Comer press conference about the Biden family's pay-to-play was a bust
Not because the investigation was wrong or not newsworthy, but because his press conference was confusing, poorly planned and more.
The Comer press conference could have been worse, but I don’t see how.
As a one-time public relations consultant and a retired journalist I was appalled about how Rep. James Comer (R-Ky), and his House Oversight and Accountability Committee, completely botched their revelations about the Biden family network of pay-to-play cash.
Comer had the makings of a meaningful and impactful event. Detailing how Hunter Biden’s cash was distributed to some 20 ghost companies and then doled out to nine Biden relatives including a grandchild is legitimate and important news. But the mainstream media pretty much ignored it or put it down as nothing is partly Comer’s own fault.
Let’s go through some of the serious mistakes.
Graphs showing how the money flowed from China and the other Biden pals, into fake companies and hence to the Biden bank accounts should have been the centerpiece. Some charts were off to the side, but never shown. Did any media pick up and show their viewers or readers the essence of those graphs? Without those lines clearly shown, the whole effort is a bust.
The format was ridiculous. I’ve never understood why it has become an accepted PR practice to line up a bunch of people who have nothing to say in the background. It’s a distraction; people trying to look interested. They’re just props and it’s insulting.
Having a parade of speakers to satisfy a number of egos also was a huge mistake. The focus should have been on making the information easier to understand and compelling. Instead, the explanations were disjointed, incomprehensible and repetitive. It all came off as self-serving.
There should only have been one speaker—someone who knows the information inside and out. He should have stood off to the side—not behind a podium—with a pointer showing exactly how the money flowed. And a script that made it understandable. Comer’s fast reading of the companies was useless. I couldn’t make any sense of it.
Comer et al seemed to try to downplay the fact that they so far haven’t tied President Biden directly to the payments. (I seem to recall that he shared a bank account with Hunter, making it easier for Biden to get to the money. (No mention was made of that.) Failing to make this point out front gave Biden’s people an opportunity to discredit the committee’s findings.
But the fact that money flowed though bogus companies that offered no products or services other than being a conduit for millions of dollars that were given to family members for no apparent reason is newsworthy on its own. Elsewhere it’s known as the Chicago Way and a sure sign of corruption.
Unfortunately, as said in the news business, the story’s lead (opening and most important paragraph) was buried in a blizzard of details, poorly organized and confusing.
The committee’s 31-page report is chuck-full of detailed information about how the scheme worked. Those in the media or the public who honestly believe that there’s nothing of substance should read the entire report. (Here.)
Yes some of the information repeats “old news,” as the critics say, but it’s necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the shenanigans. The revelations establish a solid ground for an FBI investigation and Justice Dept. action, at the least.
The mainstream media, of course, isn’t curious about any of it. Their reporters and editors are content to be useful idiots manipulated by self-serving politicians. As a reporter decades ago, I would be furious and more determined than ever to get the full story.
The Nixon Watergate scandal was exposed by the media. They’re absent now, leaving Republicans to do the hard work. Could it be that Nixon was a hated Republican and Biden is a Democrat?
Comer promises more to come, possibly showing a direct link to Biden. If he does, one can only hope that he and the committee will learn from their mistakes.