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Comer Trusts Whistleblower, Awaiting FBI Info on Influence Peddling Allegation

James Comer, Republicans in front of an American flag

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and other Republican members of the committee hold a news conference to present preliminary findings into their investigation into President Joe Biden's family on May 10 in Washington, D.C. Comer addressed the whistleblower report in the Biden bribery probe, saying the report is "consistent" with his own findings. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

While releasing information about $10 million flowing to Biden family members at a press conference Wednesday, House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer said a whistleblower’s bribery allegations against President Joe Biden “are consistent with our independent findings.”

The committee subpoenaed the FBI last week for forms with information regarding a whistleblower’s claim that the FBI knew about an allegation that a foreign national paid money directly to then-Vice President Biden in exchange for a policy. The whistleblower first went to the office of Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who then provided the information to Comer.

“I trust the whistleblower. A subpoena from this committee is a powerful tool. The level of detail provided to Sen. Grassley led me to conclude that a subpoena was warranted,” said Comer, a Kentucky Republican, at the press conference. “When Sen. Grassley approached me with the information the whistleblower provided, it was because of the information we’ve learned through this committee’s own investigation, which indicated to me the whistleblower’s allegations are consistent with our independent findings.”

Comer said last week he knew what country the foreign national was from and what the policy was, but said he was not yet at liberty to say publicly. He also compared how the House Republicans were conducting the Biden probe with how Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Democrats claimed without evidence that President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidential campaign. 

“We hope the FBI will be transparent and forthcoming and provide the oversight committee with the 1023 form we have subpoenaed,” Comer said of the Biden bribery probe. “As has been my practice, we will report to you only facts that are verified and indisputable. This committee will not pursue witch hunts or string the American people along for years with false promises of evidence that is beyond circumstantial evidence, as Rep. Adam Schiff and the Democrats did for years.” 

The press conference, which included Comer and several other Republican oversight committee members, focused on a new committee 36-page memorandum that explains that nine Biden family members received at least $10 million from foreign entities through more than 20 limited liability corporations set up by family members after Biden became vice president. 

The committee determined foreign companies sent money to business associates’ companies, and the Biden family received incremental payments over time to different bank accounts, in an attempt to conceal large transactions, the memo says. For example, records show that Chinese nationals and companies with close ties to Chinese intelligence and the Chinese Communist Party hid the source of the funds to the Biden family companies by layering domestic limited liability companies. 

“We believe that the president has been involved in this from the very beginning,” Comer said. 

“This could be the “most corrupt scheme in American politics for a sitting vice president,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said during the press conference.

“We want everyone to be held accountable if they violated their oath of office,” she added. “We shouldn’t have folks in office who are betraying their oath of office.”

Several Republicans at the briefing referred to this as influence peddling. 

“What we are witnessing with the Biden family is frankly just a web of concealment, of deception, a lot of people would say corruption,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. He added, “The Biden family doesn’t really have a business. There is no business structure around this family, except politics.” 

Donalds also noted how easy much of the legacy media has gone on Biden.

“I mean, guys, you in the press, this is easy pickings. I’m giving you Pulitzer stuff here,” Donalds said, one day after the Pulitzer Prize winners were announced.

Comer said lawmakers have been frustrated by presidential family members in the past. He acknowledged past concerns regarding President Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy Carter’s transaction with Libya, and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s business transactions with Saudi Arabia. 

“President Carter’s brother got the money directly from Libya. Joe Biden ironically was on the committee that investigated President Carter’s brother when that took place,” Comer said. “Former President Trump’s son-in-law had some business dealings. We know what his businesses were. I’m not saying I agreed with what he did or not. But I actually know what his businesses are. What are the Biden businesses?”

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