Comer and Dem Collaborate on Bill to Expose Presidential Conflicts

House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), who is leading the corruption-focused impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, announced bipartisan legislation on Wednesday to reveal presidential conflicts of interest.

The Presidential Ethics Reform Act, which Comer introduced with Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), requires presidents and vice presidents to make a variety of disclosures for themselves and family members.

Provisions in the bill demand reports on conflicts of interest, payments from foreign sources, gifts valued at more than $10,000, loans or loan repayments over $10,000, and tax returns — all for two years before they took office, during their time in office, and two years after leaving office. The bill also requires presidents and vice presidents to disclose when family members accompany them on foreign travel and specify any commercial purposes.

“Influence peddling is a cottage industry in Washington and we’ve identified deficiencies in current law that have led to a culture of corruption,” Comer said in a statement, adding that the bill “delivers the transparency and accountability the American people deserve to ensure our public offices are not for sale.”

The bill comes after Comer said congressional investigators found that Biden family members set up more than 20 “shell companies” and made over $24 million from China, Russia, and other foreign countries, raising concerns about the potential for influence peddling schemes that are at the center of the House impeachment investigation.

Biden and his defenders have insisted that House Republicans have not turned up any evidence of wrongdoing by the president. Democrats in Congress claim the impeachment probe is a “sham” and instead have been focused on looking at potentially lucrative dealings with foreign countries when former President Donald Trump was in office.

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Porter, who recently failed to advance in a Senate race in California, said the bipartisan Presidential Ethics Reform Act would “let Americans view the tax returns, gifts, and other conflicts of interest of a president, vice president, and their families, empowering the public to evaluate our leaders’ behavior for themselves.”

She added, “By boosting transparency and requiring additional financial disclosures, Congress can shine a light on improper conduct in the Executive Branch — or be confident that none occurred. These reforms will help restore Americans’ trust in government and strengthen our democracy.”