Biden White House aides reportedly pressured House Democrats not to sponsor a bill that would force presidents, vice presidents, and their relatives to disclose foreign income.
Bipartisan backing of a bill could be used as a Republican campaign talking point to slam the Biden family for making millions during and after President Joe Biden was a public official.
WATCH — “It’s Just a Bunch of Lies!” Biden Flees When Asked About Involvement with Family Business Deals:
White HouseThe bill, if passed into law, would:- Require top executives to share their tax returns and disclose conflicts of interest
- Require detailing of any loans made to family members
- Require the documentation of when immediate relatives join the president on Air Force One
- Require whether the relatives’ travel was for business purposes
- Fulfill Rep. James Comer’s pledge to change laws needed to combat influence peddling
Three Democrats abandoned their sponsorship of the bill apparently due to White House pressure: Reps. Ro Khanna (CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL), and Kweisi Mfume (MD).
“I was excited to come to Washington to introduce my bill. And was proud that I had found three senior Democratic co-sponsors,” Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) explained to the Hill. “I was really disappointed to learn that those co-sponsors had decided not to support the bill and had had conversations with the White House.”
“Mr. Comer and I did extensive publicity about the bill,” she continued. “And [during] all of that publicity … both Mr. Comer and I took great pains to make clear that this is not about any future president, it is about having the right set of rules to restore trust in the executive.”
The White House declined to comment to the Hill about Porter’s accusation.
No lies detected. pic.twitter.com/v1lDfwcHo7
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 11, 2024
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.