Exclusive: The House Small Business Committee will release its year-end interim report on what it found was the “weaponization of federal resources” for political purposes within the Small Business Administration.
Earlier this year, the committee chairman, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), issued an unusual subpoena to Small Business Administration officials over work related to a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with the Michigan Department of State. issued a letter.
The memorandum was in accordance with President Biden’s 2021 Executive Order 14019: Advancing Access to Voting. However, the committee alleged that the SBA engaged in partisan voter registration efforts in key battleground states, rather than simply assisting voters across the board.
The committee report, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, said Biden’s executive order was an “inappropriate use of executive authority” and that the SBA’s actions in response would thereby “impair the integrity of U.S. elections.” “It poses an unnecessary risk to the public.”
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The committee found that “SBA’s Memorandum of Understanding with Michigan and the travel patterns of senior SBA officials demonstrate a conflation of official business with partisan political activity.”
“Whether intentionally or negligently, the SBA has failed to rebut concerns regarding the partisan nature of this MOU.”
The committee’s report also found that the SBA “deviated from its core mission” in working with the State of Michigan under the Voter Registration Memorandum, “obscuring the content of EO 14019 implementation, and making political allegations against the truth.” “He engaged in a long-term campaign to obfuscate the facts.” Report on SBA activities to the committee. ”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) praised the committee’s efforts and its interim report, saying the report “not only exposes inappropriate uses of executive power but also endangers the integrity of government. “We have also rightly identified serious concerns about possible actions taken by the agency.” US elections. ”
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“The stark contrast between the SBA’s core mission and its involvement in voter registration efforts highlights the urgent need for increased transparency and accountability,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that he and the Republican caucus look forward to working with President-elect Trump to end these “abuses.”
The 47-page report further alleged that the SBA exceeded the requirements of state and federal laws, including the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Shortage Prevention Act, and the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from engaging in political activity in their official capacities. .
In May, Williams and his committee, along with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), requested travel schedules, official calendars and other documents from the SBA. Additionally, at least one separate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit has been launched by the Right-Wing Watch Project targeting some of the same documents amid the alleged “obstruction” of Congress.
Williams initially shirked responsibility for the SBA and Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman to support “Main Street,” and instead ignored the committee’s oversight requests while targeting Michigan Democratic states like Detroit and Saginaw. He criticized the government for focusing on voter registration in areas with large numbers of voters.
Rep. Brian Still (R-Wis.), who chairs the House Administration Committee and oversees legislative issues related to elections, said elections are a partisan issue, but election administration should not be a partisan issue. Ta.
“The Biden-Harris administration should never be allowed to work with the Michigan Department of State to use taxpayer dollars for partisan purposes.”
Key Biden agency slapped with historic subpoena over ‘inappropriate’ voter registration drive in battleground states
People lining up outside the polling station. (Reuters)
Williams’ report takes a closer look at executive orders aimed at aligning the SBA’s actions with ways the executive orders change how the executive branch enforces the National Voter Registration Act and support federal employees. The agency announced its own mandate for government officials to work with the White House to find out. Those who wish to volunteer as election staff or election observers.
The report said Michigan’s selection as a petri dish for SBA operations under the executive order was due to its status as a swing state and because Michigan’s leaders were “sympathetic” to SBA policies. It added that the facts brought it to the committee’s attention early on. Biden vs. Harris campaign.
“This interim report demonstrates how the memorandum blurs the line between personal political beliefs and the official duties of SBA and Michigan employees,” the document reads.
The report also included copies of email chains between the White House, the SBA, and outside advocacy groups.
“The committee found that many senior SBA employees have ties to these left-leaning organizations,” it reads.
“Notably, the Biden-Harris administration has ‘warmly welcomed’ these relationships between bipartisan institutions and left-wing organizations.”
In summarizing and responding to the report, Williams said the SBA was established to “assist, advise, assist, and protect the interests of small business.”
In previous statements to Fox News Digital, Williams, the top Democrat on the committee, expressed regret at the way Williams subpoenaed and conducted his investigation into the memorandum.
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Williams is targeting a partnership started by the Michigan Department of State and Small Business Administration Secretary Isabel Guzman. (Getty Images)
Rep. Nydia Velasquez (D.Y.) said in a statement that the committee has long prided itself on “bipartisan collaboration to support America’s entrepreneurs.”
“Unfortunately, with (these) subpoenas, Republicans have rejected these principles in order to pursue a partisan investigation,” Velasquez said.
SBA representatives have repeatedly denied the allegations raised by the Congressional investigation.
In October, Guzmán’s spokesperson said apparent claims that he had “obstructed” the commission’s work were “patently false.”
An SBA spokesperson told FOX News Digital on Tuesday that the allegation of “obstruction” is “patently false.”
“For nearly two years, the SBA has cooperated with the Committee’s investigation, testifying at multiple hearings, providing briefings to Committee staff, having agency personnel transcribe interviews, and providing thousands of pages for investigation. documents have been prepared,” the spokesperson said. He said the suspicions were “groundless.”
