In his new book, Kentucky Rep. James Comer recounts a tense moment when he used strong language against President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Comer, who has always been outspoken about ethics in politics, felt pressure to retract a statement he made about Kushner’s business dealings with Saudi Arabia during Trump’s first term.
Comer had previously said that Kushner’s business transactions crossed ethical lines, particularly his involvement with securing a $2 billion investment in Saudi businesses shortly after leaving office.
Comer remembers receiving a call the day after his interview from a GOP consultant close to both Kushner and Rep. Kevin McCarthy. The consultant urged Comer to retract his statement. Comer, however, stood firm and refused to back down, stressing that he believed Kushner’s actions were unethical.
He explained to the consultant that under his proposed Presidential Ethics Reform Act, such dealings would be illegal, and that family members of presidents should not be allowed to profit financially from their family’s position.
Comer writes in his book, All the President’s Money: Investigating the Secret Foreign Schemes That Made the Biden Family Rich, that he even went so far as to tell the consultant to have Kushner “f— off,” a remark he hoped Kushner heard loud and clear, possibly on speakerphone.
Comer also made a distinction between Kushner’s actions and those of Hunter Biden, saying he did not believe Kushner’s dealings were as severe as Hunter’s, which Comer believes were entirely based on using his father’s name for financial gain.
In his book, Comer also reflects on the role Rudy Giuliani played in the downfall of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. He argues that Giuliani’s controversial ties and actions led to the FBI falsely labeling the laptop as part of a Russian disinformation operation, which hurt the credibility of the investigation.
Comer claims that Giuliani’s handling of the situation severely damaged the investigation into the Biden family and its influence abroad. It was only after the election that several media outlets confirmed the authenticity of the laptop, proving that it was not part of a disinformation campaign as initially claimed.
Comer’s frustration is also evident in his criticisms of his GOP colleagues, particularly those on the House Intelligence Committee and the China Task Force. According to Comer, Rep. Mike Turner, who chaired the Intelligence Committee at the time, and former Rep. Mike Gallagher, who led the China Task Force, were unhelpful in his efforts to investigate Joe Biden. Comer claims that both lawmakers were unwilling to assist in his investigation, likely due to their reluctance to challenge the FBI, which Comer felt should have been held accountable instead.
Furthermore, Comer takes issue with former Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, for the way the impeachment inquiry into Biden was structured. McCarthy chose to have three different committees — Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means — lead the inquiry, but Comer believed this was inefficient and poorly coordinated.
He expressed disappointment in the Judiciary Committee, particularly its staff, who he felt were more interested in leaking information to conservative outlets than in pursuing a serious investigation. Comer also questioned the inclusion of the Ways and Means Committee, asking what purpose it served in the inquiry. He believed the entire structure of the impeachment process was disjointed, as he had spent months emphasizing that his role was to investigate, not to impeach.
Comer’s reflections in his book offer a candid look at the challenges he faced within his own party while trying to carry out his investigative work. Despite his frustrations, Comer ultimately concluded that Joe Biden should have been impeached based on the findings of his investigation, although the House Republican majority never held a vote on the matter.
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