U.S. Rep. James Comer representing Kentucky's 1st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Rep. James Comer representing Kentucky's 1st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) are reiterating a request to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) related to certain groups associated with illegal and antisemitic activities, including those occurring on college campuses across the United States. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the lawmakers noted that Treasury has yet to produce any documents in response to the Committees' initial request. Reports continue to indicate that several of these organizations are leading efforts in antisemitic activities.
"Over the summer, illegal and antisemitic activities have continued off-campus, including recent violent demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol and Columbus Circle in Washington, D.C. Four of the entities listed in the Committees' request are sponsors or active participants in recent events in Washington, D.C.: Westchester Political Action Committee Foundation (WESPAC Foundation), Samidoun, Jewish Voice for Peace, and The People's Forum. The Palestinian Youth Movement, whose fiscal sponsor is WESPAC Foundation and regularly organizes events with Samidoun, recently took credit for releasing maggots and activating fire alarms in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying," wrote Comer and Foxx.
The Committees initially wrote to Secretary Yellen in May 2024 requesting all SARs connected to twenty organizations reported to be leading, financing, and participating in pro-Hamas, antisemitic, and anti-American protests occurring on college campuses across the U.S. On June 6, 2024, they made an accommodation to prioritize a narrowly scoped range of documents; however, Treasury has not produced any requested documents to date. The Committees are prepared to utilize compulsory processes if Treasury fails to cooperate with this investigation.
"Considering the serious nature of recent illegal and antisemitic events related to entities named in this investigation," Comer and Foxx continued, "it is imperative that Treasury immediately cooperate and provide the requested documents."
Read the letter to Secretary Yellen here.
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