Spokesperson for Comer replied that Raskin was a 'Biden family defense lawyer'
Rep. James Comer: House Oversight Dems are 'obstructing' Biden family probe 'every step of the way'
Rep. James Comer R-Ky., discusses the 'hurdles' the House Oversight Committee Republicans face in their investigation into the alleged Biden family business deals and influence peddling.
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is asking the panel’s chairman to subpoena Jared Kushner’s investment firm over its ties to the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., raised concerns over Kushner starting Affinity Partners soon after leaving his father-in-law, former President Donald Trump, left the White House. Kushner served in the administration along with his wife, Ivanka Trump, where as a senior adviser he played a large role in Middle East policy.
"At the time Mr. Kushner transitioned from the White House to the private sector, diplomats and ethics experts raised their concerns about the glaring potential conflicts of interest arising from Mr. Kushner’s financial interests in the Gulf region," Raskin wrote in a letter to Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.
"Moreover, his extensive and successful courting of sovereign wealth funds raises significant legal, constitutional, and ethical questions, given his key governmental role shaping U.S. foreign policy during the Trump Administration."
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THREATENS TO SUBPOENA BIDEN OFFICIALS ON WORK-FROM-HOME POLICIES
Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is again under the microscope by House Democrats (AP)
Last year when Democrats still held the House majority, the Oversight Committee launched an investigation into a $2 billion investment made in Kushner’s company by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, six months after Kushner left the administration.
"Yet, despite Committee Democrats’ repeated efforts to obtain relevant documents to understand the full scope of Mr. Kushner’s foreign business dealings and the legal, constitutional, and ethical problems they create, Mr. Kushner and his fund have refused to cooperate with our requests," Raskin wrote.
He accused Kushner and his firm of "unjustifiably" stonewalling and urged Comer to use his majority subpoena power to let committee Democrats continue their investigation.
Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, L, sent a letter to committee chairman Rep. James Comer, R, asking him to subpoena Kushner's firm (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Raskin’s letter also suggested he believes that Kushner improperly used his position in the Trump administration to enrich himself and his family business, including pushing for the ex-president’s state visit to Saudi Arabia and defending MBS internally when he was accused of orchestrating the murder of a U.S.-based journalist.
When asked for a response by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the House Oversight Republicans dismissed Raskin’s letter as a distraction from the committee’s work investigating the Biden family’s own foreign business dealings.
OVERSIGHT REPUBLICANS PROBE BIDEN ADMIN'S 'BAIT-AND-SWITCH' CRACKDOWN ON FOSSIL FUEL POWER PLANTS
"Ranking Member Raskin’s letter to Chairman Comer is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s influence peddling schemes," the spokesperson said on Friday.
Raskin accused Kushner of pushing policies in the Trump administration that benefited his and his families' business
"If Ranking Member Raskin was truly concerned about ethics in government, then he would join Republicans in our investigation of the Bidens’ blatant corruption. However, Ranking Member Raskin is only concerned about playing Biden family defense lawyer."
Fox News Digital reached out to Affinity Partners for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
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