
James Comer is urging the FBI to release documents on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s alleged ties with China, highlighting a significant push to uncover potential foreign influences on U.S. politics.
At a Glance
- James Comer demands the FBI release documents on Governor Walz’s connections to CCP-affiliated entities.
- The House Oversight Committee initially requested this information on August 16, 2024.
- Walz has a substantial history of engagement with Chinese institutions, including organizing multiple trips to China.
- The Committee is investigating the influence of Chinese entities on U.S. politicians and potential impacts on decision-making.
- The FBI has not yet responded to the Committee’s requests.
Committee’s Demand for Transparency
James Comer, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, has pressured FBI Director Christopher Wray to disclose documents concerning Governor Tim Walz’s interactions with Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated entities. Comer’s request centers around concerns that Walz’s engagements could have significant implications for U.S. national security.
On August 16, 2024, the Committee formally asked the FBI to provide all relevant information regarding Governor Walz’s connections with CCP entities and any warnings or intelligence that had been communicated to Walz’s office. Comer’s intensified demands for these documents underscore the urgency to address foreign interference in American political affairs.
🚨🚨🚨
The FBI’s silence regarding Governor Walz’s relationship with CCP entities and officials is inexcusable.
Americans deserve to understand the full extent of Mr. Walz’s ties to China.
The FBI must turn over all documents and information.👇https://t.co/D4dyiMiCg4
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) September 12, 2024
Documented Engagements With China
Walz’s recorded associations with China date back decades. In 1993, he organized a trip to China for students at Alliance High School, with the Chinese government partially funding this trip. His connections extend to academic affiliations, such as serving as a fellow at Macau Polytechnic University in 2007, a university known to align with China’s Belt and Road Initiative—a campaign to spread China’s influence globally.
Investigative Efforts and FBI’s Response
Concerns escalate as Walz has made about 30 trips to China and secured funds for the Hormel Institute, which has partnerships with controversial Chinese entities like the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Beijing Genomics Institute. These associations have raised red flags about the potential influence on his decisions. Underlying this is Comer’s suspicion about whether Walz’s connections have impacted federal funding and program allocations.
“Recent reports indicate Mr. Walz, while in Congress, ‘helped secure over $2 million’ and ‘pushed for a $5 million federal earmark’ for the Hormel Institute, which is a ‘Minnesota-based medical research center with a history of working with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China,'” Comer wrote in the letter to Wray. “The Wuhan Institute of Virology is closely connected to the CCP and has been implicated in the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The FBI’s lack of response to the Committee’s inquiries has drawn sharp criticism from Comer. He stressed the importance of transparency to ensure that foreign entities do not compromise U.S. political integrity. The Committee has set a new deadline of September 19th for the FBI to produce the requested documents.
James Comer Pressures FBI To Hand Over Documents On Walz’s Purported ‘Ties To China’ https://t.co/cU9mIRlxli #OAN
— One America News (@OANN) September 12, 2024
Potential Implications
Walz’s involvement with Chinese organizations may have broader implications, particularly as he’s been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate. The question of whether these relationships could affect his decision-making as a state leader or, potentially, at the White House level, keeps the stakes high.
“The FBI’s silence regarding Mr. Walz’s documented relations with CCP affiliates is inexcusable,” Comer noted. The intensity of the current investigative push reflects broader anxieties about the depth of China’s influence over U.S. policymakers and the potential ramifications if left unchecked.
Sources:
- Comer: FBI’s Silence Regarding Governor Walz’s Relationship with CCP-Affiliated Entities and Officials is Inexcusable
- Comer Slams FBI for Withholding Information on Tim Walz’s China Ties
- James Comer requests FBI documents on Tim Walz’s China ties
- James Comer Launches New Probe to Help Trump, This Time Into Tim Walz
- James Comer Pressures FBI To Hand Over Documents On Walz’s Purported ‘Ties To China’
- Comer Launches Probe into Governor Walz’s Extensive Engagement with China and CCP Entities
- Tim Walz made an impression in China, students and teachers say
- House Republicans launch probe into Tim Walz’s relationship to China