Rep. James Comer (R-KY) downplayed using a witness who pleaded guilty to lying about a fake bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
While speaking to CNN on Wednesday, host Pamela Brown asked Comer about using Alexander Smirnov in his impeachment investigation. The former FBI informant recently admitted he falsely claimed the Bidens took millions in bribes from Ukraine energy company Burisma. Smirnov was expected to be sentenced in January.
"This was Chuck Grassley's witness," Comer said, shifting the blame to the Republican senator from Iowa. "He wanted us to question. We questioned a lot of people."
"I understand you're now trying to distance yourself, saying he wasn't a big part of the investigation, but I do want to play what was said at the time," Brown said before presenting a clip of Comer on Fox News.
"This is a very crucial piece of our investigation," Comer told Fox News at the time.
"Do you regret playing this FBI informant up at the time at all, even if you say you didn't ultimately rely on him?" Brown asked.
"I didn't play it up," Comer insisted.
"But you said it was a crucial part of the investigation," the CNN host noted.
"Well, it was, everything was a crucial part of the investigation," the lawmaker admitted. "We would interview anyone that claimed they had information... Chuck Grassley wanted us to interview the guy."
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Brown wondered why Comer's effort to impeach Biden "failed" if Republicans had enough evidence to prove corruption.
"It wasn't a failed effort," Comer asserted. "That's what CNN's trying to say. It was a very successful effort."
"I'm not trying to say that," Brown replied. "It's just a fact. You didn't have enough Republicans on board because they didn't feel, to see the proof that was necessary."
Changing the subject, Comer claimed Democrats "devalued" the impeachment process by successfully impeaching President-elect Donald Trump twice.
"And I think when Joe Biden issued the pardon to his son, a blanket pardon, I think that validated what we did," the Kentucky Republican added.
