House Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) delivered a blistering statement against his former Democratic counterpart on the committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who received a preemptive pardon from outgoing President Joe Biden on Monday.
“Jamie Raskin will be remembered for his abuse of power, hypocrisy, consistent dishonesty, and unwavering loyalty to Joe Biden, despite evidence showing that Biden and his family were involved in peddling influence for tens of millions of dollars with our adversaries around the world,” said Comer. “Jamie Raskin once claimed that ‘the seeking of pardons is a powerful demonstration of the consciousness of guilt, or at least the consciousness that you may be in trouble.’ It’s clear that the chickens have come home to roost for Jamie Raskin.”
Raskin, who is now the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, was the lead impeachment manager for incoming President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, which charged that Trump sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He went on to serve on a select committee to further investigate Trump’s role in election outcome interference.
Biden, in his final morning in office, issued preemptive pardons for all the members of that committee, including committee staff, to shield them from any legal action Trump’s Justice Department might take against them in retaliation for their efforts.
Raskin has not yet said whether he will accept the pardon.
Comer, meanwhile, led his own impeachment inquiry at the committee level into whether Biden used his position of power to benefit his family.
