On August 9th, 2023 House Oversight Republicans announced a new set of sweeping allegations regarding the Biden family, but a closer look shows Senators Grassley and Johnson have already tread this ground with little to show for it. A federal grand jury also reportedly investigated one of James Comer’s claims already. Comer has not been able to implicate President Biden or point to any policy that was influenced according to his own allegations. Then just last week, Comer’s star witness debunked his conspiracy theories in an interview Comer didn’t even bother to attend. House Republicans continue to warm up leftovers to serve to the American public, and frankly we’re sick of it.
Congressional Republicans Continue To Rehash Debunked Theories About Hunter Biden That Were Already Investigated By Federal Prosecutors
DEVON ARCHER’S TESTIMONY TO CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATORS DEBUNKED ASSERTIONS MADE BY REPUBLICANS REGARDING FOREIGN PAYMENTS MADE TO BUSINESSES TIED TO HUNTER BIDEN
HEADLINE: “Unraveling The Tale Of Hunter Biden And $3.5 Million From Russia” [Washington Post, 4/8/22]
Washington Post: The Republican Senate Finance And Homeland Security Committee Joint Report Made The Assertion That Hunter Biden Received A $3.5 Million Wire From Elana Baturina, But A Closer Look Reveals The Allegation As Flimsy. “Less than 50 days before the 2020 presidential election, the Republican staff of the Senate Finance and Homeland Security committees issued a joint report with a startling claim — that Joe Biden’s son Hunter had received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, a Russian billionaire and the widow of the former mayor of Moscow. […] The flimsiness of the allegation was apparent from the start merely by carefully reading the Senate GOP report itself.” [Washington Post, 4/8/22]
- Devon Archer’s Testimony To Congressional Investigators Confirmed The $3.5 Million Transfer Was Intended For His Real Estate Business Dealings With Baturina And Hunter Biden Was Not Involved. “Update, Aug. 3, 2023: In an interview with congressional investigators on July 31, 2023, Archer confirmed that the $3.5 million transfer was intended for his real estate business dealings with Baturina and that Hunter Biden was not involved. ‘Quite frankly, it was not supposed to go there [Rosemont Seneca Thornton], but that’s where it went,’ Archer said.” [Washington Post, 4/8/22]
IN 2022 IT WAS REPORTED THAT A FEDERAL GRAND JURY INVESTIGATED THE PAYMENT FROM KAZAKHSTAN, WHICH WERE ALSO REPORTED IN THE SENATE REPUBLICAN REPORT
Federal Prosecutors Reportedly Investigated A $142,300 Wire From A Kazakhstani Associate Of Hunter Biden’s Which Was Used To Purchase A Car. “Prosecutors have also asked about paperwork the younger Mr. Biden used to purchase a car through funds from Rosemont Seneca, according to people familiar with the matter. In April 2014, a business associate of Mr. Biden from Kazakhstan wired $142,300 to Rosemont Seneca, according to bank statements reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and highlighted in a September 2020 report from Senate Republicans. The money came from a Singapore company controlled by Kazakhstan banker Kenges Rakishev, the documents show, and the Senate Republican report said they were earmarked in a bank record as ‘For a Car.’” [Wall Street Journal, 3/28/22]
The Senate Republicans’ 2020 Report Found No Evidence Of Wrongdoing By Joe Biden
HEADLINE: “Republican Inquiry Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by Biden” [New York Times, 9/23/20]
HEADLINE: “GOP Senators’ Report Calls Hunter Biden’s Board Position With Ukraine Firm ‘Problematic’ But Doesn’t Show It Changed U.S. Policy” [Washington Post, 9/23/20]
U.S. Attorney David Weiss Had “Ultimate Authority” Regarding Where, When And Whether To Charge Hunter Biden And Did Not Charge Him With Wrongdoing Regarding Payments From Foreign Sources
David Weiss Announced Hunter Biden Pleaded Guilty To Two Misdemeanor Charges Relating To His 2017 And 2018 Taxes, And A Gun Charge. “Mr. Weiss announced this month that Mr. Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of having failed to file his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time. Mr. Weiss also charged Mr. Biden in connection with his purchase of a handgun in 2018 but said he would not prosecute the charge under a two-year pretrial diversion program.” [New York Times, 6/27/23]
- S. Attorney David Weiss Sent A Letter On June 7th 2023 That Said He Had Been, “Granted Ultimate Authority Over This Matter, Including Responsibility For Deciding Where, When And Whether To File Charges.” “Mr. Weiss said in the letter, dated June 7, that he had been ‘granted ultimate authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when and whether to file charges.’” [New York Times, 6/27/23]
IN 2021 IT WAS REPORTED THAT ATTENDANTS OF A 2015 CAFÉ MILANO DINNER RECALLED JOE BIDEN STOPPING BRIEFLY TO SPEAK WITH GREEK ORTHODOX PRIEST, FATHER ALEX KARLOUTSOS
Rick Leach WFP USA President Claimed Joe Biden Only Dropped By Briefly To Talk With Alex Karloutsos, Father Alex. According to a Washington Post Fact Checker Article on the 2015 Café Milano Dinner, “Hunter Biden at the time was chairman of World Food Program USA, a fundraising arm of the U.N. humanitarian organization. Rick Leach, at the time the president and chief executive of WFP USA, said in a telephone interview that Joe Biden only dropped by briefly to meet with one of the guests, Alex Karloutsos, known as Father Alex. Until his recent retirement, Karloutsos was one of the most powerful figures in the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States.” [Washington Post, 6/7/21]
- On The Day Of The Dinner, Joe Biden Made Remarks At The White House Greek Independence Day Reception, And He And Karloutsos Are Reportedly Personal Friends, Karloutsos’ Wife Was On The Board Of The Beau Biden Foundation. “A few hours earlier, Joe Biden had made remarks at the White House Greek Independence Day Reception, according to his official schedule. He and Karloutsos are personal friends who have known each other for 40 years. Karloutsos’s wife, Xanthi, is on the board of the Beau Biden Foundation, which fights child abuse. (Beau Biden, who had an aggressive form of brain cancer, died a few weeks after this dinner.) Joe Biden, a Roman Catholic, also has a long history of working with the Greek Orthodox Church. In 2015, the church awarded him the Patriarch Athenagoras Humanitarian Award. ‘This may be the greatest honor I’ve ever received in my public life,’ he declared.” [Washington Post, 6/7/21]
A White House Source Said The Decision To See Father Alex Was Made Late In The Day After The Vice President’s Schedule Was Completed. “A White House individual with knowledge of Joe Biden’s schedules said the decision to see Father Alex was made late that day, after the schedule was completed. It’s unclear when the vice president learned Father Alex would be in town, but the decision was made that evening, the person added.” [Washington Post, 6/7/21]
World Food Programme USA President, Rick Leach, Said His Recollection Was That Joe Biden “Didn’t Even Sit Down” And Was Not Part Of The Dinner
World Food Programme USA President Rick Leach Recalled That Joe Biden “Didn’t Even Sit Down” And Argued Joe Biden Was Not Part Of the Dinner. “Leach recalled that the dinner involved about 10 to 12 people in a private room but that Joe Biden ‘didn’t even sit down. He was not part of the dinner or part of the dinner discussion.’ Instead, he just spoke to Karloutsos.” [Washington Post, 6/7/21]
Devon Archer Told Congressional Investigators He Remembered A “Regular Dinner” Where “No Business-Deals Specifics” Were Discussed. “In an interview with congressional investigators on July 31, Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer, asked specifically about this report, disputed those recollections that Biden spoke only to Karloutsos. ‘I remember just a regular dinner where there was a table of conversation and — you know, talked about the World Food Program probably,’ he said, adding ‘there was no business-deals specifics discussed ever at any of these things.’) [Washington Post, 6/7/21]
House Oversight Committee 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: “The GOP’s latest anti-Biden witness extends the party’s losing streak” [MSNBC, 8/1/23]
COLUMN: “Devon Archer said the opposite of what Republicans claimed” [Washington Post, Phillip Bump, 8/3/23]
- Washington Post’s Phillip Bump: “What Archer Said Not Only Doesn’t Comport With The Presentations Made By Comer And Jordan On Television (Which Were Obviously Wrong From The Outset), His Testimony Undermines The Idea That Burisma Wanted Shokin Fired, That Zlochevsky Paid Any Bribe — And, Crucially, That Joe Biden Was Involved In Any Of This.” “On Thursday, the Oversight Committee released a transcript of Archer’s testimony — testimony for which Comer wasn’t present. What Archer said not only doesn’t comport with the presentations made by Comer and Jordan on television (which were obviously wrong from the outset), his testimony undermines the idea that Burisma wanted Shokin fired, that Zlochevsky paid any bribe — and, crucially, that Joe Biden was involved in any of this.” [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 Biggs 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, 8/2/23]
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]