February 1, 2023

It’s no surprise that Comer, the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is immediately using his power to investigate both President Biden and the administration’s COVID response. After all, both are uber-targets for the MAGA right.

McClatchy DC reported that Comer’s “scrutiny” of the Biden administration begins Wednesday with a hearing to investigate the spending of federal money allocated for COVID-19 assistance. Comer reportedly lamented on Monday that it’s “very concerning” that “there hasn’t been a single hearing in the Oversight Committee dealing with the pandemic spending.”

While Comer postures as a fiscal hawk, his voting record indicates otherwise, at least so far as his own family finances go.

From The Daily Beast:

In October 2020, Comer joined dozens of Republican and Democratic House colleagues to co-sponsor legislation that would nearly automatically forgive PPP loans under $150,000. That December, Comer voted for the $900 billion COVID stimulus bill, which contained a provision that shielded banks and other lenders from enforcement action related to those loans.

The next month, [James' brother] Chad Comer received $11,853.97 in PPP loans, for a farm located in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee. According to ProPublica data, the loan application listed one employee. The lender—South Central Bank—is also home to a farm bank account that James Comer lists on his 2021 financial disclosure. James Comer was on South Central Bank’s board of directors for 12 years.

The Daily Beast further notes that Chad Comer's loan "has been forgiven in full, plus interest, according to ProPublica data."

And with members such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar and Jim Jordan on the committee, I’m sure the oversight hearing(s) will be serious and fair minded - not.

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