As anticipation builds about the possibility of a Republican wave in next month's midterm contests, a number of GOP lawmakers are ramping up the pressure on the Biden administration to provide increased transparency about exactly who is visiting the president during his frequent trips to Delaware, as the Washington Examiner reports.
The controversy stems in part from a Freedom of Information Act request – and subsequent appeal – made earlier this year by the New York Post for visitor logs pertaining to the considerable amount of time Biden has spent at his homes in the First State since Inauguration Day – documentation the White House previously declined to produce, citing privacy considerations.
"I can confirm we are not going to be providing information about the comings and goings of the president's grandchildren or people visiting him in Delaware," then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in August of last year.
Shockingly, in response to the Post's inquiries, the U.S. Secret Service indicated that it could not identify any records responsive to the question of who goes to see the commander-in-chief when he spends time away from the White House, something he has done for more than 25% of his days in office, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer is among those frustrated by the lack of information produced in response to the Post's query, saying, as the Examiner noted, "President Biden has spent a large amount of time at his Delaware residence since assuming office."
"Americans deserve to know who President Biden is meeting with, especially since we know that he routinely met with Hunter's business associates during his time as vice president," Comer added in a reference to reporting from earlier this summer revealing encounters with at least 14 individuals with whom the first son engaged in business negotiations or deals.
The aforementioned report from Fox News Digital indicated that then-Vice President Biden met with numerous Hunter Biden business associates or prospects, including some from Ukraine, China, Mexico, and Kazakhstan.
Joining Comer in demanding further details of Biden's Delaware visitors is Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who has asserted that every person who comes "into close proximity with the president, in an official or personal capacity, is screened by the Secret Service," and that as such, there must be an official agency record of the interaction in existence "somewhere."
Expanding on the basis of her concerns, Mace added, "It's bad if there is official business being conducted and they aren't telling us with who. It's even worse the administration is using the Secret Service to excuse its complete and total lack of transparency."
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) is similarly fed up with the lack of answers on the subject, saying, "President Biden denies any involvement in his son's business dealings, despite indisputable evidence of numerous meetings with his son's business partners."
"It is absolutely crucial that visitor logs for Biden's homes in Delaware, where he spends a quarter of his time, be released to the public," the congressman continued.
Strongly suggesting, however, that things are about to change, as the Post reported, Reschenthaler added promisingly, "This administration's stonewalling and gaslighting must stop. Next year, House Republicans will conduct a fair and transparent investigation into the Biden family's influence peddling and deliver the American people the answers they deserve."
