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COMER’S BIGGEST LIES OF 2023

By December 22, 2023No Comments

We here at Facts First have focused this year on ensuring that our national discourse is grounded in facts and honest debate. In the face of abuse of government oversight, we have held a spotlight on the hypocrisy, lies, and outright malice coming out of House Republicans in the 118th Congress. In the spirit of the season, we’ve picked one infamous candidate as the main source of our nation’s malcontent, House Oversight Chair James Comer.

To celebrate the holiday season, here is our end of year recap of James Comer’s five biggest lies of the year:

  1. The Burisma Lie – Comer’s inquiry is based on Rudy Giuliani’s lies.
  2. The Bank Records Lie(s) – Comer mischaracterizes documents repeatedly to fit his narrative.
  3. The FD-1023 Lie – Comer caved on his contempt threat because he knew he had no evidence.
  4. The Committee Lie(s) – Comer’s committee manipulated testimony from witnesses that kept debunking him.
  5. The Shell Company Lie – Comer should be investigating himself, not President Biden.

From lying about attending Devon Archer’s testimony to claiming to lose an informant who was indicted by the Department of Justice, James Comer has range. So, as we gear up to start a new year, let’s remember where all this BS is coming from.

1. The Burisma Lie – Comer’s Inquiry Is Based On Rudy Giuliani’s Lies

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]

HEADLINE: “House GOP Eyeing Bribery, Abuse Of Power For Impeachment Articles Against Biden Based On Debunked Ukraine Conspiracy Theories” [CNN, 12/4/23]

  • CNN Reported That “Almost Every Element” Of Republican Claims About President Biden And Ukraine Are Untrue. “Almost every element of the GOP claim is untrue. Biden did push for the prosecutor to be fired, but that was consistent with bipartisan US policy and the interests of European Union allies. And more importantly, the US wanted the prosecutor fired because he was soft on corruption. His removal was likely to increase scrutiny of Burisma and Hunter Biden – not shut down the investigation.” [CNN, 12/4/23]
  • COLUMN: “The Misleading Ukraine Claim At The Heart Of The GOP’s Impeachment Push” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 11/29/23] 

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]

2. The Bank Record Lie(s) – Comer Mischaracterizes Documents Repeatedly To Fit His Narrative

JAMES COMER MISREPRESENTED BANK RECORDS THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS IN ITS POSSESSION PERTAINING TO JOE BIDEN’S BROTHER

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: “Fact Check: Evidence Supports Democrats’ Case That Joe Biden Made A Personal Loan To His Brother” [CNN, 10/31/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Another GOP ‘Bombshell’ About Joe Biden Turns Out To Be A Dud” [Huffington Post, 10/23/23]

James Biden Paid Joe Biden Back The Exact Amount He Was Loaned, $200,000, No More

James Biden Received A Total Of $600,000 From Americore – The Loan Repayment To Joe Biden Was For Only $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]

Even The Conservative Washington Examiner Reported That James Comer Has Misrepresented The Records It Had About Loan Repayments James Biden Made To His Brother

HEADLINE: “Joe Biden May Have Lent James Biden Money To Justify ‘Loan’ Repayments, Bank Records Show”  [Washington Examiner, 11/8/23]

Washington Examiner: “The Records, Obtained By The Washington Examiner, Support The White House’s Claim That The Checks James Biden Wrote To Joe Biden In 2017 And 2018, Respectively, Appear To Be Intended To Pay Back Loans.” “Bank records suggest President Joe Biden may have paid his brother $240,000 in two installments a year apart, each just weeks before James Biden wrote his brother a check for the same amount.  The records, obtained by the Washington Examiner, support the White House’s claim that the checks James Biden wrote to Joe Biden in 2017 and 2018, respectively, appear to be intended to pay back loans.” [Washington Examiner, 11/8/23]

JAMES COMER MISREPRESENTED BANK RECORDS THE COMMITTEE HAS IN ITS POSSESSION RELATED TO HUNTER BIDEN

HEADLINE: “Comer Mischaracterizes Hunter Biden Car Payment Reimbursement To His Dad” [Washington Post, 12/4/23]

James Comer Falsely Claimed That Three Payments Hunter Biden Made To His Father To Reimburse Him For Helping Buy A Truck Were Evidence That Joe Biden Participated In His Family’s Business Dealings. “In an email to reporters, a spokesperson for Comer claimed that the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Biden, had obtained bank records revealing that Hunter Biden’s law firm, Owasco PC, which had received payments from Chinese-state-linked companies and other foreign companies in the past, made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden. The email claimed the payments ‘are part of a pattern revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in and benefited from his family’s influence-peddling schemes.’  The three payments of $1,380 that occurred in September, October and November 2018 — nearly two years after Biden had left the vice presidency — were actually for a 2018 Ford Raptor truck Joe Biden had purchased that Hunter Biden was using, according to an email verified by a Washington Post forensic analysis.” [Washington Post, 12/4/23]

  • Joe Biden Reportedly Signed For The Truck Because Hunter Biden Was Struggling With Addiction, Had A Low Credit Score And Could Not Buy The Truck Himself. “Joe Biden signed for the truck and had it in his name — at a time when Hunter was in the depths of addiction, had a low credit score and couldn’t make the purchase himself, according to a person close to the Bidens, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private matter. The truck was used only for a limited time, going back to the dealer about a year after the purchase.” [Washington Post, 12/4/23]
  • It Was Already Public Knowledge That Hunter Biden Had Made Payments To Joe Biden To Repay Him For The 2018 Ford Raptor Truck. “The redacted document provided to CNN shows that an account affiliated with Hunter Biden paid Joe Biden $1,380 on September 17, 2018. The document states the payments would occur on a monthly basis, and the panel is aware of at least three monthly payments to Joe Biden in total, a source familiar with the committee’s work told CNN. But documents provided to CNN appear to show that Hunter Biden was repaying his father for a Ford Raptor, information that had already been publicized. A source familiar with the payment told CNN that Hunter Biden’s credit was low at the time while he was struggling with addiction, so he couldn’t finance the car and his father signed for the car, which was in Joe Biden’s name.” [CNN, 12/4/23]

Washington Post: “Comer Has Consistently Oversold Or Misrepresented The Committee’s Investigative Findings As He Has Argued To Initiate Impeachment Proceedings.” “Comer has consistently oversold or misrepresented the committee’s investigative findings as he has argued to initiate impeachment proceedings. Last month, Comer trumpeted a $200,000 loan repayment Joe Biden received from his brother James Biden. Comer sought to paint the personal check in nefarious terms, alleging without evidence that it showed that Joe Biden had indirectly received payments from his family’s foreign business dealings.” [Washington Post, 12/4/23]

  • COLUMN: “James Comer’s Biden Claims Do Not Deserve The Benefit Of The Doubt” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 12/4/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Comer’s Latest ‘Evidence’ Of Biden Corruption Turns Out To Be Car Payments” [Daily Beast, 12/4/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Rep. James Comer Dishes Absurd Theory Over Hunter’s Truck Repayments” [Daily Beast, 12/4/23]
  • HEADLINE: “The Huge, Hilarious Mistake In James Comer’s New Biden Corruption Claim” [New Republic, 12/4/23]
  • HEADLINE: “GOP’s Comer Adds To His Long List Of Embarrassing Anti-Biden Duds” [MSNBC, 12/5/23]

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 Provide 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]

3. The FD-1023 Lie – Comer Caved On His Contempt Threat Regarding The FBI Director Because He Knows He Has No Evidence For His Claims

JAMES COMER THREATENED TO HOLD THE FBI DIRECTOR IN CONTEMPT JUST BECAUSE HE COULD OVER A FORM THAT CONTAINED UNVERIFIED TIPS

James Comer Admitted He Had Already Seen The FD-1023 Form Containing Unverified Tips That He Was Demanding The FBI Hand Over

Rep. James Comer Said He And Chuck Grassley Already Knew What Was In The FD 1023 Form They Requested From The FBI And Had Already Seen It. REP. JAMES COMER: “Well, to answer that question, Sean, he offered us the opportunity to come look at it in a private SCIF, but he was going to redact it. My experience with getting documents from the FBI when they’re redacted, there’s very — it’s all black lines, they don’t show anything. But I’m going to say on this show what we told Director Wray, what Senator Grassley told Director Wray. He and I have already seen 1023 form. We knew what was in the 1023 form. Until we told Director Wray that, he never even admitted that the form existed. So the level of confidence that we have with Director Wray only went down. It only declined throughout the conversation. So we will go there and look at the redacted document, but we know what’s in the document.” [Fox News, Hannity, 5/31/23] (video)

  • Washington Post’s Philip Bump: “But Comer And Grassley Have Been Aware Of Its Contents For A Month, And All They Appear To Have Done Is Pester The FBI About It.” “But Comer and Grassley have been aware of its contents for a month, and all they appear to have done is pester the FBI about it. Remember, Comer held a news conference in early May during which he alleged that foreign money had at times moved between members of Biden’s family. That was the product of months of investigations based on financial documents the Oversight Committee had retained. There was no evidence presented of a $5 million payment to then-Vice President Joe Biden or his intermediaries. Perhaps the bank records were too narrow. Or perhaps there was no such payment.” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/1/23]
  • Washington Post’s Philip Bump: “Instead, They Spent A Month Hammering The FBI In Keeping With The Political Right’s (And Donald Trump’s) Interest In Casting The Bureau As A Political Opponent.” “The letter from Comer and Grassley came out May 5, by which point they’d presumably seen the document. At the very least, they knew what the accusation was. Since then, though, there’s no evidence that they did anything to investigate it. Instead, they spent a month hammering the FBI in keeping with the political right’s (and Donald Trump’s) interest in casting the bureau as a political opponent.” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/1/23]

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]

James Comer Complained That The FBI Would Redact The Form When Viewing It In Person, Even Though He Earlier Told A Reporter That Would Be Fine

Rep. James Comer Complained About The FBI Potentially Redacting The Form He Was Seeking After The FBI Offered To Let Him View It In Private In A Secure Room. REP. JAMES COMER: “Well, to answer that question, Sean, he offered us the opportunity to come look at it in a private SCIF, but he was going to redact it. My experience with getting documents from the FBI when they’re redacted, there’s very — it’s all black lines, they don’t show anything.” [Fox News, Hannity, 5/31/23] (video)

Huffington Post’s Arthur Delaney Said Rep. James Comer Told Him The FBI Could Hand Over The FD-1023 Form, “All They Have To Do Is Redact The Source’s Name.” Huffington Post Reporter Arthur Delaney tweeted: “Comer said FBI director Wray offered Republicans the chance to look at the FD-1023 form, ‘but he was gonna redact it.’  Told me the other day the FBI could hand it over and ‘all they have to do is redact the source’s name.’” [Twitter, Arthur Delaney, 5/31/23]

FD-1023 Forms Are Reportedly Used By FBI Agents To Record “Unverified Reporting” From A Human Source

The FBI Said An FD-1023 Form Was Used By FBI Agents To Record “Unverified Reporting From A Confidential Human Source.” According to a letter the FBI sent to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer about his subpoena for an FD-1023 form: “An FD-1023 is one of many forms the FBI uses to collect and catalog information for its law enforcement and national security work. This form is used by FBI agents to record unverified reporting from a confidential human source.” [FBI Letter to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, 5/10/23]

  • Axios: “An FD-1023 Simply Documents An Interview With A Source, And Does Not In Itself Indicate Any Suspicions Of Wrongdoing.” “An FD-1023 simply documents an interview with a source, and does not in itself indicate any suspicions of wrongdoing.” [Axios, 5/3/23]
  • Politico: “The [FD-1023] Forms Themselves, Regardless Of Their Content, Do Not Independently Amount To Evidence Of Wrongdoing.” “Comer issued a subpoena earlier this month that compels the FBI to hand over any FD-1023 forms — the formal term for records that describe conversations with a confidential human source — from June 2020 that contain the word ‘Biden.’ The forms themselves, regardless of their content, do not independently amount to evidence of wrongdoing.” [Politico, 5/24/23]

Senator Grassley Said The Quiet Part Out Loud, Republicans Did Not Care If Allegations In The Form Were True Or Not, They Just Wanted To Publicize Them

HEADLINE: “Republicans ‘Not Interested’ In Whether Biden Bribe Allegation Is True, Chuck Grassley Says” [Huffington Post, 6/1/23]

Senator Chuck Grassley: “We Aren’t Interested In Whether Or Not The Accusations Against Vice President Biden Are Accurate Or Not.” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Next topic, you talked to the FBI director Christopher Wray on the phone yesterday, right? And you’re trying to get a look at this document. From what I understand he says you’re okay to come to the Bureau and look at it. Is that the case and is that good enough for you?” SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY: “I have read that document, if he would read it, and it’s an unclassified document, he admits it exits. And we aren’t interested in whether or not the accusations against Vice President Biden are accurate or not. We’re responsible for making sure the FBI does it’s job and that’s what we want to know.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)

  • Senator Chuck Grassley Admitted He Did Not Know If The Accusations In The FBI Document Were Accurate Or Not And He Was Not Interested In Figuring That Out. FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “Senator, how damning is this document to the sitting U.S. president?” GRASSLEY: “Well, its, I don’t know that, and that what we need…” FOX NEWS’ BILL HEMMER: “But you’ve read it.” GRASSLEY: “I read it. Let’s put it this way. There’s accusations in it, but it’s not for me to make a judgment about whether these accusations are accurate or not. It’s up to my job to make sure the FBI’s doing their job.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 6/1/23] (video)

HEADLINE: “GOP Senator Admits Republicans Don’t Care If Accusations Against Joe Biden Are ‘Accurate’” [New Republic, 6/1/23]

HEADLINE: “Republican Says It Doesn’t Matter If Joe Biden Accusations Are ‘Accurate'” [Newsweek, 6/1/23]

AT THEIR FIRST HEARING, REPUBLICAN WITNESSES SAID THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT BIDEN

HEADLINE: “Star GOP Witness Immediately Pours Cold Water on Biden Impeachment” [Daily Beast, 9/28/23]

  • Jonathan Turley: “I Do Not Believe That The Current Evidence Would Support Articles Of Impeachment.” “Republicans’ long-shot attempt to impeach President Joe Biden got off to a rocky start Thursday, with their star witness, legal expert Jonathan Turley, outright saying he doesn’t see any evidence to support impeachment. ‘I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment,’ he testified.” [Daily Beast, 9/28/23]
  • Bruce Dubinksy: “I Am Not Here Today To Even Suggest That There Was Corruption, Fraud, Or Any Wrongdoing. In My Opinion, More Information Needs To Be Gathered And Assessed Before I Would Make Such An Assessment.” “Turley wasn’t the only GOP witness to say there’s no evidence to support articles of impeachment. Bruce Dubinsky, a forensic accountant called on by Republicans, said, ‘I am not here today to even suggest that there was corruption, fraud, or any wrongdoing. In my opinion, more information needs to be gathered and assessed before I would make such an assessment.’” [Daily Beast, 9/28/23]

HEADLINE: “House Republicans Short On Evidence To Impeach Biden, Witnesses Tell Panel” [Roll Call, 9/28/23]

HEADLINE: “First Impeachment Hearing Yields No New Information On Biden” [New York Times, 9/28/23]

JAMES COMER HAS PRESENTED NO PROOF THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN COMMITTED ANY WRONGDOING

HEADLINE: “Republicans Offer No Evidence Of Crimes At Press Conference On Alleged ‘Biden Family Corruption’” [The Independent, 5/11/23]

HEADLINE: “Comer Investigation of Biden Relatives Swings and Misses on Allegations of Influence Peddling” [TIME, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “Republicans Finally Admit They Have No Incriminating Evidence on Joe Biden” [New Republic, 5/10/23]

  • New Republic: House GOP “Were Unable To Provide Any Actual Evidence Linking The President To Any Wrongdoing.” “Republicans’ big investigation into the Biden family has revealed … not a lot. The House GOP accused Joe Biden and his family on Wednesday of engaging in business with foreign entities—but were unable to provide any actual evidence linking the president to any wrongdoing.” [New Republic, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “Comer Releases Biden Family Probe Update Without Showing Link To President” [Politico, 5/10/23]

  • Politico: “[Republican Report] Did Not Show Any Way In Which Biden’s Decisions Were Influenced By Those Agreements Or That He Had Direct Knowledge Of Them.” “But the highly anticipated press conference also raised fresh questions about their ability to ultimately capture their white whale: the president himself. And Comer’s already faced plenty of doubt, including from some within his own party, that he can back up his promises to show Biden’s connection to family business dealings. No link has publicly emerged, and that didn’t change at Wednesday’s press conference. […] It also did not show any way in which Biden’s decisions were influenced by those agreements or that he had direct knowledge of them.” [Politico, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “House GOP Digs In On Biden Family Dealings Without Directly Connecting President” [The Hill, 5/10/23]

  • The Hill: “But The 36-Page Report Released By The Panel’s Republicans On Wednesday That Was Based On Bank Records Did Not Show Any Foreign Money Flowing Directly To Joe Biden.” “House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and the panel’s Republicans on Wednesday dug in on their attacks on President Biden, unveiling new details alleging that more than $10 million flowed from foreign entities to companies associated with the Biden family and family members themselves. But the 36-page report released by the panel’s Republicans on Wednesday that was based on bank records did not show any foreign money flowing directly to Joe Biden.” [The Hill, 5/10/23]
  • The Hill: “The Report Did Not Provide Hard Evidence That His Family’s Finances Influenced Any Policy Decisions.” “But the 36-page report released by the panel’s Republicans on Wednesday that was based on bank records did not show any foreign money flowing directly to Joe Biden. Biden has previously denied knowledge of his family’s business dealings as they were happening, and the report did not provide hard evidence that his family’s finances influenced any policy decisions.” [The Hill, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “House Republican Report Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by President Biden” [New York Times, 5/10/23]

  • New York Times: “On Wednesday, The Republicans Conceded That They Had Yet To Find Evidence Of A Specific Corrupt Action Mr. Biden Took In Office In Connection With Any Of The Business Deals His Son Entered Into.” “But on Wednesday, the Republicans conceded that they had yet to find evidence of a specific corrupt action Mr. Biden took in office in connection with any of the business deals his son entered into. Instead, their presentation underscored how little headway top G.O.P. lawmakers have made in finding clear evidence of questionable transactions they can tie to Mr. Biden, their chief political rival.” [New York Times, 5/10/23]

CNN: “But The Latest Report [GOP] Does Not Show Any Payments Made Directly To Joe Biden, Either As Vice President Or After Leaving Office.” “The memo marks Comer’s most direct attempt to substantiate his allegations that Biden family members have enriched themselves off the family name. Comer has suggested that Biden may have been improperly influenced by the financial dealings, particularly by his family’s foreign business partners. But the latest report does not show any payments made directly to Joe Biden, either as vice president or after leaving office.” [CNN, 5/10/23]

NBC News: “Comer Did Not Provide Examples Of Any Specific Policy Decisions That Were Influenced.” “Asked whether the committee will be able to prove that Biden was directly involved in his son’s business dealings and that policy changes were influenced by it, Comer did not provide examples of any specific policy decisions that were influenced.” [NBC News, 5/10/23]

Axios: “The Memo Presented Wednesday By House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) Included No Evidence That President Biden Acted Improperly Or Took Any Official Action Because Of His Family’s Business Affairs.” “Yes, but: The memo presented Wednesday by House Oversight chair James Comer (R-Ky.) included no evidence that President Biden acted improperly or took any official action because of his family’s business affairs.” [Axios, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “Facing ‘Make-Or-Break Moment,’ GOP’s Comer Fails Spectacularly” [MSNBC, Maddow Blog, 5/11/23]

  • MSNBC Reported James Comer “Has Managed To Do Little More Than Annoy His Colleagues” And “Make An Excessive Number Of Appearances On Conservative Media Outlets.” “It’s no secret that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has struggled this year. The Kentucky Republican, convinced that he’ll uncover evidence of serious wrongdoing on President Joe Biden’s part, has managed to do little more than annoy his colleagues, make an excessive number of appearances on conservative media outlets, and demonstrate an extraordinary ability to connect Hunter Biden to just about anything.” [MSNBC, Maddow Blog, 5/11/23]

COLUMN: “50 Days Later, The Biden Bribery Allegation Is No More Credible” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/21/23]

COLUMN: “The Biden ‘Bribery’ Allegation Slips On More Banana Peels” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 6/29/23]

HEADLINE: “Could James Comer Possibly Get More Embarrassing? (Um, Yes.)” [New Republic, 7/14/23]

COLUMN: “James Comer Has A James Comer Problem” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 7/18/23]

CNN: “But So Far, It Appears The Committee Has Not Found Any Direct Evidence That President Biden Personally Benefited From Any Of His Son’s Business Dealings. Republicans Are Now Insisting They Don’t Have To.” [CNN, 8/9/23]

  • HEADLINE: “House Republicans Issue New Report On Joe Biden Corruption… That Again Offers No Evidence” [USA Today, 8/9/23]
  • COLUMN: “So Where’s The Bribe, James Comer?” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 8/9/23]
  • HEADLINE: “House GOP Releases New Memo On Hunter Biden’s Foreign Business Dealings, Reviving Old Claims” [ABC News, 8/9/23]

Politico: “But The Memo, The Third Comer Has Released So Far This Year, Also Doesn’t Show A Direct Payment To Joe Biden.” [Politico, 8/9/23]

Punchbowl AM: “Up To This Point, Republicans Haven’t Tied Any Official Actions By Biden As Vice President To The Money Received By Hunter Biden, Other Family Members Or Their Business Associates.” [Punchbowl AM, 8/10/23]

4. The Committee Lie – Comer’s Committee Has Manipulated And Lied About Witness Testimony, Whether He’s There To Supervise Or Not

JAMES COMER’S STAR WITNESS DEBUNKED HIS CONSPIRACY THEORIES

HEADLINE: “Hunter Biden business associate testifies he has no knowledge of wrongdoing by Joe Biden” [NBC News, 8/3/23]

NBC News: “But the Transcripts Appear To Back Up Democrats, Including Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., And Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Who Have Argued That Comer’s Investigation Into The Bidens Has Revealed No Direct Evidence That Joe Biden Was Involved In His Son’s Business Dealings, Was Influenced By Them Or Broke The Law.” “Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., released Archer’s 141-page transcript on the same day former President Donald Trump is set to be arraigned at a federal courthouse in Washington for charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The testimony hands Republicans descriptive details about Hunter Biden and more ammunition as they accuse the Justice Department of aggressively prosecuting Trump for multiple crimes while going easy on Hunter Biden on federal tax and other charges. But the transcripts appear to back up Democrats, including Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who have argued that Comer’s investigation into the Bidens has revealed no direct evidence that Joe Biden was involved in his son’s business dealings, was influenced by them or broke the law.” [NBC News, 8/3/23]

  • HEADLINE: “Devon Archer says Joe Biden discussed ‘nothing’ important with Hunter Biden business associates, transcript shows” [CNN, 8/3/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Star Witness Undercuts Republican Corruption Case Against Joe Biden” [Huffington Post, 8/3/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Key Witness Doesn’t Back Up G.O.P.’S Biggest Allegations On Bidens” [New York Times, 8/4/23]
  • HEADLINE: “Transcript Of Devon Archer Testimony Doesn’t Back Key Claims About Joe And Hunter Biden” [Politifact, 8/4/23]

COLUMN “Devon Archer Said The Opposite Of What Republicans Claimed” [Washington Post, Phillip Bump, 8/3/23]

  • Washington Post’s Phillip Bump: “That’s The Pattern Here. Comer And Jordan And Others Hype Claims Of Joe Biden’s Involvement In Hunter Biden’s Work Only To See Those Claims Collapse As More Information Is Made Public.” “That’s the pattern here. Comer and Jordan and others hype claims of Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s work only to see those claims collapse as more information is made public. Devon Archer’s testimony was hailed as a central breakthrough in implicating Joe Biden. Instead, it has a top ally of Hunter Biden stating under penalty of perjury that Joe Biden was not involved in Hunter Biden’s business and that Biden’s trip to Ukraine in 2015 was not centered on protecting Burisma at all. Very much contrary to what those leading Republicans implied on Fox News.” [Washington Post, Phillip Bump, 8/3/23]

HEADLINE: “’Truly Stunning”: Republican Admits Hyped Biden Witness ‘Didn’t Know Anything’ About Alleged Bribe” [Salon, 8/1/23]

  • Andy Bigg Admitted That Devon Archer Had No Information On Unverified Claims In An FD-1023 Form. “Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., acknowledged that the Republicans’ widely-hyped witness in their probe of the Biden family’s business dealings ‘didn’t know anything’ about unverified allegations that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden had accepted millions in bribes. […] Biggs, who is pushing for an impeachment inquiry, also acknowledged to reporters that Archer had no information on the unverified claims from an anonymous informant that the Bidens accepted bribes. ‘He didn’t know anything about it,’ Biggs told reporters after the session.” [Salon, 8/1/23]

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 ALSO 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]

COLUMN: “Rep. James Comer Is Looking For Anti-Biden Evidence. Also, His Informant.” [Washington Post, Philip Bump, 5/15/23]

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 Mocked After Claiming Informant His ‘Entire Charade Was Built On’ Is ‘Missing’” [Salon, 5/15/23]

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

HEADLINE: “GOP’s Comer ‘Can’t Track Down’ His Own Anti-Biden ‘Informant’” [MSNBC, 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]

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]

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: “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]

HEADLINE: “Hunter Biden “Whistleblower” Exposed As A Fugitive And Accused Spy — But MAGA Won’t Budge” [Salon, 7/12/23]

5. The Shell Company Lie – Comer Should Be Investigating Himself, Not President Biden

ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED REP. JAMES COMER HAS A SHELL COMPANY OF HIS OWN, AND A HISTORY OF CAVORTING WITH SHADY CHARACTERS

HEADLINE: “The Republican Leading The Probe Of Hunter Biden Has His Own Shell Company And Complicated Friends” [Associated Press, 12/14/23]

Associated Press Reported That Comer’s Financial Disclosures About Farm Team Properties Were Vague And Did Not Provide Details About Comer’s Choice To Put Six Acres Of Owned Land In A Shell Company Or What Additional Assets It May Own – Yet The Company’s Value Was Listed At Over One Million Dollars. “The AP found that [Comer-owned] Farm Team Properties functions in a similarly opaque way as the companies used by the Bidens, masking his stake in the land that he co-owns with the donor from being revealed on his financial disclosure forms. Those records describe Farm Team Properties as his wife’s ‘land management and real estate speculation’ company without providing further details. It’s not clear why Comer decided to put those six acres in a shell company, or what other assets Farm Team Properties may hold. On his most recent financial disclosure forms, Comer lists its value as being as much as $1 million, a substantial sum but a fraction of his overall wealth.” [Associated Press, 12/14/23]

Comer’s Business Partner Is Someone Who Has Donated To His Political Campaigns Since 2010

Comer Created Farm Team Properties In A Joint Venture With Darren Cleary, A Campaign Contributor And Construction Contractor From Comer’s Own Monroe County. “Comer created the company in 2017 to hold his stake in the six acres that he purchased two years earlier in a joint venture with Cleary, a campaign contributor and construction contractor from Monroe County, Kentucky, where the congressman was born and raised.” [Associated Press, 12/14/23]

  • Comer Denied Darren Cleary Was A Campaign Contributor, Despite Cleary Donating To Comer’s Political Campaigns Since 2010, And Claimed Farm Team Properties Had Five Different Assets, But Didn’t Reveal What Those Assets Were. “After this story first published Thursday, Comer responded during an appearance on FOX News, stating that Farm Team Properties ‘has five different assets and lots of revenue.’ He didn’t reveal what those other assets may be. He also falsely claimed that the donor, Darren Cleary, ‘wasn’t a campaign contributor’ at the time the property was purchased. Cleary and his family have donated to Comer’s political campaigns since at least 2010, records show.” [Associated Press, 12/14/23]

COMER ALSO HAS TIES TO SOMEONE WHO HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO VOTER FRAUD

Comer Also Has Ties To Billy Proffitt, A Former College Roommate Who Pleaded Guilty In 2011 To A Voter Fraud Case, Who Went On To Defend Comer After He Was Accused Of Abusing A Former Girlfriend. “In 2011, a voter fraud case roiled local politics and swept up Billy Proffitt, Comer’s longtime friend and former college roommate. Proffitt pleaded guilty in December 2011 and was sentenced to probation. A few years later, Proffitt came to Comer’s defense from allegations that nearly derailed the future congressman’s political career. During the 2015 Republican primary for governor, a local blogger began posting about accusations that Comer had abused a college girlfriend. […] Profitt’s family’s real estate company is spearheading the efforts to sell the land held by Farm Team Properties. In a brief interview, Proffitt called the focus on Comer’s shell company ‘much ado about nothing,’ adding that the lawmaker ‘is a loyal friend and a good man who comes from a really, really good family.’” [Associated Press, 12/14/23]

Dishonorable Mention: The Evergreen Lie – James Comer Abused His Ex-Girlfriend And Used Stolen Emails To Cover Up The Allegations

MARILYN THOMAS SHARED A FOUR-PAGE LETTER WITH THE LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL DETAILING HER ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF JAMES COMER

Courier-Journal Headline: “College Girlfriend Says James Comer Abused Her.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

Thomas Sent The Lexington Courier-Journal A Four-Page Letter Detailing A “Toxic, Abusive” Relationship, Which Alienated Her From Her Family And Friends – Comer’s Threats And Aggressive Behavior Led To Thomas Moving Away From Kentucky. “In the four-page letter, Thomas detailed a relationship that she said ‘was toxic, abusive and caused me a lot of suffering. His controlling and aggressive personality alienated me from most of my family and friends at the time.’ Thomas said Comer threatened and belittled her and that she ultimately moved away from Kentucky in an effort to leave that chapter of her life behind.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

James Comer’s College Girlfriend, Marilyn Thomas, Accused Him Of Physical And Mental Abuse During Their Two-Year Relationship – In Response To The Question, “Did Jamie Comer Ever Hit Me?” Thomas Responded, “Yes.” The Courier-Journal reported, “A woman who dated gubernatorial candidate James Comer while the two were in college said in a letter to The Courier-Journal on Monday that he was physically and mentally abusive to her during what she said was a two-year relationship. ‘Did Jamie Comer ever hit me? Yes,’ wrote Marilyn Thomas, who attended Western Kentucky University with Comer in the early 1990s.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

Thomas Alleged Comer Demanded To Approve “Everything I Did, Everywhere I Went, And Everyone With Whom I Interacted” – Thomas Continued, “Consequences Were Violent And Swift Otherwise.” The Courier-Journal reported, “In the letter, Thomas does not offer specific details of the alleged physical abuse other than to say Comer struck her. She told a reporter that she never filed a police complaint against him. In the letter, she said she had been ‘emotionally weak’ at the time. ‘Everything I did, everywhere I went, and everyone with whom I interacted had to be approved’ by Comer, Thomas wrote. ‘Consequences were violent and swift otherwise.’” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

IN ONE INSTANCE, THOMAS CLAIMED COMER BECAME “ENRAGED” AFTER SHE USED HIS REAL NAME AT AN ABORTION CLINIC

Thomas Said Comer Took Her To An Abortion Clinic And Became “Enraged” When He “Learned That She Had Used His Real Name.” The Courier-Journal reported, “She said Comer became ‘enraged’ in 1991 after they visited a Louisville abortion clinic and learned that she had used his real name on a form requiring proof that she had an escort to drive her home.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15)

COMER DEFENDED HIMSELF BY SAYING HIS ACCUSER WAS PAID OFF DESPITE HAVING NO EVIDENCE TO BACK UP HIS CLAIMS

Cincinnati Enquirer Reported That James Comer Claimed The Woman Who Accused Him Of Physically And Mentally Abusing Her In College Was Probably Offered Money To Come Forward. “Kentucky Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer said Tuesday that the woman who has accused him of physically and mentally abusing her in college was probably offered money to come forward, and implied in an interview that his GOP rival Hal Heiner or his backers could be behind it.” [Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/6/15]

Comer Was Not Able To Offer Proof Of Such A Payoff. “Comer said that he was not able to offer proof of such a payoff. [Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/6/15]

Comer Claimed The Abuse Story Wasn’t Accurate And Refuted It By Saying He Shared A “Warm Hug” With His Accuser And She Gifted Him A Book

Comer Claimed The Louisville Courier-Journal Article Was “Filled With Inconsistencies” And Said He Met With Thomas In New York City Where They Shared “A Warm Hug” And She Gifted Him A Signed Memoir Of Connecticut Gov. Lowell Weicker. “Appearing at a press conference Tuesday in Lexington, Comer, the state agriculture commissioner, said the article is ‘is filled with inconsistencies, implausible scenarios and flat-out lies.’ ‘I flatly deny that we had an abusive relationship,’ he said. He contended that he most recently saw Thomas more than a decade ago in New York City, when the two shared ‘a warm hug.’ She gave him a gift, he said: a signed copy of a political memoir by former Connecticut Gov. Lowell Weicker, with whom she said she was living at the time.” [Politico, 5/5/15]

COMER DENIED THE ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AND SAID IT WAS A SMEAR ATTEMPT BY HIS POLITICAL RIVALS

Politico Reported That James Comer Denied The Accusation Of Domestic Violence Against His Former Girlfriend In College And Lashed Out At His Republican Rivals For An Orchestrated Smear Campaign. “Kentucky gubernatorial candidate James Comer on Tuesday denied accusations that he was physically abusive to a former girlfriend in college and lashed out Tuesday at his Republican primary rivals and the local press for what he called an orchestrated smear campaign.” [Politico, 5/5/15]

Comer Attacked The Louisville Courier-Journal And Threatened Legal Action – The Newspaper Said It Would Stand By Its Story

Comer Accused The Louisville Courier-Journal Of “Rolling Stone-Style Journalism” And Claimed They Targeted Him For Their “Own Financial Rescue” – Comer Then Threatened Legal Action Against The Paper. “Comer saved his sharpest barbs for the Courier-Journal, saying the paper ‘should be ashamed of this Rolling Stone-style journalism.’ ‘They have tried to claim my scalp as a means for their own financial rescue,’ he said, adding, ‘I’m considering legal action against those who have been shopping these lies, as well as the Courier-Journal.’” [Politico, 5/5/15]

Courier Journal: “Courier-Journal Executive Editor Neil Budde Said The Newspaper Would Be Making No Comment Other Than To Say It Is Standing By Its Story.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

THREE WITNESSES CAME FORWARD TO CORROBORATE THOMAS’S STORY – ONE WITNESS CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN “BRUISES” ON THOMAS AND VERIFIED THE ABORTION CLINIC STORY

Thomas’s Roommate, Wendy Curley, Witnessed “Bruises On Her Wrists” Which Would Be Excused By Thomas Saying “I Fell” – Curley Claimed Thomas Didn’t Want People To Know Comer Was Being Abusive. The Courier-Journal reported, “Wendy Curley, who said she shared a dorm room at Western Kentucky with Thomas, said that Thomas and Comer had ‘a very rocky relationship.’ ‘I would see bruises on her wrists and stuff where she’d say, “Oh, I ran into a table,” “I fell,” just that kind of stuff,’ Curley said. Curley said Thomas never told her she was being abused. ‘It was always something to cover (for him). She didn’t want anybody to know that he was abusive to her.’” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

Thomas’s Roommate, Wendy Curley, Verified The Abortion Story, “I Know She Ended Up Getting Pregnant In Like October Of 1991 And Had An Abortion In The Beginning Of November, And I Remember Him Seeing Her To The Dorm And Just Dropping Her Off After They Got Back From The Abortion.” The Courier-Journal reported, “Wendy Curley, who said she shared a dorm room at Western Kentucky with Thomas…also said Comer took Thomas for an abortion. ‘I know she ended up getting pregnant in like October of 1991 and had an abortion in the beginning of November, and I remember him seeing her to the dorm and just dropping her off after they got back from the abortion,’ Curley said.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

THOMAS’S MOTHER RECOUNTED A LATE-NIGHT CALL WHERE SHE CLAIMED COMER MAY HAVE THREATENED HER DAUGHTER’S LIFE

Thomas Claimed Comer “Once Called Her Parents At 2 A.M. To ‘Make Violent Threats’” Against Her. The Courier-Journal reported, “In the letter, Thomas said that Comer once called her parents at 2 a.m. to ‘make violent threats against me.’” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

Mary Rose Thomas, Marilyn’s Mother, Said In An Interview James Comer Called Her Home Once And Said “Something About Your Daughter’s Going To Be Killed.” “Mary Rose Thomas, Marilyn Thomas’ 83-year-old mother, said in an interview that Comer called her home one morning some 25 years ago. ‘I couldn’t understand everything he was saying, but he said something about your daughter’s going to be killed. … It was something like that.’” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

ANOTHER WITNESS CAME FORWARD AFTER BEING “APPALLED” BY COMER’S LIES ABOUT HIS EMOTIONAL ABUSE OF MARILYN THOMAS

A Second Thomas Roommate, Jennifer Osborne, Witnessed “Emotional Abuse By Comer” And Said She “Once Had To Threaten To Call The Police” On Comer “During An Argument.” The Courier-Journal reported, “Another former roommate of Marilyn Thomas has come forward, saying she once had to threaten to call the police on gubernatorial candidate James Comer during an argument in the two women’s off-campus apartment. In the one-paragraph letter sent to The Courier-Journal, Jennifer Osborne didn’t allege any physical confrontations but said she witnessed mental and emotional abuse by Comer. ‘On one occasion, there was a heated argument between Marilyn Thomas and Jamie Comer and I had to threaten to call the police in order to get him to leave our apartment,’ Osborne said in the letter. […] In an interview, Osborne, who now lives in Oldham County, said she has watched most of Comer’s press conference held Tuesday afternoon and said, ‘He lied about everything.’ Osborne said that what struck her about Comer’s denial was that ‘he lied about the small stuff,’ including the length of time he and Thomas were together.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

Osborne Came Forward With A Statement Because She Was “Appalled” Over The Lies By Comer During A News Conference In Response To The Allegations. “Osborne said she decided to issue a statement because she was ‘appalled’ over what she saw as lies by Comer during a news conference he held earlier this week to deny Thomas’ allegation of abuse’” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/11/23]

A Witness To Comer’s Abuse, Jennifer Osborne, Said Of Comer’s Press Conference, “He Lied About Everything” Even “The Small Stuff.” “In an interview, Osborne, who now lives in Oldham County, said she has watched most of Comer’s press conference held Tuesday afternoon and said, ‘He lied about everything.’ Osborne said that what struck her about Comer’s denial was that ‘he lied about the small stuff,’ including the length of time he and Thomas were together.” [Courier-Journal, 5/5/15]

Osborne Witnessed Telephone Messages From Comer She Considered Offensive, “A Lot Of Yelling, Name-Calling, Things Of That Sort.” “However, she said she saw Thomas upset at times while on the phone with Comer, and had heard telephone messages from him she considered offensive. ‘A lot of yelling, name-calling, things of that sort,” Osborne said in an interview Friday. “It was a very volatile relationship.’” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/11/23]

COMER ADMITTED TO ACCESSING LEAKED EMAILS, WHICH WERE USED TO DISCREDIT HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT AND THE STORY REGARDING HIS ABUSE OF MARILYN THOMAS

2015: While Facing Allegations Of Abuse From An Ex-Girlfriend Comer Worked To Discredit A Blogger Reporting On The Claims And A Campaign Rival He Believed Was Behind The Story By Leaking Private Emails Between The Two. “During his campaign for governor in 2015, facing allegations of abuse from an ex-girlfriend who also said he had taken her to get an abortion, Mr. Comer worked to discredit a blogger reporting on the claims and a campaign rival he believed was behind them, leaking private emails between the two. Mr. Comer denied the woman’s charges but lost the race anyway.” [New York Times, 3/21/23]

  • A Month Before The Primary, Leaked Emails Appeared In The Lexington Herald-Leader Which Suggested A Coordinated Effort Between The Blogger And The Husband Of The Running Mate Of Comer’s Opponent. “The month before the primary, a story appeared in The Lexington Herald-Leader in which leaked emails suggested coordination between the blogger and the husband of the running mate of one of Mr. Comer’s opponents in the race, the Louisville developer Hal Heiner.” [New York Times, 3/21/23]

New York Times Reported That Rumors In Kentucky Political Circles Claimed Comer Swiped The Emails From The Computer Of The Husband’s Former Law Firm And Leaked Them To The Paper. “The rumor whispered around Kentucky political circles at the time was that Mr. Comer had swiped the emails from the computer server for the husband’s former law firm and leaked them to the newspaper. In an interview with The Times, Mr. Comer confirmed, for the first time, that he had been behind the leak and strongly hinted he had gotten them from the server.” [New York Times, 3/21/23]

Comer Admitted, “I’ve Had Two Servers In My Lifetime,” One He Claimed Was Hunter Biden’s And The Other “Ended Up On My Lap.” “‘I’ve had two servers in my lifetime,’ Mr. Comer said when asked about the emails. ‘Hunter Biden’s is one, and you can — I’m not going to say who the other one was, but you can use your imagination.’ ‘‘It ended up in my lap,’ Mr. Comer added of the information. ‘I’ll put it like that.’” [New York Times, 3/21/23]