Comer Demands Transcribed Interviews in Climate Envoy Probe

As the House Oversight Committee continues its probe into John Kerry's role in the Biden administration's special presidential envoy for climate (SPEC) office, Chairman James Comer is requesting transcribed interviews with employees in the bureau, the Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday.

The Kentucky Republican sent a letter on Wednesday to President Joe Biden's top climate diplomat, John Podesta, insisting on an interview on his transition to take over Kerry's responsibilities after he stepped down from the envoy position in March to help Biden's reelection campaign, which has since come to an end.

Republicans have been angered that despite Kerry's high-profile travels to climate summits and his diplomatic efforts to push a global transition from fossil fuels to green energy during his time as envoy, the SPEC has remained relatively silent about its operations and staff members. The GOP has insisted on greater transparency from the State Department agency.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken permitted the department to release documents and communications on the transition after Comer wrote to the secretary in March, but Comer  demanded an interview to receive clearer answers on whether Podesta is a "replacement for the SPEC."

In Wednesday's letter, shared with the Washington Examiner, Comer wrote, "The department has since released documents and communications regarding your transition to serve as senior adviser to the president for International Climate Policy — and the released information supports concerns that the Biden Administration has taken steps to avoid the Senate confirmation process and to cloud transparency of the SPEC office's activities."

The House Oversight Committee chairman added, "Because we are aware of significant confusion across the department related to your transition to your new role, we require your participation in a transcribed interview to examine your involvement in SPEC-related matters."

In an earlier letter to Blinken on Monday, Comer wrote that the committee also wants to interview six high-level employees after the State Department gave documents with "unjustified redactions," with only three documents satisfying the committee's request.

Comer's letter on Wednesday stated that the committee has expressed numerous concerns "regarding the composition of the SPEC office and its coordination with leftist environmental groups to the department, forcing the committee to again consider the use of compulsory process to require a complete disclosure of the information originally requested by the committee — including SPEC staff names, titles, salaries, ethics disclosures, and financial disclosures."

Comer wrote, "Members of your staff have information that will assist us in fully
understanding: the role, activities, and composition of the SPEC office; off-the-record meetings with leftist environmental groups; and actions of the department to keep SPEC activities from the purview of Congress and the American people."

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