Rep. James Comer, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said the Treasury Department agreed to hand over suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their business partners.
"After two months of dragging their feet, the Treasury Department is finally providing us with access to the suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their associates’ business transactions," said Comer, who requested the information in January. "It should never have taken us threatening to hold a hearing and conduct a transcribed interview with an official under the penalty of perjury for Treasury to finally accommodate part of our request."
The Kentucky Republican has been pressuring Treasury to comply for weeks, again contacting the department last month about the "lack of accommodations," and calling on a Treasury Department official earlier this month to appear for a transcribed interview to explain why the requested information was not provided.
“Now that the Treasury Department is providing in camera access to the suspicious activity reports, the Oversight Committee’s transcribed interview with Jonathan Davidson, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, is postponed,” the committee said.
Despite the name, suspicious activity reports in banking don't necessarily suggest criminal activity. The reports cover transactions above $5,000 for potential additional review. The Treasury Department received an estimated 3.6 million of the reports last year.
Comer has asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for 150 alerts from U.S. banks about transactions involving Hunter Biden and the president's brother James Biden.
Comer also seeks reports connected to James' wife Sara Biden, business associates John “Rob” Walker, Eric Schwerin, Devon Archer and corporate entities Rosemont Seneca Advisors, Rosemont Seneca Partners, Rosemont Seneca Technology, RSTP II Alpha Partners, RSTP II Bravo and Equity Distribution Trust, Hudson West III, Hudson West IV, Hudson West V, Owasco, Coldharbor Capital, Lion Hall Group and Skaneateles. (USA Today)
Treasury officials said the department was working to process Comer's request but had to consult with law enforcement partners to protect information about potential investigations.
I have Biden family financial records. There is a money trail.@WhiteHouse denied it.
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) March 15, 2023
Democrats denied it.
There is no denying it now & @USTreasury knows it. That's why they caved. @GOPoversight will now have access to Biden family suspicious activity reports. @JesseBWatters pic.twitter.com/9xXPw69F9r
“After five years of the same old, disproven conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden and his family, Rep. Comer’s political obsession comes at the high cost of time and money that could be spent actually improving the lives of Americans,” Abbe Lowell, counsel for Hunter Biden, said in a statement about the request, according to CNN. “Rep. Comer knows all too well that SARs reports are not uncommon.”