Say what?
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, expressed his concerns on Thursday about Jared Kushner, the former senior adviser and son-in-law of President Trump, accepting a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government for his private investment firm half a year after leaving the White House. Comer discussed this matter during an interview on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”
According to The Hill, Comer acknowledged a point raised by Chris Christie, a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, who highlighted Kushner’s significant involvement in Middle Eastern affairs during his tenure at the Trump White House and suggested a history of questionable dealings by the Trump family. However, Comer aimed to differentiate between the business activities of the Trump and Biden families, suggesting that he perceived Biden’s family-related matters as more serious.
When responding to Christie’s assertions, Comer stated on CNN, “I’ve been vocal that I think that what Kushner did crossed the line of ethics. What Christie said—it happened after he left office. Still no excuse, Jake, but it happened after he left office. And Jared Kushner actually has a legitimate business. This money [to] the Bidens happened while Joe Biden was vice president while he was flying to those countries.”
Comer has been leading the Oversight panel’s investigation into the Biden family’s affairs and has obtained testimony alleging that the president’s son, exploited his father’s vice presidency to offer the perception of influence for personal business ventures. However, the panel has not uncovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Biden.
During Trump’s presidency, Kushner officially served as a senior adviser and engaged in diplomatic meetings, including with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, wherein he defended the Saudi government despite allegations that the crown prince had authorized the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In 2022, the House Oversight panel, under Democratic leadership, initiated an inquiry into the $2 billion investment Kushner received from the Saudi Private Investment Fund (PIF), which is under the control of the crown prince.
Former Oversight Chairman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, raised concerns about Kushner’s close ties with Crown Prince bin Salman, his pro-Saudi stances during the Trump Administration, and the apparent connection between PIF’s financial support and Kushner’s foreign policy work.
Comer, in the interview on Thursday, defended the investigation into the Bidens and stressed the objective of reforming the way Washington operates to prevent individuals from benefiting from their relatives’ influential positions.
“Our aim has always been to achieve that,” Comer stated when discussing changes to Washington’s operations. “From the very beginning, our goal has been a legislative solution. Many defenders of the President, especially in the media, argue that this kind of influence-peddling is common in Washington. Well, it’s time for that to change.”