GOP want to move forward in Hunter Biden probe

Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is preparing for the next stage of his probe into President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden and other Biden family members.
Comer sent letters to three former Twitter employees, a copy of each were obtained by news outlet POLITICO, asking that they attend a hearing the week of Feb. 6. James Baker, former Twitter deputy general counsel; Yoel Roth, Twitter’s former global head of trust and safety; and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s former chief legal officer were all directed at by the new chair.
He wants officials to explain what was behind the company’s decision in 2020 to block users from sharing coverage of Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Comer is giving the attendees until Jan. 18 to confirm their attendance with committee staff.
It would be the Oversight Committee’s first public hearing as part of the investigation into President Biden and Hunter Biden. The importance of this hearing cannot be understated. Skeptical that Republicans will present any new information, Congressional Democrats and the White House have already fiercely pushed back on the probe. No evidence has shown that Hunter Biden’s business dealings, which have been under a years-long federal investigation, have affected his father’s decisions as president.
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House Republicans have made this investigation a top priority for the 118th Congress. Comer said in a statement, “The investigation will inform legislative solutions to protect Americans’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech and press and prevent public officials and their family members from using public office to enrich themselves.”
The backstory: Three former Twitter employees were named in the “Twitter files” – a compilation of internal files and emails related to the company’s decision to limit users’ ability to share the coverage of a New York Post story on Hunter Biden’s laptop.
At the time, former intelligence officials warned that they believed the story might have its origins in a Russian disinformation operation. Other news organizations say they have authenticated some material contained in the laptop since then. Reporter Ben Schreckinger has confirmed the authenticity of some emails on the laptop, but sources have not undergone the process to authenticate the laptop.
Conservatives’ favorite target, Twitter’s decision to be Biden-friendly, was revived by the episode. The then-CEO of Twitter has called the decision to censor the story a mistake. In an interview earlier this year, Roth said that he believed it was a mistake.
Comer also sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking for a slew of financial documents, including “suspicious activity reports,” which are filed by financial institutions, related to Hunter Biden, James Biden, Joe Biden’s brother and several associates.
Comer also wants communications dating back to Jan. 20, 2021 related to the Treasury Department’s policy for handling those reports. Comer was previously told by the department that their policy was to only honor requests from the majority.
A spokesperson for Treasury was not available for comment.