Lauren C. Moye, FISM News
A key U.S. Treasury official in the Biden family investigation declined to attend the House Oversight Committee hearing originally scheduled for today.
House Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ken.) has now demanded a transcribed interview on Tuesday or he will be forced to resort to subpoenas to gain access to 150 suspicious activity reports (SARS) attached to the Biden family name.
Jonathan Davidson, the assistant secretary for Treasury legislative affairs, was originally set to voluntarily testify at 9 a.m. today, according to an Oversight Committee hearing announcement. Davidson has critical information on SARS generated by individual banks that are triggered by foreign or high-dollar transactions.
On Tuesday, however, Comer announced that Davidson had backed out of this hearing.
“Treasury Department officials have repeatedly said that they are cooperating with the Committee’s request but all we’ve seen is obstruction. We’ve offered multiple good-faith accommodations, but Treasury continues to provide excuses and employ delay tactics. We are done with the excuses and calling on Assistant Secretary Jonathan Davidson to answer questions under the penalty of perjury next week,” Comer said.
The Oversight Committee requested that Davidson appear for a transcribed interview on March 14 at 10:00 am.
SHADY FOREIGN DEALS AND NATIONAL SECURITY
On Jan. 11, the Committee requested that the U.S. Treasury turn over 150 SARS that might reveal a major threat to U.S. national security through the “Biden family’s shady business deals.”
At least one of these SARS has been made public. It details that nearly $2.5 million was sent over a five-and-a-half-year period between Biden family associates and businesses and a Chinese investment firm controlled by the Bank of China.
A follow-up letter was sent on Feb. 24 in which the committee expressed concerns that the Department of Treasury may be purposely hindering the investigation and “operating in bad faith” after a series of delays and excuses.
In the most recent March 7 letter to Davidson, Comer notes that the “Treasury has provided no documents or responsive information” and refused to give a timeline of document availability nearly two months after the initial request.
Davidson is a former Biden employee who worked on the 2020 transition team. He received his appointment after a recommendation from his former boss. The assistant secretary also has a long history of involvement in Democrat policies.
This has led to some concerns of a biased testimony if Davidson cooperates while also hinting at a motive to be uncooperative with the Republican-led investigation.
Comer has previously warned that he will resort to subpoenas if the Treasury’s stonewalling continues.
The SARS are critical evidence of potential money laundering and fraud since 2020, with one previous Senate report investigating some of the resulting national security concerns.
Comer and Republicans are seeking to implement legislation that will protect the White House against “influence peddling” like they believe President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, and other prominent Biden family members have done for over a decade.