Republican-led House panel to focus on Biden family business

Congressman James Comer, the new Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, said on Monday morning that "influence peddling" by President Joe Biden's family would be a top investigatory priority for him, starting with public hearings next week.

"We have evidencethat we've been transparent with and will continue to be transparent withwhere this family has taken in millions and millions of dollars from our adversaries, mainly in China," the Kentucky Republican said in a speech to the National Press Club in

Washington DC. "I think we need to determine what was that money for. Who supplied that money?"

The President and his family have denied any wrongdoing in overseas business dealings. Donald Trump's children have also been accused of conflicts of interest in lucrative business deals overseas.

Comer said on Monday that the Trump Administration had a problem with influence-peddling, mentioning Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, specifically. Kushner has also denied any wrongdoing.

Investigations into Joe Biden's personal finances, including the international business dealings of his son Hunter Biden, are just one item on an ambitious agenda Comer has set out over recent weeks.

Other topics on the committee's agenda include the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, classified documents recently discovered at Biden's personal office and residence, the Biden administration's border-security and immigration policies, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, healthcare and prescription drug costs, and the increase in energy prices over the past two years.

(Excerpt from BBC News)