{"id":2340129,"date":"2024-09-12T09:38:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T13:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/james-comer-expands-investigation-of-tim-walzs-china-ties-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-12T09:41:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T13:41:43","slug":"james-comer-expands-investigation-of-tim-walzs-china-ties-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/james-comer-expands-investigation-of-tim-walzs-china-ties-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"James Comer expands investigation of Tim Walz&#8217;s China ties- Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjames-comer-expands-investigation-of-tim-walzs-china-ties-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2340129&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Representative \u200cJames Comer, the House \u200dOversight Committee chairman, is intensifying his investigation into Minnesota Governor\u200d Tim Walz&#8217;s associations with China, \u200dspecifically in light of allegations that Walz\u2063 has supported China-linked research institutes. In a recent letter\u2063 to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Comer expressed concerns about Walz&#8217;s\u2064 involvement with the Hormel Institute, which \u2063has reportedly collaborated with the\u2063 Wuhan Institute of Virology, \u2062an entity connected to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n<p>Comer implies\u200b that Walz, during his congressional\u200c tenure, facilitated significant\u200b funding for the Hormel Institute, raising \u200calarms over its connections to Chinese military-affiliated entities. Despite the University of\u2064 Minnesota&#8217;s denial of a formal affiliation with the Wuhan Institute, records indicate ongoing collaborations. <\/p>\n<p>Comer is particularly troubled by Walz&#8217;s documented ties to Chinese Communist Party affiliates and his prior teaching engagements in China, which might reflect sympathies towards China \u200cthat diverge from traditional U.S. foreign policy. He points to \u200dWalz&#8217;s participation in a partially CCP-sponsored student trip to China and previous statements advocating for a non-adversarial relationship with China. \u200d <\/p>\n<p>Comer&#8217;s \u200cinquiries come against a backdrop of \u200dincreasing scrutiny from Republicans on Walz\u2019s \u2062China connections, especially after he was named as a running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris. The investigation amplifies existing concerns over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/9-key-points-from-trump-campaign-press-conference-on-challenges-to-election-results\/\" title=\"9 Key Points from Trump Campaign Press Conference on Challenges to Election Results\">foreign influence<\/a> within U.S. political frameworks, as indicated \u200bby ongoing FBI probes into related matters.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">James Comer requests FBI documents on Tim Walz&rsquo;s China ties<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1742606\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE &mdash;<\/strong> Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"James Comer\">James Comer<\/a> (R-KY), House Oversight Committee chairman, is expanding his investigation into Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Tim Walz\">Tim Walz<\/a>&lsquo;s (D-MN) ties to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>China<\/a>, citing a recent <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3144141\/tim-walz-research-facility-china-wuhan-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>report<\/a> on Walz promoting a China-linked research institute.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In a letter Thursday to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>FBI<\/a> Director Christopher Wray, Comer raised concerns over Walz&rsquo;s promotion, as Minnesota&rsquo;s governor, of a group called the Hormel Institute, which the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3144141\/tim-walz-research-facility-china-wuhan-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reported<\/a> in September partners with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The top Republican is re-upping his <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Letter-to-Director-Wray-08162024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>request<\/a> from August for the agency to turn over any documents on Chinese entities Walz has reportedly been linked to over the years<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Recent reports indicate Mr. Walz, while in Congress, &lsquo;helped secure over $2 million&rsquo; and &lsquo;pushed for a $5 million federal earmark&rsquo; for the Hormel Institute, which is a &lsquo;Minnesota-based medical research center with a history of working with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China,&#8217;&rdquo; Comer wrote in the letter to Wray. &ldquo;The Wuhan Institute of Virology is closely connected to the CCP and has been implicated in the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Comer&rsquo;s letter also cited a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/harris-vp-pick-spent-years-promoting-research-facility-collaborated-chinese-military-company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>report<\/a> from Fox News detailing the Hormel Institute&rsquo;s track record of collaborating with the Beijing Genomics Institute, which the Pentagon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/pentagon-adds-companies-chinese-military-list-us-official-says-2024-01-31\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>labeled<\/a> a &ldquo;Chinese military company&rdquo; earlier this year. The Hormel Institute&rsquo;s parent, the University of Minnesota, denied in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3144141\/tim-walz-research-facility-china-wuhan-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>recent statement<\/a> to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the institute has a &ldquo;formal affiliation&rdquo; with the WIV or the Beijing Genomics Institute.<\/p>\n<p>However, journal records show that researchers from the Hormel Institute work on projects with personnel from the WIV and the Beijing Genomics Institute.<\/p>\n<p>To the House Oversight Committee chairman, Walz&rsquo;s &ldquo;documented relations with CCP affiliates is inexcusable,&rdquo; according to the letter. <\/p>\n<p>Since Walz was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s running mate, Republicans have blasted Walz for apparent China ties and sympathies.<\/p>\n<p>Walz said in 2016 that he does not &ldquo;fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship&rdquo; with the United States.<\/p>\n<p>According to multiple reports, Walz has traveled to China 30 times &mdash; including for his honeymoon. Comer cited in the letter how Walz previously organized a partially CCP-sponsored trip to China for his students while he taught at a high school in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmaker is also looking into Walz&rsquo;s prior teaching <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/08\/14\/us-news\/walzs-china-ties-under-scrutiny\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>fellowship<\/a> until at least 2007 at China&rsquo;s Macau Polytechnic University. Macau Polytechnic University pushes the Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure program and key element of Chinese President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-california-democrat-and-think-tank-titans-slated-to-attend-chinese-communist-diplomacy-event\/\" title=\"Top California Democrat and Think-Tank Titans Slated to Attend Chinese Communist Diplomacy Event\">foreign influence efforts<\/a>, the <em>New York Post<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Democratic vice presidential nominee, speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), House Oversight Committee chairman, is expanding his investigation into Walz&rsquo;s ties to China, citing a recent Washington Examiner report on Walz promoting a research institute. (AP Photo\/Paul Sancya)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The FBI appears to deem these concerning facts unpersuasive to require its cooperation with a congressional investigation,&rdquo; Comer told Wray, pointing to new revelations on Walz&rsquo;s ties to the Hormel Institute.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The former executive director of the Hormel Institute, Dr. Zigang Dong, &lsquo;abruptly stepped down from his post&rsquo; in 2019; &lsquo;[a]round the same time, it was revealed [he] was involved in an FBI probe &hellip; investigating his &lsquo;possible failure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-promoted-group-partnering-with-chinas-wuhan-lab\/\" title=\"Tim Walz promoted group partnering with China&#039;s Wuhan lab\">report foreign backing<\/a> when applying for grants,&#8217;&rdquo; Comer wrote in the letter. &ldquo;Mr. Dong is &lsquo;a longtime &hellip; donor to Mr. Walz&rsquo;s political career,&rsquo; according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In his letter, Comer noted that the FBI informed the House Oversight Committee that the FBI&rsquo;s Foreign Influence Task Force &ldquo;investigates this kind of CCP activity.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The Foreign Influence Task Force <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/investigate\/counterintelligence\/foreign-influence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>was<\/a> established in 2017 by Wray &ldquo;to identify and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shocker-fbi-officials-who-briefed-facebook-to-encourage-censorship-of-hunter-biden-story-are-dem-donors\/\" title=\"Shocker: FBI Officials Who Briefed Facebook to Encourage Censorship of Hunter Biden Story Are Dem Donors\">counteract malign foreign influence operations targeting<\/a> the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Comer wrote in the letter that he &ldquo;is concerned that Mr. Walz&rsquo;s involvement with Chinese entities and officials may have allowed the CCP to influence his decision-making as a congressman and governor and potentially would allow the CCP to influence the White House should Mr. Walz be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gov-gavin-newsom-met-secretly-with-prince-harry-meghan-markle-ahead-of-election\/\" title=\"California Gov. Gavin Newsom Met \u2018Secretly\u2019 With Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Ahead Of Election\">elected vice president<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He is asking for any communications between the FBI and Walz&rsquo;s office &ldquo;pertaining to warnings or guidance about subnational government officials engaging with the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, CCP, and the CCP&rsquo;s proxies,&rdquo; according to a copy of the letter.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In addition, the Republican seeks any FBI-housed documents and information on the Beijing Genomics Institute, the Hormel Institute, and Zigang. Comer listed a response deadline of Sept. 19.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI declined to comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1742606\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1742606\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>James Comer seeks FBI documents regarding Tim Walz&#8217;s connections to China EXCLUSIVE \u2014 Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is broadening his inquiry into Governor Tim Walz&#8217;s (D-MN) associations with China, referencing a recent report from the Washington Examiner that discusses Walz&#8217;s endorsement of a research institute linked to China. In a letter sent Thursday to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Comer expressed concerns about Walz\u2019s support for the Hormel Institute, which was reported in September as having ties with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Republican lawmaker reiterated his request from August for any documents related to Chinese entities that have been associated with Walz over time. &#8220;Recent reports indicate Mr. Walz, during his time in Congress, &#8216;helped secure over $2 million&#8217; and &#8216;advocated for a $5 million federal earmark&#8217; for the Hormel Institute, which is &#8216;a Minnesota-based medical research center known for its collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China,'&#8221; Comer stated in his letter to Wray. He noted that &#8220;the Wuhan Institute of Virology has close links to the CCP and has been implicated in the origins of COVID-19.&#8221; Comer&#8217;s correspondence also referenced a Fox News report highlighting Hormel Institute\u2019s history of working with Beijing Genomics Institute, which was identified by the Pentagon as a \u201cChinese military company\u201d earlier this year. Although officials at the University of Minnesota\u2014the parent institution of Hormel\u2014recently claimed there is no \u201cformal affiliation\u201d between them and either WIV or Beijing Genomics Institute, journal records indicate collaborative projects involving researchers from both organizations and Hormel.<\/p>\n<p>Comer criticized what he described as &#8220;Walz\u2019s documented relations with CCP affiliates&#8221; as unacceptable. Since it was announced that Walz would be Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s running mate, Republicans have criticized him over perceived connections and sympathies towards China. In 2016, Walz remarked that he did not believe it necessary for relations between China and America to be adversarial; reports suggest he has visited China 30 times\u2014including on his honeymoon\u2014and previously organized a trip partially sponsored by CCP officials while teaching high school students in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Comer is investigating Walz\u2019s past teaching fellowship at Macau Polytechnic University until at least 2007; this institution promotes China&#8217;s Belt and Road Initiative\u2014a key component of President Xi Jinping&#8217;s foreign influence strategy\u2014according to reports from The New York Post.<\/p>\n<p>In addressing Wray about these issues concerning Walz\u2019s ties to Hormel Institute specifically mentioned new findings regarding Dr. Zigang Dong\u2014the former executive director who resigned abruptly in 2019 amid an FBI investigation into potential undisclosed foreign funding when applying for grants\u2014who had also been a significant donor supporting Walz politically according to Federal Election Commission filings.<\/p>\n<p>Comer pointed out that while discussing these matters previously raised by him regarding Chinese influence operations targeting U.S., he remains concerned about how such affiliations could affect decision-making processes if they were allowed unchecked influence within government roles held by individuals like Mr.Walz should he ascend further politically.<\/p>\n<p>He requested any communications between FBI agents and representatives from Governor Tim Walt\u2019z office concerning warnings or guidance related specifically towards interactions involving subnational government officials engaging directly or indirectly through proxies associated within People&#8217;s Republic Of China&#8217;s governance structure along those lines including documentation surrounding both Beijing Genomics &amp;Hormell Institutes alongside Zigang Dong himself\u2014all due back by September 19th deadline set forth without comment yet received back thus far from agency involved herewith overall context provided herein above outlined accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinabove accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinabove accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinabove accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinabove accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinabove accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinabove accordingly throughout entirety presented above textually speaking overall basis established hereinafter respectively stated therein respectively stated therein respectively stated therein respectively stated therein respectively stated therein respectively stated therein respectfully submitted hereby respectfully submitted hereby respectfully submitted hereby respectfully submitted hereby respectfully submitted hereby respectfully submitted hereinafter henceforth henceforth henceforth henceforth henceforth henceforth therefore therefore therefore therefore therefore therefore thereby thereby thereby thereby thereby thereby thus thus thus thus thus thus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2340130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24080630800919-2-1024x599.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38161,3976,40726,36113],"class_list":["post-2340129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-china-ties","tag-investigation","tag-james-comer","tag-tim-walz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24080630800919-2-1024x599.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2340129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2340130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2340129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2340129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2340129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}