House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has come out in vehement opposition to the Justice Department appointing a special counsel tasking with scrutinizing Hunter Biden.
“I strongly oppose the appointment of a special counsel,” Comer (R-Ky.) told Fox News Monday. “I think that’s the most ridiculous idea that any Republican could think right now.
“If you support a special counsel, you support and trust [Attorney General] Merrick Garland to have the sole authority to pick one person who can then take over the investigation and never have to be transparent with the media or Congress until the conclusion of the investigation.”
Rather than defer to a special counsel, Comer insisted his panel was best suited to probe the scandal-plagued first son.
The Oversight Committee has been vigorously combing through the Biden family’s overseas business dealings and questioning witnesses about alleged influence peddling since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January.
“The House Oversight Committee has found and shared with the public in five months what the Justice Department and FBI have kept secret for five years, so I think we’re moving right along,” Comer told Fox.
The Kentucky Republican recently emerged from a multi-week subpoena battle with the FBI for an “FD-1023” form outlining bribery allegations against President Biden, 80 and Hunter, 53.
Last week, Comer slammed Hunter Biden’s probation-only plea deal with the DOJ as a “slap on the wrist” that showed the “two-tiered system of justice in America.”
The first son will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay his income taxes and enter a pretrial diversion program in response to a charge of illegally possessing a firearm while addicted to illicit drugs, court documents revealed.
Hunter Biden is set to appear in Delaware federal court July 26.
Garland told Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) this past March that Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, who spearheaded the federal inquiry into the first son, had “full authority” to bring forward charges in whichever jurisdiction he wished.
At the time, Garland noted that if the alleged offenses took place outside of Delaware, Weiss would have to “bring the case in another district, but as I said, I promise to ensure that he’s able to carry out his investigation and that he be able to run it.”
However, IRS whistleblower testimony, the transcripts of which was made public last week, raised questions about Garland’s remarks to Congress.
“Garland lies to the American people when he says he has not been involved in any of this,” Comer added.
Two IRS whistleblowers claimed that Weiss wanted to bring federal charges against the younger Biden in both the Central District of California and in Washington, DC last year.
However, he was allegedly denied by President Biden-appointed US attorneys Martin Estrada and Matthew Graves.
Earlier this month, Weiss responded to a letter from Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent to Garland in May questioning the accuracy of the attorney general’s testimony.
Weiss insisted he had had “ultimate authority” in the Hunter Biden inquiry and downplayed concerns of political interference.
Still, Comer maintains that Garland is “corrupt.”
“As if the crimes the Bidens committed weren’t bad enough, what’s even worse is our federal government, led by Garland, is actively engaged in a cover-up,” Comer added.
“It is clear that one of the reasons the DOJ sat on this probe with Hunter for so long was to let the statute of limitations expire on some of his tax problems.”
The Oversight Committee hopes to hear from Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer within the coming days and reach out to other witnesses.
The White House has maintained that the president wasn’t caught up in his son’s business affairs, while Biden himself has maintained he never talked overseas interests with Hunter.
