House Oversight Panel to Consider Demanding Financial Details of Biden Family Business Deals
By Fred Lucas
“We need to know if President Biden has received a cut from these shady foreign business deals,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., says. Pictured: The president and his son Hunter depart from Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Aug. 13 after attending Mass at the church in Johns Island, South Carolina. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
House members will go on record Tuesday about requiring President Joe Biden’s administration to provide documents related to overseas business dealings by his son Hunter Biden and other family members.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee will consider a resolution proposed by ranking member Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., to push the president to hand over about 150 documents held by the Treasury Department that are categorized as suspicious activity reports.
The measure comes after the Treasury Department declined to provide the financial information to Republicans on the House committee.
“President Biden’s family peddles access to the highest levels of government to enrich themselves, often at the expense of U.S. interests,” Comer said in a prepared statement. “We need to know if President Biden has received a cut from these shady foreign business deals. If President Biden or his immediate family has, that is a national security threat and he may be compromised.”
Comer’s proposal, HR 1243, is unlikely to be approved, though, since Democrats control the House and hold a 25-20 advantage on the Oversight and Reform Committee. But the measure will put committee members on record regarding the financial dealings of Hunter Biden, the president’s brother Jim Biden, and others with China, Ukraine, and other countries.
Also, a resolution of inquiry requesting information to be provided by the Biden administration can be brought to the House floor if the committee of jurisdiction fails to report it out to the whole chamber within 14 legislative days.
Comer’s resolution is meant to ensure that Congress receives information needed to conduct oversight of the Biden family’s international business deals when Joe Biden was in federal office, including his eight years as vice president and 36 years in the Senate.
The Oversight and Reform Committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday at 10 a.m. to consider whether to advance this and other legislation.
Neither the White House nor the spokesperson for House Democrats on the committee responded to The Daily Signal’s inquiries for this report.
The president’s son is under investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware. Hunter Biden has said that the probe is about his taxes, which could extend to his business dealings.
Hunter Biden and other Biden family members generated at least 150 suspicious activity reports from financial institutions related to their foreign business deals.
The Biden Treasury Department has changed its policy by refusing to release suspicious activity reports to Congress under the Bank Secrecy Act, according to committee Republicans. That exception seems to be new, they say.
On May 25, Comer wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen requesting copies of all special activity reports generated because of the financial transactions of Hunter Biden and other Biden associates and family members.
Comer asked again July 6. However, on Sept. 2, the Treasury Department denied Comer’s requests for the information related to the Bidens.
“This is preliminary and unverified tip-and-lead information on possible violations of law,” Jonathan Davidson, assistant treasury secretary for legislative affairs, wrote to Comer.
“Tip-and-lead information” is rough and inconclusive information that could provide hints for law enforcement on commencing an investigation.
“Law enforcement relies on this information to help identify, stop, and apprehend criminal actors,” the Treasury Department’s Davidson wrote. “Thus, it is critical that the executive branch continue to receive the information and keep it confidential. Unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information—whether intentional or inadvertent—can also undermine potential or ongoing investigations or proceedings.”
However, Comer contends that the information sought by committee Republicans is of significant public interest.
“We’ve repeatedly called on Biden’s Treasury Department to provide answers, but they are stonewalling congressional oversight,” Comer said in his written statement Monday. “We must pass this resolution to compel President Biden to hand over critical information about the Biden family’s international business schemes. Americans deserve transparency and accountability.”
Fred Lucas / @FredLucasWH
Fred Lucas is chief news correspondent and manager of the Investigative Reporting Project for The Daily Signal. Lucas is also the author of “Abuse of Power: Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump.” Send an email to Fred.
From dailysignal.com