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JAMES COMER SAYS BANK RECORDS DON’T LIE, BUT HE CERTAINLY DOES

By November 1, 2023No Comments

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer claims “bank records don’t lie,” but he certainly does:

  • Comer claimed one of his informants was “missing” and that others were in court or in jail. Then, the “lost” informant who Comer insisted was “very credible” was indicted by the Justice Department on allegations he was an unregistered foreign agent for China, an international arms trafficker, violating U.S. sanctions on Iran, and lying to investigators. The series of events was so embarrassing it prompted House Oversight Committee Democrats to express concerns that Republicans had been “manipulated” by “an apparent con man” and “fugitive from justice.”
  • Comer didn’t bother to show up for his committee’s interview with Devon Archer, someone Republicans touted as a star witness. Then, he lied about attending the interview, claiming he was “on the phone.” This song and dance about his absence ended with one senior GOP source saying, “there’s just no way he f****** called in…just take the loss and move on.”
  • It’s not the only time Republicans have made false statements about the committee’s interactions with witnesses. In September, a spokesperson for Oversight Committee Republicans told Fox News that the committee “never interviewed” Eric Schwerin. Except, the committee had talked to Schwerin. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin said that while Schwerin’s interview was not transcribed, he “spent hours answering substantive questions from Republican and Democratic staff about his relationship with Hunter Biden” and about Hunter’s business entities.
  • Comer has a pattern of misrepresenting records received by the committee. Recently, he’s claimed a $200,000 loan repayment from James Biden to Joe Biden was not that even though the check says “loan repayment” in the memo line. He did this even though the Committee has records showing that Joe Biden sent his brother $200,000 a little over a month earlier. It was also reported that James Biden received a total of $600,000 from Americore Health, but James only sent Joe the exact amount Joe had loaned him, no more.
  • Comer has previously suggested that Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) are “major bank violations” that showed evidence of lawbreaking, when in reality SARs are “merely tips” that need to be vetted and verified and are not on their own evidence of wrongdoing.
  • Comer is the king of cherry picking. In April, Raskin accused Comer of misrepresenting the committee’s progress to Americans and deliberately stonewalling committee Democrats in the investigative process.
  • Raskin also accused Comer of withholding a transcript of an interview the committee did with an FBI supervisory special agent, which “directly undermined” the Republican narrative of political interference with U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ investigation.
  • Committee Democrats also caught Comer lying when he claimed the National Archives was refusing to turn over information to the committee. Democrats presented letters from the Archives showing it was cooperating. In June, Comer told Fox News the committee had received “100 percent” of what it had requested through subpoenas.
  • Comer insists on reheating widely debunked conspiracy theories about President Biden and Ukraine. He does this even though former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Viktor Shokin was fired because of his own corruption. Even though, in a transcript released by Raskin, the co-founder of Burisma said he and no one from Burisma ever spoke to Joe Biden while Hunter Biden was on the board. Even though former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas wrote Comer and told him there was “simply no merit” for his investigation.
  • In May, Comer suggested his “probe” was responsible for former President Trump being ahead of President Biden in some polls. Then, he tried to claim he’d never suggested such a thing.
  • All of Comer’s bluster, innuendo, and embarrassing events has earned him three “Pinocchio’s” from the Washington Post fact checker who knocked Comer for making hyperbolic claims about his investigation on social media and conservative TV despite hedging claims in official reports. The fact checker has dinged Comer for publishing highly partisan memos that ignore or downplay contrary information. Comer also earned four “Pinocchio’s” from the same fact checker for making “nonsensical” and misleading claims about a 2016 email from President Biden to his son.
  • When confronted with the facts, Comer resorts to making personal attacks against a White House staffer.

Comer can’t tell fact from fiction, but he’ll keep wasting time and taxpayer money on his baseless crusade.

James Comer And The “Missing” Informant

JAMES COMER FIRST CLAIMED TO HAVE “LOST” HIS INFORMANT

HEADLINE: “Bipartisan Group Calls For Investigation Into Comer’s Remarks About Missing Whistleblower” [The Hill, 5/16/23]

  • The Hill: Facts First USA Sent A Letter To U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves Asking Him To Look Into Rep. James Comer’s Claims About Losing His Own Informant, And Whether He’s Telling The Truth About Having One. “The organization, Facts First USA, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves asking him to investigate Comer, who the group says is likely lying about having an informant related to the GOP investigation into the Biden family. The group said that if he is lying, he could be in violation of federal law.” [The Hill, 5/16/23]

HEADLINE: “House Oversight Chairman James Comer claims to have lost his informant in Biden probe” [The Independent, 5/15/23]

HEADLINE: “GOP Oversight Chair Says He’s Lost Track of His Biden Corruption Informant” [Daily Beast, 5/15/23]

HEADLINE: “James Comer Links ‘Missing’ Biden Informant To ‘Spy Business’ In Wild Claim” [Huffington Post, 5/15/23]

THEN JAMES COMER INSISTED THAT HIS “LOST” INFORMANT, WHO HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF ARMS TRAFFICKING, IS “VERY CREDIBLE”

HEADLINE: “Republicans Say They Would Like To Call Witness Despite Criminal Indictment” [Washington Post, 7/11/23]

The Justice Department Accused House Republicans’ “Missing” Witness, Who Skipped Bail, Of Being An Unregistered Foreign Agent For China, An International Arms Trafficker While Violating U.S. Sanctions On Iran, And Lying To Investigators. “The ‘missing’ witness long-touted by Republicans in Congress as the missing link to their probe into alleged Biden family corruption was accused of being an unregistered foreign agent for China and an international arms trafficker while violating U.S. sanctions on Iran and lying to investigators, among a laundry list of other federal charges unsealed Monday.  Dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Gal Luft was originally charged on Nov. 1, 2022 and arrested in February, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.  Luft had already skipped out on his bail while in Cyprus awaiting extradition to the U.S. for the case in March—though he alleges that the sprawling case against him represents political persecution and retaliation by the Biden administration against a potential witness.” [Daily Beast, 7/10/23]

  • HEADLINE: “Mystery GOP Whistleblower Accused Of Being Unregistered Foreign Agent, Arms Dealer” [Huffington Post, 7/10/23]
  • HEADLINE: “GOP’s ‘Missing’ Biden Probe Witness Faces Laundry List of Federal Charges” [Daily Beast, 7/10/23]
  • HEADLINE: “GOP House ‘Informant’ Indicted On Allegations He Was An Agent For China” [NBC News, 7/11/23]

House Oversight Committee Democrats Expressed Concern That James Comer And Committee Republicans Had Been “Manipulated” By An “Apparent Con Man” And “Fugitive From Justice”

HEADLINE: “Democrats Demand GOP Investigate Its Own Indicted Whistleblower” [Axios, 7/12/23]

HEADLINE: “Democrats Call For Probe Into Whether ‘Whistleblower’ Gal Luft Made Claims About Biden To Help China” [The Independent, 7/12/23]

House Oversight Committee Democrats Sent A Letter To Chair James Comer Asking If The Witness They Touted Who Has Been Accused Of Being A Foreign Agent Was Acting To Further Chinese State Interests With His Allegations Against President Biden. “Top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are asking Chairman James Comer to look into whether the accused foreign agent who claims to be a ‘whistleblower’ against President Joe Biden and his son was acting to further Chinese interests when he accused the Bidens of crimes.” [The Independent, 7/12/23]

  • House Oversight Committee Democrats Expressed “Concern” That Republicans Had Been “Manipulated” By Gal Luft Who Democrats Called “An Apparent Con Man Who, While A Fugitive From Justice, Attempted To Fortify His Defense By Laundering Unfounded And Potentially False Allegations Through Congress.” “In a letter to Mr Comer, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Representative Daniel Goldman of New York expressed ‘concern’ that the Oversight Committee ‘has been manipulated’ by alleged arms dealer Gal Luft, who they described as ‘an apparent con man who, while a fugitive from justice, attempted to fortify his defense by laundering unfounded and potentially false allegations through Congress.’” [The Independent, 7/12/23]

 HEADLINE: “Jamie Raskin Rips Republicans For Hyping ‘Con Man’ Gal Luft” [Huffington Post, 7/12/23] 

James Comer Lied About Attending The Oversight Committee’s Interview With Republicans’ Star Witness

JAMES COMER DIDN’T EVEN ATTEND HIS COMMITTEE’S INTERVIEW WITH HIS MUCH-HYPED WITNESS

HEADLINE: “James Comer Skipped His Panel’s Big Biden Probe Interview With Devon Archer” [Daily Beast,  8/2/23]

Sources Said Rep. James Comer Did Not Participate In-Person Or Remotely In His Committee’s Interview Of Devon Archer. “According to two sources familiar with the proceeding, Comer failed to show up in person on Capitol Hill, and he did not participate remotely.  Comer, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, has been the face of the GOP’s investigations into Hunter Biden, and he had hyped the Archer interview as perhaps the biggest moment yet in the party’s efforts to prove that the Bidens had leveraged their power and influence for personal gain.” [Daily Beast,  8/2/23]

  • A Senior Republican Source Said Rep. James Comer’s Absence From The Devon Archer Interview Was “Like Following A General Into Battle, But The General Decided To Stay Home Instead Of Fight.” “Still, Republicans seemed shocked that the man running the investigation could not find time in his schedule to show up for a key interview, with one source telling The Daily Beast it was like a general abandoning his troops during battle. ‘A few Republicans were disappointed that Chairman Comer didn’t show up to the Archer transcribed interview,’ a senior GOP source told The Daily Beast.  ‘It was like following a general into battle, but the general decided to stay home instead of fight,’ the source continued. ‘Especially when there are other Members who would love to have interviewed Archer but aren’t on the Oversight Committee and not allowed in the room.’” [Daily Beast, 8/2/23]

HEADLINE: “James Comer Called Devon Archer’s Interview About The Bidens A ‘Bombshell’. He Wasn’t Actually There” [The Independent, 8/3/23]

The Day Before The Interview, James Comer Posted On Instagram That He Had Been Playing Golf “All Weekend” And A Picture Of Him Getting Dinner With A Friend

Rep. James Comer Spokesperson Said Comer Had Previously Scheduled Commitments With Constituents, But A Post On Comer’s Instagram Page From Sunday Night Showed Him Eating With A Friend After Playing Golf “All Weekend.” “Reached for comment, an Oversight Committee spokesman confirmed Comer was not there. ‘Transcribed interviews are primarily staff led and Chairman Comer had scheduled commitments with constituents in Kentucky,’ they said. […] Ahead of the interview, Comer appeared to have other obligations besides preparing for Archer’s questioning. In a photo posted to his Instagram page on Sunday, Comer was eating barbeque with a friend. The caption said they had been ‘battling all weekend’ in a golf tournament held in his hometown of Tompkinsville, Kentucky.” [Daily Beast, 8/2/23]

James Comer Did Not Correct A Newsmax Host Who Started Their Question About Devon Archer’s Testimony With “You Were In The Room”

When A Newsmax Host Started His Question To Rep. James Comer About The House Oversight Committee’s Interview With Devon Archer With “You Were In The Room,” Comer Did Not Correct The Host. “In another Monday night interview on Newsmax, host Greg Kelly claimed that Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), who participated in the interview, looked ‘spooked’ afterward.  ‘You were in the room,’ Kelly told Comer. ‘Are these guys recognizing that this is beyond their control now?’  ‘The walls are closing in on the Bidens,’ Comer responded. What Comer failed to mention was that he wasn’t actually in the room for his committee’s big interview with Archer.” [Daily Beast,  8/2/23]

THEN, JAMES COMER APPEARS TO HAVE LIED ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN HIS OWN MUCH-HYPED WITNESS INTERVIEW

HEADLINE: “James Comer Has A New, Unlikely Story For Missed Deposition” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

Rep. James Comer Claimed He Was “On The Phone” For Devon Archer’s Interview With The House Oversight Committee. “But, as he made the rounds in right-wing media to hype Archer’s testimony after the fact, Comer couldn’t help but make it seem like he was personally involved in interrogating the witness. In an appearance on Fox & Friends on Saturday morning—after Comer’s office had copped to him missing the interview—a host asked Comer what it was like in the room when Archer was answering questions.  ‘I had the staff lead the deposition,’ Comer replied. ‘I didn’t want a lot of members in the room… I was on the phone.’” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

Rep. James Comer Did Not Identify Himself Nor Did Anyone Else Allude To His Presence In The Transcript Of Devon Archer’s Interview With The House Oversight Committee. “But there are plenty of reasons to doubt Comer’s suggestion that he was participating remotely in the interview.  For one, in the official transcript of the interview released last week, Comer does not identify himself, nor does anyone else allude to his presence. From the GOP side, only Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) identified themselves or spoke.” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

  • Daily Beast: “Multiple Sources Familiar With The Proceeding Said That If Comer Did Participate, He Did So Without Their Knowledge.” “But there are plenty of reasons to doubt Comer’s suggestion that he was participating remotely in the interview. For one, in the official transcript of the interview released last week, Comer does not identify himself, nor does anyone else allude to his presence. From the GOP side, only Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) identified themselves or spoke.  Multiple sources familiar with the proceeding said that if Comer did participate, he did so without their knowledge.” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

James Comer Spokesperson Refused To Provide Proof Of Comer’s Claim He Was On The Phone For Devon Archer’s Testimony

Rep. James Comer Spokesperson Refused To Provide Proof Of Comer’s Claim He Was On The Phone For Devon Archer’s Interview And Did Not Confirm Comer’s Specific Claim. “When asked to provide proof that Comer called in—such as a call log or other phone record—Comer’s spokesman declined to do so, and did not confirm that Comer was specifically on the phone during the proceedings.  ‘Throughout the transcribed interview, Chairman Comer was in constant communication with committee staff questioning Devon Archer and received updates critical to his investigation into the Biden family’s influence peddling schemes,’ the spokesperson said.” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

Senior GOP Source On James Comer Lying About Calling Into Devon Archer’s Testimony: “Just Take The Loss”

Senior GOP Source On Rep. James Comer’s Claim He Called Into To Devon Archer’s Testimony: “There’s Just No Way He Fucking Called In… I’ve Never Even Heard Of Someone Doing That For A Transcribed Interview.” “Multiple sources familiar with the proceeding said that if Comer did participate, he did so without their knowledge. ‘There’s just no way he fucking called in,’ said a senior GOP source, who also said they never heard Comer identify himself for the record on the alleged call. ‘I’ve never even heard of someone doing that for a transcribed interview.’” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

Senior GOP Source On Rep. James Comer’s Claim He Called Into Devon Archer’s Testimony: “I Don’t Get It… Just Take The Loss And Move On.” “The Kentucky Republican’s insistence on digging the hole further—and continuing to make his non-participation a story—has his fellow Republicans baffled.  ‘I don’t get it,’ said the senior GOP source. ‘Just take the loss and move on, you know?’  The evolving circumstances of Comer’s approach to his committee’s most important investigative action of the year have underscored some GOP concerns about his leadership—and given Democrats ammunition to discredit the probes into the Biden family.” [Daily Beast, 8/9/23]

James Comer’s Staff Made False Statements About The Oversight Committee’s Interactions With Another Witness

A SPOKESPERSON FOR HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS FALSELY CLAIMED THE COMMITTEE HAD “NEVER INTERVIEWED” ERIC SCHWERIN

HEADLINE: “House Republicans Downplay Meeting With Key Biden Aide” [Huffington Post, 9/19/23]

A Spokesperson For The House Oversight Committee Republicans Claimed The Committee “Never Interviewed [Eric] Schwerin.” “A House Oversight spokesperson for the Republican majority told Fox News Digital that the committee ‘never interviewed Schwerin’ as claimed by committee Democrats and later by the White House.  ‘This is false,’ the spokesperson said. ‘The Committee never interviewed Schwerin. There was a meeting but it was about document production. There has never been a transcribed interview or deposition.’” [Fox News, 9/14/23]

RANKING MEMBER JAMIE RASKIN SAID THAT WHILE THERE WAS NO TRANSCRIPT OF HIS MEETING WITH LAWMAKERS, ERIC SCHWERIN ANSWERED SUBSTANTIVE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE FOR HOURS

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Said That Even Though The Interview With Eric Schwerin Was Not Transcribed, Schwerin “Spent Hours Answering Substantive Questions From Republican And Democratic Staff About His Relationship With Hunter Biden, As Well As The History, Structure, And Operations Of Hunter Biden’s Various Business Entities.” “Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the oversight committee’s top Democrat, rejected the idea that there had been no interview in a letter to committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) on Tuesday.  ‘I am writing to express my profound concern about baffling and increasingly embarrassing efforts on the part of you and your staff to completely misrepresent and deny basic and easily verifiable facts about the eight-month long investigation that has already taken place,’ Raskin wrote.  Raskin suggested that, even without a transcript, the meeting with Schwerin otherwise followed the same protocols as other interviews conducted in Capitol Hill offices.  ‘Mr. Schwerin spent hours answering substantive questions from Republican and Democratic staff about his relationship with Hunter Biden, as well as the history, structure, and operations of Hunter Biden’s various business entities,’ Raskin wrote.” [Huffington Post, 9/19/23]

Eric Schwerin Told The House Oversight Committee He Was Not Aware Of Any Involvement By President Biden In The Financial Conduct Of His Family Members

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Said Eric Schwerin, Who Performed Administrative And Bookkeeping Duties For Joe And Hunter Biden, Said He Was Not Aware Of Any Involvement By Joe Biden In The Financial Conduct Of His Family Members. “Raskin said Schwerin provided exonerating statements during his interview that Republicans have found inconvenient. ‘During the interview, Mr. Schwerin explained that, between 2009 and 2017, he performed a number of administrative and bookkeeping tasks for then-Vice President and Hunter Biden,’ Raskin continued. ‘He further stated that he had the ability to view President Biden’s bank account transactions and that he was not aware of any involvement by President Biden in the financial conduct of his family members’ businesses.’  Schwerin’s attorney confirmed Democrats’ characterization of the meeting to Fox News but declined to comment further.” [Huffington Post, 9/19/23]

James Comer Has Misrepresented Records Received By The Committee

JAMES COMER MADE MISLEADING STATEMENTS ABOUT BANK RECORDS THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAD IN ITS POSSESSION

Despite Having The Bank Records In His Possession, Rep. James Comer Said He Did Not Believe The $200,000 Joe Biden Gave To His Brother Was A Loan. “Attorneys for James Biden told The Messenger last week that the money from Biden’s brother was a loan repayment, even as Comer publicly questioned the Biden attorney’s veracity.  ‘The White House is claiming it was a loan — I don’t believe it was,’ Comer said on Fox Business this week. ‘Joe Biden is $200,000 better off because of an influence peddling scheme that his brother led.’” [The Messenger, 10/26/23]

  • James Comer: “Does He Have Documents Proving He Lent Such A Large Sum Of Money To His Brother…And What Were The Terms Of Such Financial Arrangement?” “Republicans announced Friday that they had uncovered a ‘direct payment’ to President Joe Biden — exactly the kind of evidence they’ve sought linking Biden to his family’s foreign business deals. But the March 2018 payment came from Joe Biden’s brother James, not a Ukrainian oligarch or Chinese tycoon, and the check was marked as a ‘loan repayment.’  Still, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who obtained the records via subpoena, said the $200,000 check looks suspicious for the president. ‘Does he have documents proving he lent such a large sum of money to his brother,’ Comer said in a video, ‘and what were the terms of such financial arrangement?’” [Huffington Post, 10/23/23]
  • James Comer: “The White House Is Saying That Joe Biden Loaned His Brother Money — I Don’t Believe He Did.” “But despite the records showing the payments back and forth between the Biden family, Comer has framed the transactions as evidence that Joe Biden was benefitting from his brother’s business ventures, pointing to money James Biden had received from a now-defunct hospital operator. ‘This check that Jim Biden wrote to Joe Biden came on the same day he received a $200,000 loan from a company that was on the verge of bankruptcy and, today, is bankrupt,’ Comer said on Fox News earlier this week. ‘The White House is saying that Joe Biden loaned his brother money — I don’t believe he did.’”[The Messenger, 10/26/23]
  • James Comer Claimed, “There’s No Document That Shows There Was A Loan” And Accused House Oversight Committee Democrats Of Lying. “Comer has also insisted that ‘there’s no document that shows there was a loan.’ In an interview on Fox Business News on Oct. 25, host Maria Bartiromo asked Comer if he had ‘seen anything to indicate that there was an actual loan for some reason?’ ‘No, and they’re lying,’ Comer said. ‘At the end of the day, there’s no document that shows there was a loan,’ Comer said. ‘The Democrats on the oversight committee, they get the same stuff that I subpoena. When I subpoena something, Maria, they make two copies, one for me, the Republicans, and one for the Democrats, Jamie Raskin. So if they had the darn document, they would have showed it. This is another example of their lies and the media takes it.’” [Factcheck.org, 10/26/23]

Bank Records In The House Oversight Committee’s Possession Showed Joe Biden Loaned His Brother James Money And The Money James Sent Back Was The Same Amount As The Loans

HEADLINE: “GOP Touts Bombshell Biden Payments — But Records Suggest Otherwise” [The Messenger, 10/26/23]

The Messenger Reviewed Bank Documents That Showed $200,000 Joe Biden Received From His Brother James Was A Repayment For A Loan Joe Biden Gave His Brother. “While a chairman of the stalled impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden touts bombshell payments to the president, Biden family attorneys say the money was simply a loan payment.  Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, last week touted the discovery of a $200,000 payment to Biden from his brother as evidence that the president benefited from his family’s ‘influence peddling scheme.’  However, payments made to Joe Biden from his brother, James Biden, appear to be reimbursements, according to bank records reviewed by The Messenger.” [The Messenger, 10/26/23]

  • The Messenger Reported That Joe Biden Loaned His Brother James $200,000 In 2018, The Payment Came From An Account Maintained By Joe Biden’s Attorney, And James Biden Paid The Loan Back With No Interest In Just Over A Month. “A new batch of bank records show the payments were, indeed, pay back for loans. Records reviewed by The Messenger revealed that the payment — $200,000 — was made from Joe Biden to James Biden in 2018, when the president was a private citizen. The payment came from an account maintained by Joe Biden’s attorney. James Biden paid that loan back, with no interest, in just over a month.” [The Messenger, 10/26/23]
  • The Messenger Reported That In 2017 Joe Biden Gave His Brother A $40,000 Loan From The Same Account Maintained By His Attorney And James Biden Paid It Back Without Interest In Just Over A Month. “But there was more than just the $200,000 check. The records show in 2017, Joe Biden gave another short-term loan to his brother, sending him $40,000 from the same account maintained by his attorney. James Biden, again, repaid that loan without interest in just over a month, records show.” [The Messenger, 10/26/23]

Factcheck.Org Reported That Checks James Biden Sent Joe Biden Said “Loan Repayment” In The Memo Line, Which Supported The White House’s Argument That They Were Short-Term, No-Interest Loans. “Again, our review of bank records did not show any documentation that wire transfers of $40,000 and $200,000 from Joe Biden to James Biden were loans. Perhaps there is no official documentation indicating that they were loans. However, images show James or Sara Biden writing checks to Joe Biden several weeks after those wire transfers in those exact same amounts, and with ‘loan repayment’ listed in the memo lines. That’s consistent with the White House’s claim that these were short-term, no-interest loans.” [Factcheck.org, 10/26/23]

HEADLINE: “Another GOP ‘Bombshell’ About Joe Biden Turns Out To Be A Dud” [Huffington Post, 10/23/23]

HEADLINE: “Cherry-Picking ‘Influence’ Payment From James To Joe Biden” [Factcheck.org, 10/26/23]

James Biden Paid Joe Biden Back The Exact Amount He Was Loaned, $200,000, Not More

James Biden Received A Total Of $600,000 From Americore – His Loan Repayment To Joe Biden Was $200,000. “The company Comer mentioned, Americore, did wire James Biden $200,000 on the same day he paid his brother back for the $200,000 loan. But the bank records reveal James Biden received much more than $200,000 from the company.  Americore wired James Biden $400,000 on the same day that Joe Biden sent his brother $200,000 in 2018, according to the records. But James Biden only went on to repay Joe Biden $200,000 over a month later.” [The Messenger, 10/26/23]

  • Factcheck.Org Reported That The Payment From Americore To James Biden Was “Not New Information.” “The payment from Americore is not new information. The July 2022 complaint in bankruptcy court shows Americore wire transferred $400,000 to James Biden’s account on Jan. 12, 2018, and another $200,000 on March 1, 2018. The documentation prepared by Americore references the sums as a ‘loan.’” [Factcheck.org, 10/26/23]
  • James Biden’s Attorney: “The [Oversight] Committee Has The Bank Documents That Show Both The Loan Jim Received From His Brother In January 2018 And The Repayment By Check Six Weeks Later.” “Paul Fishman, an attorney representing James Biden, called the Oversight Committee’s description of the $200,000 repayment check from his client to Joe Biden highly misleading. ‘The Committee has the bank documents that show both the loan Jim received from his brother in January 2018 and the repayment by check six weeks later,’ Fishman said. ‘At no time did Jim involve his brother in any of his business relationships.’” [Huffington Post, 10/23/23]

James Biden’s Attorney: “At No Time Did Jim Involve His Brother In Any Of His Business Relationships”

James Biden’s Attorney: “At No Time Did Jim Involve His Brother In Any Of His Business Relationships.” “Paul Fishman, an attorney representing James Biden, called the Oversight Committee’s description of the $200,000 repayment check from his client to Joe Biden highly misleading. ‘The Committee has the bank documents that show both the loan Jim received from his brother in January 2018 and the repayment by check six weeks later,’ Fishman said. ‘At no time did Jim involve his brother in any of his business relationships.’” [Huffington Post, 10/23/23]

JAMES COMER HAS PREVIOUSLY PORTRAYED SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTS (SARS) AS MORE THAN WHAT THEY ARE

James Comer Alleged That He Had 170 “Major Bank Violations” That Showed The Biden Family Had Broken “Many Laws.” JAMES COMER: “We found, as chair Stefanik said, 170 major bank violations. These were from six major banks and they allege, among other things, that the Bidens were money laundering and receiving suspicious wires from state-owned entities, you know what that is in banking terms? That’s a foreign government. And you know what the state-owned entity was? China. So the bank, alleging that the Biden’s took a suspicious wire from the Chinese government and then laundered it through these shell companies. Those are many laws broken there. And this was in Treasury cabinet and this is what I fought to go to Treasury get. These are very serious allegations. Associated Press just wrote a story that said there’s no evidence of wrongdoing. What a disgrace to journalism. And I don’t complain much, I take it, but that’s just not true.” [U.S. House Republican Leadership Stakeout, 9/13/23] (video)

Suspicious Activity Reports Are “Merely Tips” Of Unverified Information That Need To Be Vetted And Do Not On Their Own Constitute Evidence Of Wrongdoing

Washington Post Fact Checker Said Suspicious Activity Reports Are “Merely Tips” That Need To Be Vetted, Confirmed, And Possibly Investigated. “[Comer] needs to get his facts straight. Even if as many as 150 SARs were filed concerning Hunter Biden’s business dealings — a number that remains unconfirmed — that does not mean that he committed ‘serious crimes’ or that banks were ‘pretty confident’ that a serious crime was committed. Instead, these reports are merely tips that something may be suspicious — raw intelligence that still needs to be vetted, confirmed and possibly investigated. Comer earns Three Pinocchios.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 10/19/22]

CNN Reported That Suspicious Activity Reports Do Not Prove Wrongdoing And Are Reported Out Of An Abundance Of Caution, But None Of The Hunter Biden-Related SARs Showed That President Joe Biden Was Connected To The Business Deals. “Facts First: The existence of these suspicious activity reports don’t prove wrongdoing on their own. The filing of a ‘suspicious activity report,’ or SAR, does not prove wrongdoing. Such reports are not conclusive, and are akin to the bank providing a tip to investigators, out of an abundance of caution. Financial institutions file millions of SARs each year, but few lead to law enforcement inquiries. According to reports issued by House Republicans, some of these SARs show that banks flagged dozens of wire transfers involving Hunter Biden, whom the banks described as a “politically exposed person” with ‘negative media for possible political corruption.’ But none of the SARs related to Hunter Biden have shown that Joe Biden was involved in the business deals.” [CNN 9/13/23]

Forbes Reported That Banks Are Required To File Suspicious Activity Reports With The Federal Government, But They Are Generally Not Proof Of Criminality. “In addition, McCarthy cited Suspicious Activity Reports that detail various foreign transactions Hunter Biden and his business partners engaged in—banks are required to file these reports on a routine basis with the federal government to flag potential illegal activity, but they generally are not proof of criminality on their own.” [Forbes, 9/12/23]

James Comer Is The King Of Cherry Picking

JAMIE RASKIN ACCUSED JAMES COMER OF EITHER MISREPRESENTING THE COMMITTEE’S PROGRESS TO AMERICANS OR DELIBERATELY STONEWALLING COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS

HEADLINE: “Democrats Allege Comer Has Withheld Evidence, Misrepresented Witnesses” [Washington Post, 4/6/23]

HEADLINE: “Top Committee Dem Accuses Comer Of Misrepresenting Biden Family Probe” [Axios, 4/6/23]

 House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer Claimed The Committee Had Met With Four Individuals For His Investigations, But The Committee Had Only Met With Two Witnesses. “The two individuals were Eric Schwerin, the president of Hunter Biden’s investment firm, and Kathy Chung, an executive assistant to Joe Biden during his vice-presidential years. Comer, however, maintained in subsequent interviews that the committee has met with four individuals and again referred to them as ‘whistleblowers.’ ‘As you are aware, Mr. Schwerin and Ms. Chung, the two individuals your staff specifically identified as the individuals they understood to have been referenced during your March 6 Fox News interview, are not whistleblowers,’ Raskin wrote. ‘Your repeated statements about ‘four people’ suggest that either you have intentionally misrepresented the Committee’s investigative progress to your conservative audience or that key investigative steps have been deliberately withheld from Committee Democrats.’” [Washington Post, 4/6/23]

  • Ranking Member Raskin Said Democrats Were Assured Chairman Comer’s Statements In A News Interview “Referred Only To Two Individuals” And “No New Witness Information…Had Actually Been Provided.” “House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has teased to television audiences over the past month that four different people have appeared before committee investigators to provide information regarding his inquiry into whether President Biden and members of his family were involved in an influence-peddling scheme. On Fox News in March, Comer said he had even met with some of the ‘four individuals’ personally, and in an interview with Breitbart News this week, he characterized the four individuals as ‘whistleblowers.’ But Comer’s media tour has confounded his Democratic counterparts on the committee. After inquiring with Comer’s staff about the reported new witnesses, they were assured that Comer’s statements ‘in fact referred only to two individuals’ and ‘no new witness information … had actually been provided,’ according to a letter sent by the committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (Md.), to Comer on Thursday and obtained by The Washington Post.” [Washington Post, 4/6/23] 
  • Ranking Member Raskin To Chairman Comer: “Your Repeated Statements About ‘Four People’ Suggest That Either You Have Intentionally Misrepresented The Committee’s Investigative Progress To Your Conservative Audience Or That Key Investigative Steps Have Been Deliberately Withheld From Committee Democrats.” “House rules require that committee records are to be made available to every member of the committee — majority and minority. However, it is not unusual for committee staff members to handle whistleblowers cautiously and keep sensitive information on a tight hold. The two individuals were Eric Schwerin, the president of Hunter Biden’s investment firm, and Kathy Chung, an executive assistant to Joe Biden during his vice-presidential years. Comer, however, maintained in subsequent interviews that the committee has met with four individuals and again referred to them as ‘whistleblowers.’ ‘As you are aware, Mr. Schwerin and Ms. Chung, the two individuals your staff specifically identified as the individuals they understood to have been referenced during your March 6 Fox News interview, are not whistleblowers,’ Raskin wrote. ‘Your repeated statements about ‘four people’ suggest that either you have intentionally misrepresented the Committee’s investigative progress to your conservative audience or that key investigative steps have been deliberately withheld from Committee Democrats.’” [Washington Post, 4/6/23]

 Jamie Raskin Said James Comer Would Not Give Committee Democrats Access To Alleged Evidence That Comer Frequently Invoked In Public

 House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Said Chairman James Comer Would Not Give Committee Democrats Equal Access To What Comer Claimed Was Evidence Even Though He Frequently Invoked That Alleged Evidence In Public. “Raskin in his letter also claims that Comer’s ‘evasive treatment of witness information’ extends to the GOP’s ‘handling of physical evidence.’ He cited a lack of access to Hunter Biden’s laptop, which Comer has frequently invoked in letters, reports and media interviews. Raskin demanded that Comer share any information that Republicans have so far collected as part of the investigation. ‘Rather than provide the Minority with equal access to this drive, you have directed us to obtain the information from other sources — including from a questionable public website or from John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of the computer repair shop that allegedly obtained Hunter Biden’s laptop,’ Raskin wrote.” [Washington Post, 4/6/23]

Jamie Raskin Accused James Comer Of Refusing To Provide Committee Democrats With Proper Notice Before Issuing Subpoenas

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Accused Chairman James Comer Of Privately Issuing Subpoenas And Refusing To Provide Democrats With Proper Notice Before They Were Issued. “A memo outlining Comer’s investigative tactics was also issued to Democratic members of the Oversight Committee on Thursday. In that memo, Raskin complained that Comer ‘issued these subpoenas privately, refusing to provide the Minority proper notice before issuance.’ ‘This memorandum serves to ensure that Committee Democrats have access to all relevant information, including the six document subpoenas issued to date,’ Raskin concluded.” [Washington Post, 4/6/23]

JAMIE RASKIN ACCUSED JAMES COMER OF CONCEALING A COMMITTEE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT THAT UNDERMINED HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ NARRATIVE ABOUT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S INVESTIGATION

HEADLINE: “House Oversight Chair Accused Of Concealing Evidence In Hunter Biden Probe” [Axios, 7/28/23]

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Accused Chair James Comer Of Withholding A Transcript The Committee Did With An FBI Supervisory Special Agent Who Worked On The Delaware U.S. Attorney Hunter Biden Case. “The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is slamming Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) for withholding a key transcript from the public, issuing a ‘secret subpoena’ and following a ‘troubling pattern’ of hiding information.  Why it matters: An 11-page letter from Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) comes after a blockbuster, triple-committee hearing with IRS agents who claimed DOJ mishandled the Hunter Biden case — and ahead of closed-door testimony by Hunter associate Devon Archer. […] Zoom in: The transcript in question comes from a recent interview — prompted by what Raskin called a ‘secret subpoena’ from Comer — with a former FBI supervisory special agent who was involved in the Hunter Biden investigation led by U.S. Attorney David Weiss.  In the interview on July 17, Raskin claims the agent ‘directly undermined Committee Republicans’ narrative of political interference with the Hunter Biden investigation.’” [Axios, 7/28/23]

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Said The An FBI Supervisory Special Agent “Directly Undermined Committee Republicans’ Narrative Of Political Interference With The Hunter Biden Investigation.” “Zoom in: The transcript in question comes from a recent interview — prompted by what Raskin called a ‘secret subpoena’ from Comer — with a former FBI supervisory special agent who was involved in the Hunter Biden investigation led by U.S. Attorney David Weiss.  In the interview on July 17, Raskin claims the agent ‘directly undermined Committee Republicans’ narrative of political interference with the Hunter Biden investigation.’” [Axios, 7/28/23]

  • HEADLINE: “Former FBI Agent Says He Was Not Aware Of Interference In Hunter Biden Probe” [Reuters, 8/14/23]

HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS SAID JAMES COMER LIED WHEN HE WENT ON TV AND CLAIMED THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES WAS OBSTRUCTING HIS DOCUMENT REQUESTS

House Oversight Committee Democrats Said James Comer Lied When He Claimed On TV That The National Archives (NARA) Was Refusing To Turn Over Information To The Committee And Provided Letters Showing NARA Was Cooperating With The Committee. The House Oversight Committee Democrats tweeted: “I’m sorry to say it but Chairman Comer didn’t tell the truth about obstruction when he claimed on TV that  @USNatArchives  is refusing to turn over information to our Committee. These letters from the Archivist disprove the lie.” [Twitter, House Oversight Committee Democrats, 9/8/23]

In June Of 2023, James Comer Told Fox News That Oversight Committee Republicans Had Received “100 Percent” Of What They Had Requested Through Subpoenas

June 2023: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer Told Fox News The Committee Had Received “100 Percent” Of What It Had Requested Through Subpoenas. “At the end of June, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told Kudlow in an interview that the panel’s investigation and expertise are ‘centered around bank statement and bank records,’ but went on to note that the committee has received ‘100 percent’ of what it requested through subpoenas.  ‘Every subpoena that I’ve signed as chairman of the House Oversight Committee over the last five months, we’ve gotten 100 percent of what we’ve requested,’ Comer said. ‘Whether it’s with the FBI or with banks or with Treasury. We have built up success that will lead to more success because now what we’re subpoenaing is a lot more challenge.’” [The Hill, 8/22/23]

James Comer Insists On Reheating Widely Debunked Ukraine Conspiracy Theories

JAMES COMER KEEPS TIME TRAVELING BACKWARDS TO RECYCLE DEBUNKED CONSPIRACY THEORIES

HEADLINE: “Comer Tries To Run The First Trump Impeachment In Reverse” [Talking Points Memo, 6/6/23]

Huffington Post On House Oversight Committee James Comer’s Investigation: “The Main Allegation Of Corruption, So Far, Is The Same One That Donald Trump Lodged In 2019.” “The main allegation of corruption, so far, is the same one that Donald Trump lodged in 2019 ― that as vice president, Biden pushed for the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor because his son sat on the board of a sketchy Ukrainian company. During Trump’s first impeachment, State Department officials said Biden was just doing his job as vice president.” [Huffington Post, 8/16/23]

  • Huffington Post’s Arthur Delaney: “Republicans Are Basically Doing The Investigation That Donald Trump Tried To Extort Ukraine Into Announcing In 2019.” [Twitter, Arthur Delaney, 8/17/23]

FORMER UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT PETRO POROSHENKO DEBUNKED REPUBLICAN ALLEGATIONS THAT JOE BIDEN GOT PROSECUTOR GENERAL VIKTOR SHOKIN FIRED TO HELP HIS SON

COLUMN: “The Republican Case Against Biden Takes A Body Blow … From Fox News” [Washington Post, 9/25/23]

  • Asked About The Shokin Allegation, Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko Said There Was Not “One Single Word Of Truth” That Came From Shokin And Confirmed Shokin Wasn’t Fired Because Of Joe Biden But Because Of His Own Corruption. “‘First of all, this is the completely crazy person,’ Poroshenko began. ‘This is something wrong with him.’ ‘Second,’ the nonnative English speaker continued, ‘there is no one single word of truth. And third, I hate the idea to make any comments and to make any intervention in the American election.’ He asked that Kilmeade ‘not use such person like Shokin to undermine the trust between bipartisan support and Ukraine.’ […] ‘Okay, so that is not true,’ Kilmeade continued. ‘He didn’t get fired because of Joe Biden.’ Poroshenko confirmed that he did not, saying that Shokin was fired ‘for his own statement.’” [Washington Post, 9/25/23]

HEADLINE: “Fox News Just Accidentally Demolished a Biden-Ukraine Conspiracy Theory” [Daily Beast, 9/25/23]

HEADLINE: “Republican Case Against Biden Beautifully Goes Up in Flames on Fox News” [New Republic, 9/25/23]

JAMIE RASKIN RELEASED A TRANSCRIPT THAT DISCREDITED JAMES COMER AND HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN

HEADLINE: “Jamie Raskin Releases Transcript Of Ukrainian Oligarch Denying He Talked To Joe Biden” [Huffington Post, 6/29/23]

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Released A Three Page Transcript In Which The Co-Founder Of Burisma Said He And No One From Burisma Ever Spoke To Joe Biden While Hunter Biden Was On The Board. “The Ukrainian oligarch Republicans claim bribed Joe Biden said he never actually talked to Biden, according to an interview transcript made public Thursday by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).  Mykola Zlochevsky is a co-founder of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma that employed Biden’s son Hunter for several years. Zlochevsky served as Ukraine’s energy minister, but has been in hiding since fleeing corruption charges.  Republicans claim there’s evidence a Burisma executive — apparently Zlochevsky — paid Joe Biden a $5 million bribe when he was vice president in exchange for an official favor. They’ve demanded the FBI hand over a document reflecting a confidential source’s conversation with Zlochevsky.  Raskin has now countered with a document of his own — a three-page transcript of a 2019 interview between Zlochevsky and an acquaintance of Rudy Giuliani, who at the time was publicly seeking dirt on Biden on behalf of then-President Donald Trump. ‘No one from Burisma ever had any contacts with VP Biden or people working for him during Hunter Biden’s engagement’ with Burisma, Zlochevsky says in the transcript.” [Huffington Post, 6/29/23]

FORMER RUDY GIULIANI ASSOCIATE LEV PARNAS TOLD JAMES COMER TO GIVE IT A REST ALREADY

HEADLINE: “Former Giuliani Associate Urges Comer To ‘Abandon’ Biden Investigation” [Axios, 7/18/23]

Former Rudy Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Told Rep. James Come There Was “Simply No Merit” For His Investigation. “In another blow to House Oversight Chair James Comer’s (R-Ky.) probe into the Bidens and Ukraine, former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas wrote a scorching letter claiming there is ‘simply no merit’ for the investigation.” [Axios, 7/18/23]

  • Lev Parnas To Rep. James Comer: “With All Due Respect, Chairman Comer, The Narrative You Are Seeking For This Investigation Has Been Proven False Many Times Over, By A Wide Array Of Respected Sources.” “Why it matters: Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman, was a central figure in former President Trump’s first impeachment investigation over efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens. ‘With all due respect, Chairman Comer, the narrative you are seeking for this investigation has been proven false many times over, by a wide array of respected sources,’ Parnas wrote. ‘There is simply no merit to investigating this matter any further.’ ‘Please abandon this effort to investigate the Bidens, which is nothing more than a wild goose chase,’ he added.” [Axios, 7/18/23]
  • Lev Parnas To Rep. James Comer: “[T]here Has Never Been Any Evidence That Hunter Or Joe Biden Committed Any Crimes Related To Ukrainian Politics.” “What he’s saying:’[T]here has never been any evidence that Hunter or Joe Biden committed any crimes related to Ukrainian politics,’ Parnas wrote in the letter. Parnas laid out a detailed timeline of Giuliani’s attempts to malign the Biden family with allegations of corruption related to Ukraine as well as his close involvement in those efforts. He claimed to have been in the room with key players, communicating frequently with Giuliani and ‘often interpreting between the Ukrainian and English languages.’ ‘The truth is that everyone, from Giuliani and the BLT Team to Devin Nunes and his colleagues, to the people at FOX News, knew that these allegations against the Bidens were false,’ Parnas wrote. ‘There has never been any factual evidence, only conspiracy theories spread by people who knew exactly what they were doing.’” [Axios, 7/18/23]
  • Lev Parnas To Rep. James Comer: “Please Abandon This Effort To Investigate The Bidens, Which Is Nothing More Than A Wild Goose Chase.” “Why it matters: Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman, was a central figure in former President Trump’s first impeachment investigation over efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens. ‘With all due respect, Chairman Comer, the narrative you are seeking for this investigation has been proven false many times over, by a wide array of respected sources,’ Parnas wrote. ‘There is simply no merit to investigating this matter any further.’ ‘Please abandon this effort to investigate the Bidens, which is nothing more than a wild goose chase,’ he added.” [Axios, 7/18/23]

James Comer Tied His Investigation To President Biden’s Poll Numbers, Then Lied And Claimed He Didn’t Do That

JAMES COMER ADMITTED HIS INVESTIGATION IS ALL ABOUT POLITICS…

HEADLINE: “House GOP Chairman Links His Investigation To Biden’s Poll Numbers” [Washington Post, 5/22/23]

Rep. James Comer Suggested That His Investigations Were Responsible For Former President Trump Being Ahead Of President Biden In Some Polls. FOX NEWS ANCHOR: “So do you think that because of your investigation, that is what’s moved this needle with the media?” REP. JAMES COMER: “Absolutely. Absolutely. There’s no question. You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward; Joe Biden’s trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they’re realizing the American people are keeping up with our investigation.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends First, 5/22/23] (video)

  • HEADLINE: “GOP Rep. James Comer Implies Biden Family Probe Is Really About Helping Trump In 2024” [Huffington Post, 5/22/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Look At The Polling”: James Comer Brags That GOP’s Biden Crusade Is Boosting Trump’s Numbers” [Salon, 5/22/23]

…THEN COMER LIED AND CLAIMED HE’D NEVER SAID HIS INVESTIGATION WAS ABOUT HURTING PRESIDENT BIDEN POLITICALLY

HEADLINE: “James Comer Now Falsely Claims He Didn’t Link Biden Probe To Trump Poll Numbers” [Daily Beast, 5/24/23]

Rep. James Comer Claimed When He Said His Investigations Were Being Reflected In Polling It Had Nothing To Do With Donald Trump. REP. JAMES COMER: “So he’s not credible in this investigation, he’s just an unnecessary obstacle along the way. Look, when I was referencing poll numbers, it had nothing to do with Donald Trump. It had to do with the fact that the American people overwhelmingly believe that public corruption is a problem, and they’re concerned about how Joe Biden’s family got this money from foreign nationals, that’s what I was referencing in the polling, the polling shows the American people are keeping up with our investigation, it has nothing to do with Donald Trump.” [Fox Business, The Bottom Line, 5/23/23] (video)

James Comer Has Received Many “Pinocchio’s” For His Statements About His “Investigation”

WASHINGTON POST FACT CHECKER GAVE JAMES COMER “THREE PINOCCHIOS” FOR HIS HYPERBOLIC CLAIMS ABOUT HIS INVESTIGATION

FACT CHECK: “How Republicans Overhype The Findings Of Their Hunter Biden Probe” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 8/17/23]

Washington Post Fact Checker Gave House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer “Three Pinocchios” For His Hyperbolic Claims About His Investigation. “Hunter Biden’s decision to pursue business deals that at the time overlapped with his father’s policy brief as vice president was ill-advised and has caused political headaches for his father. Republicans are pursuing the case with vigor, but Comer undercuts the findings of his investigation by hyping what has been found. He claims there were more than 20 ‘shell companies,’ but upon inspection most of the companies named had legitimate business transactions or investments. He claims the Bidens received more than $20 million from foreign sources, leaving off the caveat in the staff reports that two-thirds of the payments went to Hunter Biden’s business partners.  Comer would have more credibility if he stuck to documented facts — such as saying precisely that Hunter Biden received $7 million from foreign sources. He earns Three Pinocchios.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 8/17/23]

  • Washington Post Fact Checker Wrote House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer’s Memos Are Written In A Partisan Way That Ignores Or Downplays Contrary Information. “The memos are written in a partisan manner — ignoring or playing down contrary information — but an interesting pattern has emerged. The memos themselves have careful language that is often hedged. Then Comer and other GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), go on Twitter or speak to conservative media using hyperbolic language that goes well beyond what the memos say. Over time, the reporting on the memos in conservative media becomes untethered from the documentation in the reports.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 8/17/23]
  • Washington Post Fact Checker Wrote That House Oversight Committee GOP Memos Contain Careful Language That Is Hedged, But Then House Republicans Go On Twitter Or Conservative Media Using Hyperbolic Language That Goes “Well Beyond” What The Memos Say. “The memos are written in a partisan manner — ignoring or playing down contrary information — but an interesting pattern has emerged. The memos themselves have careful language that is often hedged. Then Comer and other GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), go on Twitter or speak to conservative media using hyperbolic language that goes well beyond what the memos say. Over time, the reporting on the memos in conservative media becomes untethered from the documentation in the reports.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 8/17/23]

Washington Post Fact Checker: “No Evidence Has Emerged That Any Of These Funds Can Be Traced To Joe Biden Himself.” “As for the $20 million in payments, Comer and other Republicans invoke this figure often. A close reading of the memos, however, finds that only about $7 million can be directly attributed to Biden family members, mostly Hunter, while the rest went to ‘associates,’ according to the memos. Yet Comer and other lawmakers misleadingly suggest all of the money went to the Biden family or, as some label it, ‘the Biden crime family.’ No evidence has emerged that any of these funds can be traced to Joe Biden himself.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 8/17/23]

WASHINGTON POST FACT CHECKER GAVE JAMES COMER “FOUR PINOCCHIOS” FOR CLAIMS ABOUT AN EMAIL DURING BIDEN’S VICE PRESIDENCY

Washington Post Fact Checker Gave Rep. James Comer “Four Pinocchios” For Claiming Then-Vice President Biden Was Sending Hunter A Secret Message About Ukraine By Copying Him On A May 26, 2016 Email That Contained His Schedule

FACT CHECK: “James Comer Claims That Biden Pseudonym Email Was Code. That’s Nonsense.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 9/6/23]

Washington Post Fact Checker Gave Rep. James Comer Four Pinocchios For His Claim That Then-Vice President Biden Was Sending His Son Hunter A Secret Message About How He Was Going To Push To Fire The Ukrainian Prosecutor General. “Comer has a tendency to mess up details or lose nuance when he shows up on television, but he really shoots himself in the foot here. He claims that Biden was sending a secret message to his son about how he was going to tell the Ukrainian president to fire the prosecutor — but the email was sent two months after the firing. Skeptics may doubt whether Hunter Biden was copied on the email for family matters, but it’s certainly not because of the nefarious purpose suggested by Comer.  Comer earns Four Pinocchios.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 9/6/23]

The Email Also Showed Then-Vice President Biden Was Traveling To Delaware That Night Where The Family Would Be Gathering To Remember The First Anniversary Of The Death Of Beau Biden

5/26/16: Then-Vice President Biden’s Schedule Showed He Was Staying Over Night At The “Lake House.” “So why would Hunter Biden be copied on this particular email concerning his father’s schedule? One clue: the schedule notes that the vice president would remain overnight at ‘Lake House,’ a Biden property in Delaware. Local Delaware media reported that the Biden family gathered that Memorial Day weekend on the first anniversary of the death of Beau Biden, Biden’s other son, when Delaware’s National Guard headquarters was dedicated to him.  A representative for Hunter Biden’s legal team said that Joe Biden copied his son on the email to let his son know that he was getting back to Delaware because he wanted him there for the anniversary weekend of Beau’s passing.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 9/6/23]

Over Memorial Day Week Of 2016, The Biden Family Gathered To Remember The First Anniversary Of The Death Of Beau Biden. “So why would Hunter Biden be copied on this particular email concerning his father’s schedule? One clue: the schedule notes that the vice president would remain overnight at ‘Lake House,’ a Biden property in Delaware. Local Delaware media reported that the Biden family gathered that Memorial Day weekend on the first anniversary of the death of Beau Biden, Biden’s other son, when Delaware’s National Guard headquarters was dedicated to him.  A representative for Hunter Biden’s legal team said that Joe Biden copied his son on the email to let his son know that he was getting back to Delaware because he wanted him there for the anniversary weekend of Beau’s passing.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 9/6/23]

The Email James Comer Claimed Showed Then-Vice President Biden Sending A Secret Message To Hunter About Ukraine Was Dated Two Months After Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin Had Been Removed From Office

Rep. James Comer Claimed An Email Hunter Biden Was Copied On That Listed Then-Vice President Joe Biden’s Schedule For The Day, Meant Biden Was Signaling To His Son He Was Going To Call To Fire The Ukrainian Prosecutor General, But The Email Is Dated Two Months After The Prosecutor Was Fired. “Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, is leading the congressional investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings when his father was vice president. Last week, in an interview, he pointed to an email in which he claimed that Joe Biden was sending a secret message to his son that he was about to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor — a move that supposedly would have furthered his son’s business interests. Newsmax flashed an image of the email, sent from an assistant to the vice president to the address of ‘Robert.L.Peters@pci.gov.’ The email listed the vice president’s schedule for the day, including a planned call with the Ukrainian president, who then was Petro Poroshenko. Hunter Biden was copied on the email. […]  But there’s one big problem with Comer’s claim: The email is dated May 26, 2016. The prosecutor in question had been dismissed by the Ukrainian parliament two months earlier.” [Washington Post, Fact Checker, 9/6/23]

NBC News: “In His Media Appearances, Comer Often Dabbles In Unfounded Claims, Exaggerations, And Innuendo That Sometimes Border On Conspiracy Theory

NBC News: “In His Media Appearances, Comer Often Dabbles In Unfounded Claims, Exaggerations And Innuendo That Sometimes Border On Conspiracy Theories.” [NBC News, 8/31/23]

When Confronted With The Facts, James Comer Resorts To Personal Attacks Against A White House Staffer

HEADLINE: “Hunter Biden Prober James Comer Lashes Out At Scathing WH Memo By Insulting Spokesman’s Looks To Newsmax Anchor” [Mediaite, 8/10/23]

Mediaite: James Comer “Immediately Took Things To A Personal Place By Repeatedly Insulting Sams Over His Physical Appearance, Then Instead Of Producing Evidence Connecting The President To Wrongdoing, Spent Several Minutes Complaining That He Shouldn’t Have To Do That.” “On Wednesday night’s edition of Newsmax TV’s Rob Schmitt Tonight, host Rob Schmitt read some of the Sams memo, and asked Comer to comment.  The congressman immediately took things to a personal place by repeatedly insulting Sams over his physical appearance, then instead of producing evidence connecting the president to wrongdoing, spent several minutes complaining that he shouldn’t have to do that.” [Mediaite, 8/10/23]