House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) continue issuing subpoenas to Biden associates. This time, it’s the former White House Counsel Dana Remus. [Source]
The subpoena, part of a broader inquiry into Biden’s handling of sensitive materials and his family’s foreign business dealings, underscores the gravity with which the Republican-led House committees are pursuing this matter.
Comer and Jordan, on Monday, called for Remus to appear for a deposition, emphasizing her potential knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center. This subpoena follows an earlier request in May for a transcribed interview, after the Oversight Committee claimed to have obtained information contradicting statements from the White House and President Biden’s personal attorney about the discovery and security of the documents.
Remus, identified by Comer as a “central figure” in the early stages of coordinating the packing and moving of boxes later found to contain classified materials, is seen as a witness with potentially unique insights.
Comer, in a statement, highlighted the significance of Remus’ role: “Facts continue to emerge showing that the White House’s narrative of President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents doesn’t add up,” adding, “It is imperative to learn whether President Biden retained sensitive documents related to any countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings that brought in millions for the Biden family.”
The scope of the investigation extends beyond Remus. Comer and Jordan have also requested interviews with several other officials, including Annie Tomasini, a senior Biden aide; Anthony Bernal, a senior advisor in First Lady Jill Biden’s office; and Ashley Williams, a special assistant to the president. These individuals, along with other staffers, are believed to have been involved in the retrieval of documents from the Penn Biden Center prior to the discovery of classified records in a locked closet at the think tank. [Source]
The narrative surrounding the classified documents first emerged when Biden attorneys claimed that they were discovered at the Penn Biden Center on Nov. 2, 2022. However, Comer has pointed to contact between Remus and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s top aide, Kathy Chung, dating back to May 2022, raising questions about the timing and nature of these discoveries.
This latest move by House Republicans is part of a larger effort, as Jordan explains, to hold the Justice Department and the president accountable. “President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, including the apparently unauthorized possession of classified material at a Washington, D.C. private office and in the garage of his Delaware residence, raise serious concerns about his mishandling of sensitive intelligence information and his Department of Justice’s double standard of justice,” Jordan stated.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) expressed concerns about the potential legal implications for President Biden: “If the President himself was illegally holding classified material for some purpose, the American people deserve to know what that purpose is–and whether it constitutes an abuse of office.”
As the investigation unfolds, Comer and Jordan continue to press for answers, not just about the mishandling of documents, but also regarding the Biden family’s foreign business dealings. With the White House maintaining its stance of cooperation and transparency, this inquiry is set to remain a focal point of political and public scrutiny in the weeks to come.