Comer demands transcribed interview and documents from Biden’s former White House counsel

Home Oversight Chairman James Comer is as soon as once more taking purpose at President Joe Biden’s retention of categorized paperwork, demanding a transcribed interview and paperwork from former White Home Counsel Dana Remus, the committee introduced Friday.

“The Committee has realized that you just have been a central determine within the early levels of coordinating the packing and transferring of packing containers that have been later discovered to include categorized supplies,” Comer wrote in a letter to Remus. “The President’s haphazard dealing with of categorized supplies raises many extra questions concerning the repercussions of those actions, together with doable threats to nationwide safety.”

Comer stated he desires extra particulars about why Remus tasked Kathy Chung, Biden’s former govt assistant, with packing up Biden’s workplace on the Penn Biden Middle, despite the fact that Chung was now not working as Biden’s assistant. Remus didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The letter included snippets of Chung’s testimony, through which she instructed the committee that when she packed 13 packing containers for Biden in June 2022, the packing containers weren’t put in a locked closet.

In an earlier assertion, Richard Sauber, particular counsel to President Biden stated the categorized paperwork “have been found when the president’s private attorneys have been packing information housed in a locked closet to organize to vacate workplace area on the Penn Biden Middle,” in November 2022.

In keeping with a supply acquainted with Chung’s testimony, Chung was learn Sauber’s assertion throughout her transcribed interview and he or she stated she had no purpose to consider that assertion was unfaithful.

It isn’t clear whether or not these information have been a part of the paperwork Chung packed in June or whether or not Biden’s private attorneys found extra information in November.

The White Home declined to remark, citing the continuing particular counsel investigation. In January, Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland appointed a particular counsel to take over the investigation into Obama-era categorized paperwork discovered at Biden’s dwelling and former non-public workplace.

CNN beforehand reported that Chung instructed the committee she was not conscious there have been categorized paperwork within the packing containers she packed for Biden.

Excerpts from Chung’s interview with the committee additionally reveal that she was shocked that the packing containers she packed up on the Penn Biden Middle in June 2022 nonetheless had not been picked up in October 2022. In excerpts of Chung’s interview launched by Democrats on the committee earlier this week, there was no point out of Chung inquiring why the packing containers she packed up in June nonetheless had not been picked up in October.

In keeping with emails Chung shared with the panel that have been revealed Friday, a Penn Biden Middle worker emailed Chung on October 4, 2022, telling her that the packing containers she packed up on the Penn Biden Middle on June 28, 2022, nonetheless had not been picked up.

Chung wrote again, “wait. Did they not choose up again in June,” and instructed the panel in her interview that she was shocked by this.

On October 13, 2022, Chung notified Biden’s private lawyer, Bob Bauer, that the packing containers nonetheless remained on the Penn Biden Middle. Bauer texted Chung again to say {that a} former private lawyer for Biden, Patrick Moore, was going by way of the packing containers. As CNN has beforehand reported, Moore made the preliminary discovery of categorized materials whereas packing up Biden’s former assume tank workplace, and has spoken to federal investigators within the preliminary evaluate of Biden’s dealing with of categorized paperwork.

“So we must always get this organized within the close to future,” Bauer stated within the textual content to Chung.

Chung additionally acknowledged in her interview that Hunter Biden, the president’s son, had requested if she was enthusiastic about serving as assistant to then-Vice President Biden again in 2012. Chung and Hunter Biden had beforehand labored collectively.

“Hunter Biden known as me and requested me if I used to be within the place,” Chung instructed the committee.

Chung’s lawyer has beforehand criticized Comer for the way he has characterised Chung’s hiring.

“So that you can say she acquired the job ‘to assist with the Biden household transferring paperwork on the suggestion of Hunter Biden; and additional that you just anticipate to pursue some weird notion that Hunter Biden advisable her due to a purported curiosity in paperwork signifies to us the actual risk that you don’t intend to deal with Ms. Chung pretty,” Chung’s lawyer instructed Comer in a March letter, beforehand reported by CNN.