The Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer of Kentucky, has widened his information request to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). He is seeking more emails and records from Joe Biden’s term as vice president that mention Hunter Biden and his business connections.
On Tuesday, Comer approached the National Archives for unreleased email versions related to records on Hunter Biden, James Biden (the president’s brother), and their overseas business transactions. The committee is also interested in emails from certain past Biden aides discussing either Hunter or James Biden; emails within the President’s Executive Office that reference various contacts of Hunter Biden; and all calendars made for Biden during his vice presidency.
The request builds upon previous inquiries to the National Archives. In earlier requests, Comer had shown interest in specific emails where Biden might have used a pseudonym, a known behavior among notable officials.
This move emerges as House Republicans are considering launching an impeachment investigation into President Biden concerning his family’s business engagements.
Comer’s latest request emphasizes certain 2015 emails that discussed responding to a particular New York Times article. In a statement, Comer indicated potential evidence of Biden’s office being open to Hunter Biden’s associates, suggesting potential conflicts of interest during Biden’s anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine.
Responding to these allegations, White House spokesperson Ian Sams criticized Comer’s efforts, accusing him of launching baseless attacks against President Biden.
Comer further stressed his concerns over the timing of certain email exchanges, given claims from a former associate of Hunter Biden. These claims insinuate that Hunter Biden had contacted someone in Washington D.C. to alleviate pressure on a Ukrainian gas firm, Burisma.
Publicly released email exchanges between Biden’s former spokesperson and a business associate of Hunter Biden from December 4, 2015, were highlighted. Comer pointed out discrepancies in the narratives about these emails, but didn’t provide clear allegations regarding any undue influence from Hunter Biden’s call to D.C.
Further details were shared about Hunter Biden’s engagements with Burisma and the subsequent call to D.C., shedding light on the pressures the company faced.
A spokesperson for the Oversight Committee’s Democratic members referred to a 2019 article, dismissing Comer’s claims as outdated conspiracy theories initially spread by former President Trump and his associates.
Comer also criticized the National Archives’ decision to withhold certain details, claiming they could provide insights into potential misuse of power by Biden during his vice presidency. He urged the National Archives to share their rationale if they withhold any requested documents and expects a reply by September 20.
