Comer subpoenas ex-White House counsel Dana Remus over stonewalling on Biden's classified documents

Stonewalled for months by the White House, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer on Monday formally subpoenaed ex-White House Counsel Dana Remus in the investigation into the discovery of Joe Biden's classified documents.

Comer said the subpoena was necessary because the Biden White House has refused to allow employees to be interviewed or provide documents in his inquiry. 

"The White House refused to provide documents to the Oversight Committee and stated it would not make available the requested White House officials for interviews," Comer wrote in a letter to Remus' lawyers delivering the subpoena.

"Because Ms. Remus has not agreed to voluntarily participate in a transcribed interview, and because the White House has refused to provide the requested documents and to make available White House employees for interviews about this matter, we are subpoenaing Ms. Remus to appear for a deposition."

The White House announced after the 2022 election that classified documents had been found at the president's private office at the University of Pennsylvania Biden Center in Washington back in November 2022. But Comer's investigators have determined presidential aides first began taking a look at the documents beginning in March 2021 and did not disclose that information to Congress.

Since then, Remus deferred any cooperation with the committee to the White House, which has simply stonewalled. Comer said Monday there are critical issues that Congress must understand and resolve before pursuing legislation to change the way former vice presidents and presidents handle sensitive documents when they are leaving office.

Comer said the information is also critical to the ongoing impeachment inquiry of Biden. His letter to Remus' lawyer noted that some of the documents found in Biden's office reportedly involved Ukraine, where his son Hunter Biden had significant business dealings.

“Facts continue to emerge showing that the White House’s narrative of President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents doesn’t add up,” the chairman said. “It is imperative to learn whether President Biden retained sensitive documents related to any countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings that brought in millions for the Biden family."

In addition to the subpoena, Comer also requested transcribed interviews with four presidential aides the committee believes were involved in handling issues surrounding the discovery of the documents: Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Katharine Reilly, and Ashley Williams.

In addition to Congress, Special Counsel Robert Hur has a criminal investigation ongoing into the classified memos.

You can read the full letter and subpoena to Remus here.