Renowned journalist Bob Woodward has firmly denied accusations made by Republican James Comer regarding comments Woodward allegedly made about President Joe Biden's financial dealings. The allegations are detailed in Comer's soon-to-be-released book, "All the President's Money: Investigating the Secret Foreign Schemes That Made the Biden Family Rich," set to hit the shelves next week. Comer claimed that during a dinner in February 2023, Woodward discussed Biden's financial corruption, which Woodward categorically denies.
Woodward, known for his pivotal role in exposing President Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal alongside Carl Bernstein, has countered Comer's claims with evidence. He maintains that tapes of their conversation prove Comer's assertions false. Woodward stated that Comer misrepresented their discussion, attributing statements to him that he never made.
“The statements attributed to me in what is apparently his book are false,” said Woodward.
Comer has been at the forefront of Republican efforts to link Biden to alleged financial corruption involving foreign entities. Despite his vigorous pursuit, Comer's investigation has faced criticisms for being laden with conspiracy theories and relying on discredited witnesses. Notably, Jonathan Turley, a key witness in the investigation, expressed skepticism over the sufficiency of evidence against Biden for impeachment proceedings.
The investigation suffered another setback during a high-profile hearing, which failed to substantiate the claims against Biden. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden was separately convicted on taxation and gun charges but later received a pardon from his father, adding fuel to the ongoing political discourse.
Woodward has been vocal in his rebuttal of Comer's allegations. He emphasized that during their interaction, Comer made unfounded allegations about various political figures.
“In the course of the interview Comer made a series of wild and over-the-top allegations about various people and political figures. It was an endless stream. None checked out,” Woodward remarked.
Woodward further criticized Comer's account as misleading and inaccurate, asserting that he never accused Biden of corruption or selling access.
“I never said Biden was corrupt or sold access,” he stated unequivocally.
Despite repeated inquiries, representatives for Comer have not issued a response to Woodward's denials. The controversy highlights the intense scrutiny surrounding both Biden's presidency and Comer's investigative pursuits.
Comer has attributed several statements to Woodward, claiming that Woodward advised proving all of Biden's alleged wrongdoing as a challenging task.
“You will have to prove all of Joe Biden’s wrongdoing,” Comer quoted Woodward as saying, “‘and you will likely not be able to do that.’”
However, Woodward paints a different picture of their conversation, indicating that Comer's recollection diverges significantly from reality.
“I say this on the record now. I don’t know any more about him or what else might be in his book. But it is a textbook case of someone seriously misremembering or putting his own comments into someone else’s mouth – in this case, mine. He is peddling stories, conclusions and allegations that just do not check out at all,” Woodward asserted.