Comer contends that “it is essential that the Committee review certain documents in their original format, and the Committee requests such information from NARA.”
The House Oversight Committee has demanded that the National Archives turn over thousands of emails from Joe Biden during his stint as vice president under Obama. The requested emails include those in which Biden used a pseudonym, and Comer wants them free from redactions.
"The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating President Biden’s meetings and communications with certain family members and their business associates during his tenure as Vice President," the letter begins.
Comer contends that many of the released "records have been redacted for publication pursuant to the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)," but that "it is essential that the Committee review certain documents in their original format, and the Committee requests such information from NARA."
House Oversight is specifically looking for "unrestricted special access under the PRA to Case Number 2022- 0121-F, entitled “Records on Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Their Foreign Business Dealings,” which has been published on NARA’s website."
These emails, Comer contends, include those from Hunter Biden's associates to members of the VP's team, including Kate Bedingfield, who is now with the Biden administration in the White House. Hunter's associate Eric Schwerin "wrote to Kate Bedingfield in the Office of the Vice President providing quotes the White House should use in response to media outreach regarding Hunter Biden’s role in Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company."
Later, Bedingfield replied that the "VP signed off on this." What is particularly striking, which Comer notes, is that this email is from December 4, 2015, which coincidentally is the same day on which Hunter and his Burisma associates called the VP from Dubai, during which Hunter told his dad that their Burisma pals needed some help.
"The Committee seeks additional information regarding communications between the Office of the Vice President and Hunter Biden or his business associates," Comer said.
Comer also took issue with NARA's designation of some correspondence as not producible under the Presidential Records Act.
"In discussions between NARA and Committee staff regarding the Committee’s previous request for special access to Vice-Presidential records, NARA informed the Committee that certain documents in NARA’s custody would not be produced to the Committee—and, indeed, NARA would not inform the Committee of their existence—if NARA deems those records to be 'personal records' as defined by the PRA.
"However, 'personal records' are defined as those records 'which do not relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of' the Vice President. The Committee has made clear that its investigation involves potential abuse by then-Vice President Biden of his official duties; it cannot be NARA that determines whether certain records 'do not relate to or have an effect upon' those duties."
NARA has been dragging its feet on the release of these emails for over a year after a June 2022 FOIA request.
In August, Comcer demanded access to documents and communication "in which a pseudonym for Vice President Joe Biden" was used, "including but not limited to Robert Peters, Robin Ware, and JRB Ware."
2023 9 6 JC Letter to NARA Re Followup by Libby Emmons on Scribd
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