House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) is calling on President Joe Biden to provide the receipts that would explain why his brother sent him a $200,000 check, what the White House has deemed a “loan repayment.”
James Biden sent his high-profile brother a personal check worth $200,000 in 2018 on the same day he received a wire loan in the same amount from his now-bankrupt healthcare business, Americore, according to bank records released by House Oversight last week.
Now, the committee wants Joe Biden to provide loan documents in order to substantiate the existence of the supposed loan transaction between the two brothers, Comer wrote in a Thursday letter sent to White House counsel Ed Siskel.
“The White House has claimed Joe Biden loaned James Biden $200,000, and this check was repayment,” the letter read, citing a post from White House spokesman Ian Sams last week. Sams labeled the check a “loan repayment” on Friday, arguing there was nothing concerning about the payment as the committee alleged.
“Records obtained by the Committee do show numerous large incoming transactions into the personal account of James and [his wife] Sara Biden from various entities,” Comer wrote. “Some of these transaction records may have obscured the identity of the true payer, but no records in the Committee’s possession state that Joe Biden made a large loan payment to his brother.”
The Republican congressman asked Siskel to provide “the loan payment, loan agreement, and any other supporting loan documentation” that shows Joe Biden personally loaned James Biden $200,000 before later getting repaid. No such documents have been provided yet.
The check, written on March 1, 2018, is the first piece of hard evidence linking Joe Biden to influence-peddling schemes. It was obtained last month after Comer issued three subpoenas for Hunter and James Biden’s personal and business bank records.
House Oversight is continuing to investigate whether the Biden brand opened doors that financially benefited the president, his brother, son, and other relatives.
“Contrary to the White House’s and Democrats’ claims, nothing within the Oversight Committee’s possession clearly shows that Joe Biden did indeed loan his brother large sums of money,” Comer said in a statement provided to National Review. “And even if Joe Biden loaned money to his brother, Joe Biden benefited from his family’s shady influence peddling schemes since the ability of his brother to pay him back depended on cashing in on the Biden last name. We call on President Biden to release all documents related to the loan and whether all applicable IRS filings were properly made.”