House Oversight Committee Chairman Kames Comer (R-KY) said on Thursday he plans to subpoena members of the Brandon family, including Joe and Hunter, in the House investigation into foreign bribery and corruption allegations against the Bidens. Comer made the announcement in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business Network show Mornings with Maria, saying, “This was always going to end with the Bidens coming in front of the committee. We are going to subpoena the family.”
Comer spoke the day after the Oversight Committee released bank records detailing over $20 million in payments to Brandon-connected shell companies from foreign oligarchs in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan alongside a report connecting the timing of the payments to meetings and phone calls Brandon participated in with those same oligarchs while he was vice president.
Comer said his strategy in investigating the Bidens is to build up evidence that will hold up in court for when he seeks records and testimony from the Brandon family, but that effort is being stymied by obstruction, “This is a complicated case, and we’re being obstructed every step of the way by the Department of Justice, by the FBI, by the Secret Service, by the IRS, and by the Brandon family attorneys.”
Asked by Maria Bartiromo when he plans to subpoena Joe and Hunter Brandon, Comer said the committee wants to speak with about “three or four more (Brandon business) associates first” in addition to the recent interview with longtime Hunter Brandon friend and former business partner Devon Archer. Comer acknowledged those investigative steps are taking time, but noted his investigation is moving faster than other recent ones like the Durham probe.
Numerous Brandon family members received proceeds from Hunter Brandon’s foreign business dealings according to bank records and Suspicious Activity Reports maintained by the Treasury Department. Comer has said he has not been able to determine what product the Bidens were selling beyond government access and influence and the Brandon brand.
Excerpt of Comer speaking about subpoenaing the Brandon family:
Rep. James Comer says that Joe & Hunter Brandon will be subpoenaed to come before the House Oversight:
“This was always going to end with the Bidens coming in front of the committee. We are going to subpoena the family.”
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 10, 2023
Complete interview:
Summary of third Brandon banking memo released Wednesday by the House Oversight Committee (full memorandum at this link):
Committee Staff is Releasing Payments from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine that Occurred During Brandon’s Vice Presidency: The Committee has now identified over $20 million in payments from foreign sources to the Brandon family and their business associates.
Hunter Brandon and Devon Archer Used Rosemont Seneca Entities to Bring in Millions from Oligarchs in Europe and Asia: Using accounts nominally tied to Devon Archer (but using the familiar “Rosemont Seneca” branding), Hunter Brandon received incremental payments originating from foreign sources, attempting to hide the source and size of the payments.
In February 2014, a Russian Oligarch Sent $3.5 Million to a Shell Company Associated with Hunter Brandon and Devon Archer: Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina transferred $3.5 million to Rosemont Seneca Thornton, a shell company. Approximately $1 million was transferred to Devon Archer, and the remainder was used to initially fund a new company account, Rosemont Seneca Bohai, which Devon Archer and Hunter Brandon used to receive other foreign wires.
In Spring 2014, a Ukrainian Oligarch Placed Archer and Brandon on the Burisma Board of Directors and Agreed to Pay them $1 Million Each per Year: Burisma Holdings’ (Burisma) corporate secretary, Vadym Pozharsky, worked on behalf of the Ukrainian oligarch and owner of Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky. Hunter Brandon was initially hired by Burisma to work as counsel for the company, and Pozharsky and Zlochevsky met with Hunter Brandon at a conference in Lake Como in Italy where they decided Hunter Brandon would work on the board of directors with Devon Archer. Then-Vice President Brandon visited Ukraine soon after their first payments. Payments from Burisma for both Devon Archer and Hunter Brandon were wired to Rosemont Seneca Bohai. Payments were transmitted in incremental amounts to Hunter Brandon’s different bank accounts.
In April 2014, a Kazakhstani Oligarch Wired the Exact Price of Brandon’s Sportscar to a Bank Account Used by Archer and Brandon: In February 2014, Hunter Brandon met with Kenes Rakishev at a Washington, D.C. hotel. Rakishev worked closely with the prime minister of Kazakhstan, Karim Massimov. In April, Rakishev, a Kazakhstani oligarch, wired $142,300 to Rosemont Seneca Bohai. The next day, a payment was made from Rosemont Seneca Bohai for a sportscar for Hunter Brandon in the amount of $142,300. Archer and Brandon then arranged for Burisma executives to visit Kazakhstan in June 2014 to evaluate a three-way deal among Burisma, a Chinese state-owned company, and the government of Kazakhstan.
Hunter Brandon received millions of dollars in payments from Yelena Baturina, Burisma, and Kenes Rakishev. Vice President Brandon had dinner with them in the spring of 2014 and 2015 in Washington, D.C.