Comment on ''News Texas just turned into the UK: GOP House passes dystopian bill criminalizing memes…'' by hyokkim

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hyokkim · 5/17/2025, 5:31:11 AM · permalink

Mr. Clark D. Lauritzen

Chairman and President

First National Bank of Omaha

1620 Dodge St.

Omaha, NE 68197

Dear Mr. Lauritzen:

We are investigating the domestic and international business dealings of President

Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and other Biden associates and family members to determine

whether these activities compromise U.S. national security and President Biden’s ability to lead

with impartiality. According to recent media reports, more than 150 of the Bidens’ international

business transactions have been flagged by U.S. banks for suspicious activities.1 Additionally,

documents reviewed by Committee Republicans show corporate entities affiliated with, founded

by, and/or controlled by Hunter Biden funded family and associates’ business travel to China.

To understand the full extent of Hunter Biden’s involvement with Chinese companies and the

government, we must review the Biden family’s financial records as they relate to improper

business dealings and relationships with foreign adversaries. Therefore, we request financial

records related to Biden family members and associates.

Committee Republicans are reviewing transactions spanning much of 2017—a period

when Hunter and James Biden, the President’s brother, were orchestrating international

transactions with CEFC, “a company that’s effectively an arm of the Chinese Government.”2

According to media reports, U.S. banks flagged “more than 150 financial transactions involving

either Hunter or James Biden’s global business affairs\[.\]”3 Some of those concerns included

“large wire transfers.”4 Under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks have an obligation to assist the

government in “detecting and preventing money laundering.”5 Part of this obligation requires

the reporting of high dollar transactions. In the normal course, a bank is required to generate

1Catherine Herridge, Graham Kates, Michael Kaplan, Andrew Bast, GOP probe of Hunter Biden’s business

dealings turns to president’s brother James, CBS NEWS (Apr. 6, 2022).

2Grassley, Johnson Release Bank Records Tying Biden Family To CCP-Linked Individuals &amp; Companies, Sen.

Chuck Grassley News Room, Mar. 29, 2022.

3Supra, n. 1.

4Id.

5Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR), U.S. Dept. of Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, available at

https://www.occ.treas.gov/topics/supervision-and-examination/bank-operations/financial-crime/suspicious-activity

reports/index-suspicious-activity-reports.html.

Mr. Clark D. Lauritzen

May 25, 2022

Page 2

what is referred to as a suspicious activity report (SAR) when the institution encounters a

transaction of concern. 6

After taking office, the Biden Administration imposed restrictions on Congress’ access to

SARs. For the past 20 years, any committee of Congress could request and receive these reports.

However, the Biden Administration has taken the novel position of preventing Congress from

receiving the reports. To view a SAR, congressional staff are required to “review all material in

a reading room at Treasury, prohibiting the copying of materials for purposes of highlighting,

ongoing reference, or margin notation, and restricting information collection to note taking.”7

The reversal in policy even raised concerns among Democrats, leading Chairwoman Maxine

Waters to sponsor a bill requiring Treasury to provide the reports to Congress.8 The Biden

Administration’s policy change raises troubling questions about the Administration’s efforts to

shield Hunter Biden from congressional oversight.

Committee Republicans are investigating potential influence peddling and threats to

national security. Specifically, we are investigating whether the Biden family sold access to the

highest levels of government to America’s adversaries. Since there is also evidence of

comingling of funds between President Biden and Hunter Biden during the former’s vice

presidency, Republicans must ask whether the current President is compromised from a national

security perspective.9

The convergence of the Biden family’s political and business lives began during the

Obama-Biden Administration. Obama Administration White House visitor logs show Hunter

Biden’s business partner visited the White House at least 27 times during President Biden’s vice

presidency.10 Hunter Biden’s business partner—Eric Schwerin—was later nominated for a

position in the Obama-Biden Administration and handled then-Vice President Biden’s tax

returns while he was in office and Schwerin was president of Rosemont Seneca Partners—

another Hunter Biden-affiliated company.11 Republicans must track the dollars to uncover

whether the current President himself benefitted from these transactions and whether the

payments were from nations opposed to U.S. interests.

We are committed to following Hunter Biden’s money trail—consisting of many

complex, international transactions worth millions of dollars—and providing answers to the

American people. The American people deserve to know the President’s connections to his

son’s business deals, which have occurred at the expense of American interests and may

6Id.

7H. Comm. on Financial Services, Memorandum, Full Comm. Markup, May 12, 2022, available at

https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HMKP-117-BA00-20220517-SD002.pdf.

8See H.R. 7734, 117th Cong., Timely Production of Bank Secrecy Act, available at

https://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-1177734ih_-_0517.pdf.

9Letter from James Comer, et. al., Ranking Member, H. Comm. on Oversight and reform, to Eric D, Schwerin,

Institute for Ethical Awareness (Apr. 27, 2022).

10 Cameron Cawthorne &amp; Joe Schoffstall, Hunter Biden business partner made 8 additional White House visits in

2016, visitor logs show, FOX NEWS (Apr. 26, 2022).

11 Supra, n. 3.

Mr. Clark D. Lauritzen

May 25, 2022

Page 3

represent a national security threat. To assist with this investigation, please produce the

following documents and information no later than June 8, 2022:

1\. All financial records in First National Bank of Omaha’s custody relating to Hunter

Biden, James Biden, Sara Biden, John R. Walker, Eric Schwerin, Devon Archer and

corporate entities linked to them, including but not limited to Rosemont Seneca

Advisors LLC, Rosemont Seneca Partners, Rosemont Seneca Technology, RSTP II

Alpha Partners, RSTP II Bravo and Equity Distribution Trust, Hudson West III,

Owasco LLC, and Skaneateles LLC.

2\. A list of all First National Bank of Omaha accounts opened by Hunter Biden, James

Biden, Sara Biden, John R. Walker, Eric Schwerin, Devon Archer and corporate

entities linked to them.

3\. All documents and communications between or among employees of First National

Bank of Omaha and Hunter Biden, James Biden, Sara Biden, John R. Walker, Eric

Schwerin, Devon Archer and corporate entities linked to them.

4\. All documents and communications regarding any First National Bank of Omaha

account linked to Hunter Biden, James Biden, Sara Biden, John R. Walker, Eric

Schwerin, Devon Archer and corporate entities linked to them with a related

suspicious activity report filed on the account.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight

committee of the House of Representatives and may at “any time” investigate “any matter” as set

forth in House Rule X. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Oversight

Committee Republican Staff at 202-225-5074. Thank you for your cooperation with this inquiry.

Sincerely,

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

James Comer

Ranking Member

Committee on Oversight and Reform

cc:

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Chairwoman

Committee on Oversight and Reform

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rick · 5/17/2025, 8:13:27 AM · permalink

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