Chairman for the Committee on Oversight and Accountability James Comer has requested all documents related to President Biden’s time in office as Vice President to assist in their investigation into son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
The Kentucky representative noted NARA has published the Biden Vice Presidential Records Collection (BVPRC), which contains information pertaining to the committee’s investigation, though the information in the BVPRC has been redacted pursuant to the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“The Committee seeks unrestricted special access under the PRA to Case Number 2022-0121-F, entitled ‘Records on Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Their Foreign Business Dealings,’ which has been published on NARA’s website,” wrote Comer. “Complete versions of the records are relevant to the Committee’s investigation of the Biden family.”
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
Joe Biden’s VP staff colluded with Hunter’s business partner on Burisma corruption media response.@RepJamesComer is calling on the National Archives to provide complete and unredacted documents related to the Office of the Vice President colluding with the Biden… pic.twitter.com/WtIOR9ITNW
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) September 6, 2023
Comer cites several instances in the BVPRC called into question by the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, including a Dec. 4, 2015 email in which Biden family business associate Eric Schwerin wrote to Kate Bedingfield in the Office of the Vice President providing quotes the White House should use in response to media outreach regarding Hunter’s role in Burisma.
Bedingfield reportedly responded later that afternoon, “VP signed off on this.”
“The timing of this email traffic is concerning to the Committee,” Comer wrote of the incident. “According to Devon Archer … after a Burisma board of directors meeting in Dubai on the evening of December 4, 2015 (midday in Washington, D.C.) Hunter Biden ‘called D.C.’ to discuss pressure that Burisma asked him to relieve.”
The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is also seeking all documents and communications to or from the Executive Office of the President, including but not limited to the Office of the Vice President, to, from, copying or regarding Schwerin, Biden family associate Devon Archer, Vuk Jeremic, John Robinson “Rob” Walker, or Jeffrey Cooper.
The Committee is also seeking all documents and communications to or from Bedingfield, Michael Carpenter, Kathy Chung, Amos Hochstein, Colin Kahl, and Alexander Mackler to, from, copying or regarding Hunter or James Biden, along with all executive calendars created for Biden during his time as vice president.
According to prior discussions between NARA and Committee staff, certain documents in NARA’s custody would not be produced to the Committee nor would NARA inform the Committee of the existence of such documents if NARA deems the records to be “personal records” as defined by PRA.
“However, ‘personal records’ are defined as those records ‘which do not relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of’ the Vice President,” the Kentucky representative wrote. “The Committee has made clear that its investigation involves potential abuse by then- Vice President Biden of his official duties; it cannot be NARA that determines whether certain records ‘do not relate to or have an effect upon’ those duties.”
The Committee will request NARA produce a log asserting the basis for withholding documents stating the length, sender(s) and recipient(s), along with time and date the document was transmitted if NARA declines to provide documents:
The Committee seeks to craft legislative solutions aimed at deficiencies it has identified in the current legal framework regarding ethics laws and disclosure of financial interests related to the immediate family members of Vice Presidents and Presidents deficiencies that may place American national security and interests at risk. The Committee is concerned that foreign nationals have sought access and influence by engaging in lucrative business relationships with high-profile political figures’ immediate family members, including members of the Biden family. For additional information regarding the Committee’s legislative purpose pertaining to this investigation, the Committee directs you to three bank records memoranda it has released this year.
Comer’s letter concludes by insisting the Committee on Oversight and Accountability holds jurisdiction over NARA and therefore has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
