NEW DELHI: On Thursday, House Republicans made a demand for President Joe Biden to provide evidence of a loan he extended to his brother five years ago. This request highlights the expansive scope of their impeachment investigation and the limited findings they have uncovered thus far. According to media reports, It’s worth noting that the financial transactions between James and Joe Biden do not seem to be directly related to the primary corruption allegation that Republicans have been focusing on this year, which concerns Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden and his controversial involvement with the Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
Republicans have been unable to uncover concrete proof of Joe Biden’s direct participation in his son’s contentious business activities. However, they can now claim to have discovered a “direct payment” to Joe Biden, even though its significance remains uncertain.
After obtaining several years’ worth of bank records via a subpoena, the House Oversight Committee focused its attention on a 200,000 dollars check issued by James to Joe Biden in March 2018. The check was labeled as a “loan repayment,” and the White House has maintained that this is the accurate description of the transaction.
Despite records showing that an account associated with Joe Biden had previously transferred the same sum of money to James Biden, committee chair James Comer is requesting additional evidence regarding the loan. In a letter to the White House on Thursday, Comer pointed out that the committee’s existing records do not explicitly confirm that Joe Biden made a substantial loan payment to his brother.
HuffPost previously reported on check images and a spreadsheet that detailed wire transfer payments, which indicated that a fiduciary account connected to Joe Biden had sent 200,000 dollars to James Biden in January 2018. However, as noted by Comer in his recent letter, the available records do not specifically state that this payment was, in fact, a loan from Joe Biden.
Rep. Jamie Raskin , the leading Democrat on the Oversight Committee, stated in his own letter on Thursday that the records clearly indicate that the transaction was a short-term, interest-free loan between brothers. He accused Comer of conducting an unfounded and intrusive investigation against the president.
An attorney representing James Biden released a statement on Monday, asserting that the 200,000 dollars check was indeed a repayment of an interest-free loan from his brother. However, Comer maintains that he requires additional documentary evidence.
In his letter on Thursday, Comer requested the loan documents, including payment records, the loan agreement, and any other supporting loan-related documentation if Joe Biden did, in fact, lend 200,000 dollars to James Biden.
The White House chose not to comment on Thursday, but a spokesperson had previously ridiculed the notion that the check marked as “loan repayment” was anything other than what it appeared to be.
Even if it is ultimately confirmed that Joe Biden did lend his brother 200,000 dollars, Comer argues that the arrangement still raises concerns about corruption, as James Biden repaid the loan only after receiving an equal sum from a struggling company that hired him based on his family name and connections on the same day.
“Whether it was a loan or not, James Biden’s March 1, 2018, check to Joe Biden aptly demonstrates one way he personally benefited from his family’s shady influence peddling of his name and their access to him,” Comer said.
“The current lack of documentation leaves reason to doubt claims that this transaction was repayment for a legal loan,” Comer said.
(via various inputs)
Republicans have been unable to uncover concrete proof of Joe Biden’s direct participation in his son’s contentious business activities. However, they can now claim to have discovered a “direct payment” to Joe Biden, even though its significance remains uncertain.
After obtaining several years’ worth of bank records via a subpoena, the House Oversight Committee focused its attention on a 200,000 dollars check issued by James to Joe Biden in March 2018. The check was labeled as a “loan repayment,” and the White House has maintained that this is the accurate description of the transaction.
Despite records showing that an account associated with Joe Biden had previously transferred the same sum of money to James Biden, committee chair James Comer is requesting additional evidence regarding the loan. In a letter to the White House on Thursday, Comer pointed out that the committee’s existing records do not explicitly confirm that Joe Biden made a substantial loan payment to his brother.
HuffPost previously reported on check images and a spreadsheet that detailed wire transfer payments, which indicated that a fiduciary account connected to Joe Biden had sent 200,000 dollars to James Biden in January 2018. However, as noted by Comer in his recent letter, the available records do not specifically state that this payment was, in fact, a loan from Joe Biden.
Rep. Jamie Raskin , the leading Democrat on the Oversight Committee, stated in his own letter on Thursday that the records clearly indicate that the transaction was a short-term, interest-free loan between brothers. He accused Comer of conducting an unfounded and intrusive investigation against the president.
An attorney representing James Biden released a statement on Monday, asserting that the 200,000 dollars check was indeed a repayment of an interest-free loan from his brother. However, Comer maintains that he requires additional documentary evidence.
In his letter on Thursday, Comer requested the loan documents, including payment records, the loan agreement, and any other supporting loan-related documentation if Joe Biden did, in fact, lend 200,000 dollars to James Biden.
The White House chose not to comment on Thursday, but a spokesperson had previously ridiculed the notion that the check marked as “loan repayment” was anything other than what it appeared to be.
Even if it is ultimately confirmed that Joe Biden did lend his brother 200,000 dollars, Comer argues that the arrangement still raises concerns about corruption, as James Biden repaid the loan only after receiving an equal sum from a struggling company that hired him based on his family name and connections on the same day.
“Whether it was a loan or not, James Biden’s March 1, 2018, check to Joe Biden aptly demonstrates one way he personally benefited from his family’s shady influence peddling of his name and their access to him,” Comer said.
“The current lack of documentation leaves reason to doubt claims that this transaction was repayment for a legal loan,” Comer said.
(via various inputs)
