When you play, you sometimes pay.
“What is James Comer hiding? Why won’t he release his tax returns and bank records?,” Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell asked over an exclusive about a liberal activist group demanding tax returns and bank records from Republican Representative James Comer, who they say has only released two years of tax returns.
Comer has been leading a very dishonest and ever moving goal post attack on President Biden, attempting to dirty Biden with fictional and misrepresented evidence that changes every time it’s called out as being a Republican fantasy.
The Congressional Integrity Project wrote, as first reported in The Messenger:
“You’ve only released tax returns for two years,” the letter reads. “President Biden, on the other hand, has released 25 years of tax returns. Unsatisfied with this unprecedented level of access to a president’s financial records, you’ve used your power to dig into his family members’ finances.”
The letter calls attention to Comer’s justification for his usage of subpoena power against the Biden family being that he thinks it’s important for high profile public officials to make their tax returns public.
Yet, Comer has not done so for more than two years of his returns.
“I’m writing to formally call on you to release copies of all your tax returns and bank statements for the past ten years. With the House Oversight Committee’s power of subpoena, you’ve
accessed the bank records of Biden family members, private citizens who have never held jobs
within the United States government, a level of scrutiny and invasion of privacy that has proven
fruitless in turning up evidence of wrongdoing and a waste of taxpayer resources.
According to your own website, “In the spirit of transparency, Congressman Comer believes tax
returns of high profile elected officials should be public. It’s important for people of the district and America to see his returns.”
They weren’t done with Comer. They went further to suggest that it is not Biden who is corrupt, but rather Comer:
“Accusing the President’s family of profiting off of his name is ironic coming from you. There
has been no evidence that President Biden has ever taken any official action to assist in the
financial interest of himself or his family. However, you co-sponsored a bill to forgive COVID
Paycheck Protection Program loans, a bill your brother directly benefited from when his loan
was forgiven to the tune of thousands of dollars. You’ve all but admitted to weaponizing the
government to leak a journalist’s private emails and orchestrate a grand jury investigation into a
political opponent. And after the CEO of Churchill Downs gave you the maximum contribution
to your campaign, you flip-flopped your position on gambling.
There is overwhelming evidence that you’ve used your power to enrich yourself and your family.
We believe that the American public has much more to learn about your own corruption. As a
congressional watchdog group, we’re demanding you keep the promises you’ve made in the past
and release ten years of your tax records and bank statements.”
The Messenger noted that Comer did not reply as of their publishing time.
While Congressional members are not legally required to release their tax returns, Open Secrets points out that members of Congress “are required by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to file annual reports disclosing their personal finances. Compliance and enforcement of this requirement is overseen by the congressional ethics committees, the ethics offices of government agencies and, in the case of executive branch officials, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.”
These forms record earned and unearned income, assets and related transactions, liabilities, contributions made in lieu of honoraria, gifts received, non-governmental positions held, travel that was paid for or for which the filer was reimbursed, and various agreements into which the filer has entered. Information relating to the spouse and dependent children of the filer is also reported in many cases.
President Biden has shared a total of 25 years of tax returns with the public.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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