Some House Republicans have grown frustrated with House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) after months of investigation into alleged corruption of President Joe Biden failed to produce any substantial evidence.
“One would be hard pressed to find the best moment for James Comer in the Oversight Committee. It’s been a parade of embarrassments,” a GOP lawmaker who asked to remain anonymous told The Messenger.
More than a dozen other Republicans, including lawmakers and senior aides, shared similar sentiments about Comer with the outlet.
“James Comer continues to embarrass himself and House Republicans. He screws up over and over and over,” a Republican source said. “I don’t know how Republicans actually impeach the president based on his clueless investigation and lack of leadership.”
House Republicans authorized an impeachment inquiry last month looking into allegations of corruption against President Biden and influence peddling. But their investigation has veered off into different paths including bribery allegations in Ukraine, the sale of Hunter Biden’s art, and loans between President Biden and his brother, President Biden and Hunter and between Hunter and a close friend.
The result is a convoluted, confusing and unfocused investigation that turned up nothing which amounts to a high crime and misdemeanor worthy of removing Biden from office.
“Comer has cast a wide net and caught very little fish,” a close Trump ally told The Messenger. “That is a big problem for him.”
A spokesperson for Comer defended the probe in a statement, saying the chairman had “made it clear this investigation’s legislative purpose is to ban influence peddling and reform federal ethics laws.”
“Now that we are in an impeachment inquiry, the Oversight Committee, along with the Committees on the Judiciary and Ways and Means, are continuing to follow the facts to determine whether President Biden’s conduct warrants articles of impeachment.”
House Republican leadership is also rallying behind Comer in statements to The Messenger.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.): “I am grateful for the superb efforts of Chairman Comer. Without his and the other investigators’ work, we wouldn’t have uncovered the millions in foreign funds going to the Biden family, the dozens of exchanges between the President and Hunter Biden’s clients, and the litany of lies the White House has told.”
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La): “I’m proud of all the work Chairman Comer has done so far to follow the facts, lead a transparent investigation, deliver the truth to the American people and ensure we are upholding our constitutional duty to hold the President accountable.”
Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) praised Comer for his “hard work and strong conservative leadership” for proving “the criminal conduct of Hunter Biden and the illegal Biden family influence peddling leading straight to the ‘Big Guy.'”
