Burchett calls on Comer to ask George Soros to testify over Russiagate
Republican Representative Tim Burchett has urged House Oversight committee Chairman James Comer to invite billionaire George Soros and a senior Open Society foundations executive,Leonard Benardo,to testify before Congress regarding newly declassified evidence related to Russiagate. The declassified documents revealed efforts by the Obama management to undermine Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign through questionable accusations of Russian interference, despite evidence contradicting those claims. An email allegedly written by Benardo-later deemed likely fabricated by Russian hackers-suggested a plan by Hillary Clinton to link Trump to Russia as a distraction from her email scandal. Burchett emphasized the Open Society Foundations’ significant influence on U.S. elections and called for transparency to investigate potential subversion of democratic institutions.He also expressed strong criticism of Soros’ political activities, labeling him as a controversial figure heavily involved in funding liberal causes and Democratic campaigns. If Soros and Benardo refuse to testify voluntarily, Burchett urged Chairman Comer to use subpoena powers to compel their testimony.
Burchett calls on Comer to ask George Soros to testify over Russiagate
On Friday, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) asked House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) to invite George Soros and one of his employees to testify before Congress on the newly declassified Russiagate findings.
Last month, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified evidence regarding the Obama administration’s efforts to undermine President Donald Trump in 2016 over claims of Russia’s alleged interference in that presidential election. The recently unveiled evidence found that the Democratic establishment peddled the Russiagate allegations despite having proof to the contrary.
Among the disclosed evidence was an email allegedly written by Leonard Benardo, who currently works as the senior vice president of Soros’s Open Society Foundations. The email showed Benardo “plotting to discredit the incoming Trump Administration,” according to Burchett.
“Considering the Open Society Foundations’ continued influence on U.S. elections, I respectfully request you invite Mr. Soros and Mr. Benardo to testify in a public hearing before the Committee,” the Tennessee Republican wrote in a brief letter to Comer.
The email in question, dated July 27, 2016, said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton approved a campaign proposal to tie Trump to Russia to distract the public from her own email scandal, the New York Times reported. Benardo supposedly wrote the email, but in 2021, he told Department of Justice special counsel John Durham that he never saw or wrote the email.
Durham concluded in 2023 that the email and another one, also allegedly written by Benardo, were likely manufactured. It is believed Russian hackers faked the purported emails, according to an annex to the special counsel’s report.
If Soros and Benardo don’t accept the invitation to testify, Burchett implored the Oversight chairman to use his subpoena powers.
“Americans deserve answers into the subversion of our institutions by malicious actors,” he concluded.
Burchett is one of many Republican lawmakers who have criticized Soros’s involvement in U.S. politics and the megadonor’s support of the Democratic Party.
During the 2022 election cycle, Soros became the country’s largest donor after donating $128.5 million to Democratic political action committees, according to the Washington Post. During the last presidential election, Soros and his son Alexander endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump.
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Prior to the November 2024 election, Burchett called the elder Soros “a money changer of the worst kind” for funding a number of liberal groups and pushing soft-on-crime prosecutors, among other causes. Critics said the statement promoted an antisemitic stereotype against Soros, who is Jewish. Burchett redoubled his characterization of the billionaire.
“I’d say my voting record clearly reflects my support for Israel and the Jewish people,” he told HuffPost last October. “Folks know what George Soros does with his billions of dollars, and if they don’t, I’d say they should probably look into him a little further.”
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