During Congressional proceedings this Wednesday related to House Republicans’ ongoing investigative push targeting President Joe Biden and his family, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) again pushed for answers on Jared Kushner. Kushner is the son-in-law to former President Donald Trump whose investment business infamously received $2 billion from Saudi leadership after Kushner’s years on Trump’s presidential team.
Raskin tried moving for a subpoena compelling testimony from Kushner “related to the $2 billion collected from Saudi Arabia after his service within the White House.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) made a motion immediately following Raskin’s remarks to table the proposal, meaning procedurally set it aside — effectively squashing it for the time being. Republicans hold the majority in the House and broadly control the chamber’s committees, which allowed for Republicans to quickly punt Raskin’s motion aside. Leading the proceedings was top Republican on the House Oversight Committee Rep. James Comer (Ky.), who with Jordan has been steering the impeachment investigation going after the president that established the backdrop for Wednesday’s proceedings.
Republicans brought in Tony Bobulinski, who tried to directly allege criminal activity on the part of President Joe Biden but struggled when asked to name the specific offenses that he was claiming. Appearing on Democrats’ behalf was Lev Parnas, who participated in attempts to assemble damaging information on the Bidens in the years before the 2020 elections and has since been outspoken about what went on. In his Congressional testimony, Parnas characterized Republicans’ impeachment probe as fueled by deception originating with the Russian government.
And in fact, an ex-federal source who was indicted for allegedly lying to federal authorities has been tied in reports to Russian intelligence circles, from which he allegedly got some of his claims about the Biden family. In filings highlighted by CNN, federal prosecutors said Alexander Smirnov — the defendant — “admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about Businessperson 1,” referring to Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Hunter has been a part of the corruption theories ensnaring the president that House Republicans have been trying to make work.
