Democratic group launches six-figure ad campaign demanding investigation into Trump family

EXCLUSIVE — House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) is facing renewed calls to investigate former President Donald Trump and his family members, with one Democratic-aligned activist group pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into ads accusing the Trump administration of fraternizing with foreign adversaries.

The Congressional Integrity Project is set to launch a monthslong ad campaign demanding the Oversight Committee open investigations into the Trump family similar to those Comer has initiated against President Joe Biden since taking over as chairman in January. The group specifically requests inquiries into the conduct of former senior adviser Jared Kushner and Trump’s three oldest children, accusing the four of “influence peddling” while Trump was in office.

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“It has been over a hundred days since Comer said his committee would investigate the Trump family, and they have been radio silent on announcing hearings or sending letters requesting information,” Kyle Herrig, executive director of the Congressional Integrity Project, said in a statement. “If Comer actually cared about potential influence peddling and corruption, he would be investigating how Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, and Jared Kushner profited off their time in the White House instead of these baseless political stunts.”

The campaign spending will go toward TV ads, political events, protests, billboards, airplane banners, and more while specifically targeting key Republican congressional districts ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

The group will also launch a website detailing several instances of alleged profiteering and influence peddling carried out by Kushner and Trump’s oldest children, including business deals conducted with foreign governments while Trump was in office. The website will then link to a petition voters can sign to demand a House-led investigation.

“Comer would rather use his time to hold conspiracy theory-filled hearings and go on Fox News and Newsmax than hold these investigations that are all teed up for him,” Herrig said.

The Congressional Integrity Project pointed to multiple reports they say should be thoroughly investigated by lawmakers that involve foreign governments and Trump’s family members.

For example, the group pointed to Kushner’s contacts with foreign officials in at least four countries that he reportedly failed to disclose to the National Security Council during the first two years of the Trump administration. Those relationships prompted concern among U.S. intelligence agencies after it was discovered foreign officials privately discussed ways they could manipulate Kushner by taking advantage of his business arrangements and lack of foreign policy experience, according to the Washington Post. 

Members of the Congressional Integrity Project also cited instances in which Trump directed his chief of staff to grant Kushner a top-secret security clearance despite pushback from top intelligence officials, according to a whistleblower report in 2019. The House Oversight Committee, then led by Democrats, voted to subpoena an ex-White House official for his testimony regarding the matter, with all 15 Republicans on the panel voting against the measure.

Comer initially indicated he would continue investigations into the Trump administration after taking control of the Oversight Committee, telling Fox News in January it would “be a part of our overall investigation.”

“Both Democrats and Republicans have complained about this with the previous two administrations,” he said. “So something needs to be done.”

However, he made clear at the time that Oversight Republicans would focus their attention on Biden — later dropping a number of investigations into Trump that he inherited from the last Congress.

The Congressional Integrity Project’s ad buy is the latest escalation in House Republicans’ investigations into the president’s family and their business dealings, which has become a focal point of their agenda after taking control of the lower chamber earlier this year. Many of these investigations have focused specifically on the president’s son Hunter.

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The matter first took prominence during the 2020 election as the GOP sought to determine whether then-candidate Joe Biden benefited financially from his son’s business transactions, pointing to national security concerns.

The Oversight Committee has made that a high priority in recent months, with Comer leading investigations into the Bidens’ business dealings “to determine if the Biden family has been targeted by foreign actors, if President Biden is compromised, and if there is a national security threat.” Comer is scheduled to give an update on those investigations on Wednesday morning.