Two Republican lawmakers poised to take over key House committees in the new year vowed Thursday to investigate President Joe Biden‘s potential involvement in the shady business schemes exposed on his son’s abandoned laptop.
Rep. James Comer, (R-KY), the incoming head of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, (R-OH), who will chair the House Judiciary Committee, outlined their plans at a news conference. They said their probe of alleged international influence peddling will be aided by whistleblowers’ testimony and new revelations about Hunter Biden‘s dealings.
“In the 118th Congress, this committee will evaluate the status of Joe Biden’s relationship with his family’s foreign partners and whether he is a president compromised or swayed by foreign dollars or influence,” Comer said. “I want to be clear: This is an investigation of Joe Biden.”
The laptop, which Hunter Biden abandoned at a computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware, in April, 2019, has been a trove of information about the younger Biden’s business dealings. Although the FBI allegedly pressured social media platforms to stop the story from getting out prior to the 2020 election, conservative outlets have since plumbed it for an endless supply of stories about Hunter Biden’s debauchery and greed.
“Never forget how this story has changed,” Jordan said. “When it started, it was, ‘No it’s not his laptop.’ Then it was, ‘Well, it’s his laptop, but remember it’s Russian disinformation and no one did anything wrong.’ Then it was, “Well, maybe he did something wrong, but President Biden didn’t know about it.’ And now it’s, “Well, maybe President Biden knew about it and was involved, but it didn’t influence his decisions.”
Although the laptop is replete with images of Hunter Biden smoking crack and cavorting with prostitutes, Comer said the real issue is whether it shows President Biden is corrupt or compromised.
“This evidence raises troubling questions about whether Joe Biden is a national security risk and whether he is compromised by foreign governments.”
Comer pointed to photos showing then Vice President Biden meeting with shady business associates of his son.
“The investigation reveals a family that was engaged with some of America’s most powerful adversaries, planning to sell one of the largest sources of cobalt for electric vehicles in the world to the Chinese,” Comer said.
Comer cited dozens of “shell companies” the Biden family set up that he said included “millions of dollars in wire transfers, flights on Air Force Two to conduct personal business and meetings with heads of state,” all, he said, with Joe Biden’s knowledge.
“All the while, he turned a blind eye,” Comer said. “Many transactions related to these businesses have raised red flags at U.S. banks.”
Those banks allegedly generated more than 150 Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), filings they were required by law to make when transactions raised alarms.
“The SARs show that Hunter Biden was conducting business with suspected human traffickers,” Comer said. “We want to know what the Biden administration is trying to hide from the American people and why they are not being transparent.”
Comer also alleged the Bidens tried to hatch a scheme to sell China liquefied natural gas, promised access to the future administration, and used government resources to squash stories about Hunter Biden.
Jordan said the committees will seek all the Suspicious Activity Reports, most of which the Biden administration has so far refused to hand over.
“Why has the Biden administration suddenly changed its position on Suspicious Activity Reports?” Jordan asked. “Suddenly, no, no, no, we can’t see them. I think Mr. Comer and our team at the Oversight Committee would kind of like to see the other 148. They’ve seen two.”
It’s part of a pattern revealed by whistleblowers that includes the Justice Department silencing the laptop story, Jordan said.
“This is the focus of the Judiciary Committee: the political nature at the Justice Department and the linkage now to what was happening to the Hunter Biden story,” he said.