Headlines Are Still A Disaster As Calls Begin For Comer To Be “Sidelined”
Washington Post: “Democrats allege Comer has withheld evidence, misrepresented witnesses”
Axios: “Top committee Dem accuses Comer of misrepresenting Biden family probe”
Politico: “House GOP’s Biden investigations sputter out of the gate”
MSNBC: “Republicans realize committee crusaders are off to a ‘rocky start’”
Raw Story: “GOP frustrated as House investigations fail to find dirt on Biden: report
MSNBC: “Comer points to GOP prosecutors eager to weaponize justice system”
Courier Journal Opinion: “Investigate the investigator: James Comer must be sidelined pending thorough inquiry”
Raw Story: “Jim Jordan gets called out at his own hearing for weaponizing the government to protect Trump”
Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Accused Chairman James Comer Of Misrepresenting Committee Investigations To Americans
REP. RASKIN ACCUSED REP. COMER OF EITHER MISREPRESENTING THE COMMITTEE’S PROGRESS TO AMERICANS OR DELIBERATELY WITHHOLDING KEY INVESTIGATIVE STEPS FROM COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS
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]
REP. RASKIN SAID REP. 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]
REP. RASKIN ACCUSED REP. 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]
The Call Is Coming From Inside The House – Republican Lawmakers Express Frustration Over Investigations, One Admits They “Never Yield Anything”
Republican Lawmaker Said House GOP Investigations Were Designed To “Make You Feel Good” But “Never Yield Anything.” “Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said he gets asked about the investigations back home ‘primarily from Republican activists’ but added that ‘I don’t pay much attention to it.’ Another GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak candidly, shrugged off investigations as designed to ‘make you feel good’ but ‘never yield anything.’” [Politico, 4/4/23]
Politico Reported House Republicans’ Investigations Have “Gotten Almost Nowhere So Far — And Some In The Party Are Getting Frustrated.” “House Republicans charged into the majority vowing an investigative onslaught against President Joe Biden and Democrats. But they’ve gotten almost nowhere so far — and some in the party are getting frustrated. According to interviews with more than a dozen House Republicans, a sizable chunk of the conference is focused on preventing a banking crisis and a looming debt fight instead of on Biden family oversight or a politicized government panel.” [Politico, 4/4/23]
Republican Aide Reportedly Said There Was An Internal Perception That The Weaponization Subcommittee Was Off To A “Rocky Start” After Its First Hearing “Revealed Little New Information.” “One GOP aide, granted anonymity to speak frankly, described an internal perception that the politicized government subpanel run by Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) had gotten off to a ‘rocky start’ after its initial hearing revealed little new information. That same hearing sparked public kvetching among outside groups and high-profile pundits, who questioned both the structure and the strategy of the panel.” [Politico, 4/4/23]
Politico Reported The First Weaponization Subcommittee Hearing “Sparked Public Kvetching Among Outside Groups And High-Profile Pundits, Who Questioned Both The Structure And The Strategy Of The Panel.” “One GOP aide, granted anonymity to speak frankly, described an internal perception that the politicized government subpanel run by Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) had gotten off to a ‘rocky start’ after its initial hearing revealed little new information. That same hearing sparked public kvetching among outside groups and high-profile pundits, who questioned both the structure and the strategy of the panel.” [Politico, 4/4/23]