White House spokesperson Ian Sams issued a two-page memo on Wednesday mocking House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer’s (R-KY) probe into an alleged $5 million bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, saying the congressman “promis[es] bombshells, then [fails] to back them up with evidence.”
While many conservatives cheer Comer and his probe as heroic, the White House claims he wasted taxpayer dollars for six months on “politically-motivated stunts disguised as ‘investigations.'”
“READ THE FULL MEMO >> We at the @WhiteHouse have the facts on Comer’s pattern of behavior,” Sams posted on Twitter. “His repetitive tactic: promise bombshells, then fail to back them up with evidence.”
“Over and over, his claims fall apart under even the slightest scrutiny,” he alleged. “We’re seeing that again this week.”
The White House’s attacks might be valid so far. However, it refuses to acknowledge the damning money trail discovered by Comer:
- In March, the probe identified three Biden family members who collectively received $1.3 million wired through a Biden associate from a Chinese energy company two months after President Joe Biden left the vice presidency.
- In May, it found the Biden family business, over the course of several years, received at least $10 million from business schemes in Romania and China in return for what appears to be influence peddling.
- In total, nine Biden family members received payments from the family foreign business ventures, including two of Joe Biden’s grandchildren.
These findings supplement Comer’s current investigation into an FBI informant file, which allegedly linked Joe Biden to the family’s business deals in Ukraine, according to Comer.
In May, Comer subpoenaed the FBI file. Yet the FBI refused to allow the entire Oversight Committee to review the document — that is, until Wednesday evening. Eleven hours before the House Oversight Committee planned to assemble to vote on holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in Contempt of Congress, the FBI agreed to permit members of the Oversight Committee to review it.
Sams continued to downplay Comer’s victory Thursday morning.
“The torrent of lies and innuendo from @JamesComer‘s Oversight Committee continues,” Sams posted on Twitter. “Now one of its leaders vows *impeachment* over a claim law enforcement in the Trump Admin ‘couldn’t corroborate’ (CNN), ‘found to not be supported by facts’ (WaPo) and ‘was not substantiated’ (NBC).”
Sam’s tweet responded to Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who championed Comer’s victory.
“The FBI has caved and will finally honor our congressional subpoena,” Biggs posted on Twitter. “They will turn over the FD-1023 form that may lead to the impeachment of Joe Biden. The American people deserve to know if their president has been compromised by foreign agents.”
Oversight Committee members will review the unclassified FBI document Thursday, but the lawmaker’s pending examination is likely to create a he-said/she-said back and forth between Republicans and Democrats.
Nevertheless, public opinion is on Comer’s side. According to recent polling by Rasmussen Reports, 60 percent of voters believe it is likely that top FBI officials helped cover up any alleged wrongdoing the document might detail by Joe Biden or his family, including 48 percent who believe it is “very likely.”
Related — Dem Rep. Goldman: House GOP’s Corruption Allegation Against Biden “Complete Garbage”
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.