27, 2023
Comer’s demand included the threat of a subpoena and came weeks after the first request, which the agency dismissed. He has indicated that the information is crucial to his committee’s investigation of nine financial crimes, such as wire fraud and money laundering, allegedly committed by the president’s close relatives.
“Given the amount of time that has passed since our initial request and Treasury’s inability to provide a projected timeframe when the SARs will be produced, the committee believes Treasury may be delaying its production to hinder our investigation and operating in bad faith,” the Kentucky Republican wrote.
He called on representatives of the Treasury Department to appear before the panel on March 10 to further explain the basis for its decision not to release the requested documents, writing that the hearing “will examine the various justifications” that the agency has heretofore provided.
“Treasury’s excuses and delay tactics are unavailing given you have known about our request since last year and previously produced relevant SARs to others,” Comer added.
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, who is at the root of multiple allegations, similarly declined to provide testimony and documents to the oversight panel.
Comer has already launched probes into foreign deals between Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James. He also conducted a hearing regarding information found on the younger Biden’s laptop as well as requesting information related to the lucrative and secretive sale of his artwork.
More recently, the committee chairman called for a transcribed interview with Serbian businessman Vuk Jeremic, who allegedly attempted to schedule a 2015 dinner between Hunter Biden and a Chinese energy executive.
As he said of the overarching investigation: “Evidence obtained by Committee Republicans reveals Joe Biden lied to the American people about his involvement in his family’s business schemes. The Biden family business model is built on Joe Biden’s political career and connections with Joe Biden as the ‘chairman of the board.’”
