Top Democrat raises questions over key witness in the GOP impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden

By Annie Grayer, CNN

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, raised serious questions about a key witness in the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden in a letter to Oversight Chairman James Comer provided first to CNN.

Raskin wrote that Tony Bobulinski, a business associate of the Biden family who is expected to be interviewed on Tuesday as part of the Republican-led investigation, presents “giant red flags” and called on Comer to bring in other Trump administration and campaign officials to corroborate any testimony he provides.

Bobulinski alleged in the leadup to the 2020 presidential election that Joe Biden profited from his son’s business deals, which former President Donald Trump and his allies seized on. In the letter, Raskin asks Comer to bring in some of those allies for interviews, including Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump White House lawyer Eric Herschmann and Trump advisers Arthur Schwartz and Jason Miller.

But other witnesses close to Bobulinski and the Biden family have refuted Bobulinski’s claims. Biden business associate Rob Walker told the FBI in 2020 that Bobulinski’s claims about Joe Biden’s involvement was “wishful thinking” and agreed with agents who comparied Bobulinski’s claims to “unicorns and rainbows.” Walker recently testified to House Republicans that Joe Biden “while in office or as a private citizen, was never involved in any business activities we pursued,” according to excerpts of his testimony provided to CNN.

Another associate to the Biden family, James Gillar, who was on an email chain Bobulinski was using as evidence, told the Wall Street Journal when Bobulinski’s allegations were made, “I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former vice president.”

Raskin also raised issue with Bobulinski’s lack of cooperation with Democrats on the Oversight Committee, and questioned the materials he turned over as “cherry-picked and selective information.”

A House Oversight Committee spokesperson told CNN that Raskin’s concerns about Bobulinski are “beyond parody” and accused Democrats of “engaging in witness intimidation.”

CNN has reached out to Bobulinski for response to Raskin’s letter.

Comer meanwhile has praised Bobulinski and described him as “of all of the guys that were involved in the Hunter Biden orbit, Tony Bobulinski appears to me to be the one solid guy that tried to do the right thing and was honest.” The committee requested to speak with Bobulinski to learn about what “firsthand knowledge” he had.

Raskin’s letter to Comer comes shortly after House Oversight Democrats released a new memo that shows none of the last seven witnesses interviewed as part of Republican’s impeachment inquiry have said there was any evidence of wrongdoing by the president. The report includes excerpts from each interview and offers a serious blow to Republicans who have been struggling to build momentum on their inquiry and openly questioning whether it will result in impeachment.

“Each witness stated they were not aware of any evidence of any wrongdoing by President Biden or of President Biden being involved in, profiting from, or taking official actions in relation to family members’ business ventures” the report from Democratic staff reads.

“Further, not one of these witnesses indicated they ever had any expectation of receiving or ever did receive any political favors from President Biden or his Administration.”

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