US Treasury refuses to hand over Hunter Biden records unless request comes from Democrat-led committee

In a formal response to Rep. James Comer’s (R-Ky.) ongoing attempts to secure “suspicious activity reports” (SARs) on the dealings of President Joe Biden’s scandalous son, Hunter, the U.S. Treasury has stated it will not turn over the information to Republicans unless the request is made through a Democrat-controlled committee, making a review of potentially criminal activity all but impossible unless Republicans retake the House in November’s midterm elections.

The request to the Treasury for reports filed by financial institutions when significant cash transactions or transfers above $5,000 occur was made under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), which is aimed at detecting and preventing money laundering, Reuters reports.

 

The Treasury has stated it will only consider “official requests from relevant congressional committees,” Reuters explains, effectively ending Comer’s quest for relevant documents as the top Republican on the Dem-controlled House Oversight and Reform Committee.

In a July letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Comer accused the Treasury of changing the rules to protect the first son and, potentially, his father.

“On May 25, 2022, I wrote to you requesting information regarding Hunter Biden and other Biden associates and family members’ financial transactions flagged by U.S. banks for reporting to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) through Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs),” he wrote. “The Biden Administration is restricting Congress’ access to SARs, and Committee Republicans are investigating whether this change in longstanding policy is motivated by efforts to shield Hunter Biden and potentially President Biden from scrutiny.”

“Though the Committee requested documents and information ‘no later than June 8, 2022[,]’ the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has provided no documents or information,” he stated. “This letter reiterates our requests.”

Comer suggested that what the Treasury is telling the media is not what is occurring behind the scenes.

“Despite Treasury’s assertion in the press that it ‘provides SARs to Congress in a manner that enables robust oversight[,]’ Treasury is refusing to release SARs connected with Hunter Biden or his family and associates—including the President,” he wrote.

“According to the Wall Street Journal, the Biden Administration claimed, ‘Treasury has made SARs available for every request we’ve received, regardless of party, and will continue to do so,'” he continued. “This is not true.”

“During a phone call on June 13, 2022, Treasury officials informed Committee Republican staff that they will not provide SARs to Committee Republicans unless Democrats join the request,” Comer noted. “It is troubling that the Biden Administration is willing to provide a false story to the media to create the appearance of transparency while continuing to thwart congressional oversight.”

 

In its response, the Treasury maintained it complies with the current statutes and regulations and passed the buck to Yellen whom they claim has the final word on any requests made.

“Under the current regulation, the Secretary may make BSA information available to ‘Congress, or any committee or subcommittee thereof, upon a written request stating the particular information desired, the criminal, tax or regulatory purpose for which the information is sought, and the official need for the information,'” the Treasury replied. “These decisions are entrusted to the Secretary’s discretion.”

In a statement from a Treasury spokesperson, the agency insisted this denial was not politically driven.

“It is not a political process,” the official claimed. “Since the beginning of this Administration, Treasury has made SARs available in response to authorized committee requests and continues to engage on the process with any individual members seeking information.”

Online, the message was received loud and clear by conservatives.

“⁦@USTreasury⁩ is another ⁦@TheDemocrats⁩ hit squad,” tweeted one user. “Protecting their own.”

Melissa Fine

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