As Rep. James Comer (R-KY) began investigating Hunter Biden for his alleged use of shell companies to hide money made from his foreign business deals, it emerged last month that he in fact had his own shell company — which he quickly dismissed by claiming his company did legitimate business. But according to a new Daily Beast report, Comer's company doesn't have a very clean record.
"A review of dozens of tax, real estate, and business filings in Kentucky and Tennessee indicate that Comer’s own personal 'books and records' are opaque at best — and improper at worst," reported Roger Sollenberger. "Those records include the dealings of Comer’s shell company, Farm Team Properties LLC, which the state of Kentucky has dissolved twice for failure to file annual reports — first in 2020, then again in 2022."
Comer originally denied owning an LLC altogether. When questioned about Farm Team Properties on Fox Business in December, Comer admitted it existed but denied it was a shell company, saying that it “leases hunting on my 1,600 acres of farmland,” and generates “lots of revenue, legitimate revenue.” But that doesn't seem to be true, either.
"On personal financial disclosures starting from 2017 — the year Comer’s wife created Farm Team Properties — and continuing through his most recent statement covering 2022, Comer has listed the income from the company as 'none,'" said the report. "House ethics rules state that members who 'own an interest in a partnership or limited liability company established for the purpose of holding real estate,' must describe 'each individual property held by the company.' Members also 'must disclose each asset held by the company in which your interest (or that of your spouse or dependent child) had a period-end value of more than $1,000' or had recorded 'more than $200 in income during the reporting period.'"
Experts have said the Comer's reports on rental income appear to only show net income, not gross, which would be a violation of reporting requirements.
Notably, most of the companies that Hunter Biden owns that Comer has accused of being "shell companies" actually have a stated business purpose, which would make it a stretch to call them shell companies.
Republicans have sought to prove that Hunter Biden's entities are being used to cover up international bribes given to President Joe Biden, but have not managed to find any evidence tying the president to these businesses. Even their own witnesses have said they were not aware of any involvement the elder Biden had.
