Raskin rips GOP Biden probe as 'embarrassing' after release of more explosive bank records
The bank records show millions went to Hunter and his associates
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee dismissed Chairman James Comer’s Wednesday morning release of bank records that appear to show Hunter Biden was paid millions by Eastern European oligarchs.
The 19-page memo, which provides screenshots of redacted financial records, says millions of dollars in payments came from Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina and Kazakhstani oligarch Kenes Rakishev.
The records also suggest Joe Biden attended dinners with Baturina, Rakishev and a representative from Burisma while he was vice president.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., suggested Comer, R-Ky., failed to prove any wrongdoing on President Biden’s part. Raskin pointed to the fact that the bank records do not directly name Joe Biden.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., tore into Oversight Chair James Comer's release of Biden family bank records on Wednesday. (Getty Images)
"Committee Republicans have once again released information on financial transactions that do not involve the president. Instead, they rehash the same Hunter Biden business dealings that congressional Republicans identified at least three years ago," Raskin said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The evidence released since then — including the testimony of witnesses called and interviewed by the Republicans and the records reviewed as part of Chairman Comer’s probe — have all clearly established that President Biden was not involved in his son’s business dealings."
HUNTER BIDEN'S LONGTIME BUSINESS PARTNER VISITED OBAMA WH, VP RESIDENCE MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN
The records suggest Eastern European oligarchs paid millions to Hunter Biden and his associate. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Raskin accused Republicans of deliberately distorting and obfuscating facts and dismissed their entire probe of the Biden family as "embarrassing."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Republicans have repeatedly twisted and mischaracterized the evidence in a transparent and increasingly embarrassing attempt to justify their baseless calls for an impeachment inquiry and distract from former President Trump’s dozens of outstanding felony criminal charges in three different cases," Raskin said.
OBAMA-ERA EMAILS REVEAL HUNTER'S EXTENSIVE TIES TO NEARLY A DOZEN SENIOR-LEVEL BIDEN ADMIN AIDES
According to the bank records, Hunter Biden and his former associate Devon Archer each received $83,333 per month from Burisma, totaling $3,321,379 from 2014 to 2015.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The records also show payments to former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer, who met with Congress last week. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Archer spoke with House Oversight Committee staff last week in a marathon closed-door interview, during which he said the president’s son was selling the Biden "brand" and that President Biden "brought the most value to the brand."
Archer said he heard President Biden on the phone with Hunter Biden while the latter was with their business associates on 20 occasions over the span of a decade but did not say they directly discussed business matters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.