In a recent development, President Joe Biden has found himself under scrutiny for allegedly using aliases and “secret” email addresses during his tenure as vice president, a practice that has raised questions about transparency and accountability. The revelations have sparked comparisons to a similar practice by the Obama-Biden administration, which defended the use of alternate email addresses for high-ranking officials.
During a press briefing in 2013, Jay Carney, the White House press secretary at the time, addressed accusations that senior administration officials were employing “secret” email addresses for official correspondence. Carney defended the practice, asserting that it was consistent with prior administrations of both parties. He argued that having alternate email addresses for officials such as cabinet secretaries made sense, allowing them to manage public emails, spam, and official work more effectively. Carney emphasized that all email accounts, including any alternate addresses, were included in responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and congressional inquiries.
This acknowledgment from the Obama-Biden White House resurfaces as House Republicans, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, seek unredacted emails from President Biden’s time as vice president. These emails are of particular interest due to allegations that Biden utilized pseudonyms to correspond with others, including his son Hunter Biden. The requested emails pertain to the Biden family’s overseas business dealings, including those involving the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
Comer’s request encompasses documents that reference pseudonyms attributed to Vice President Biden, such as “Robert Peters,” “Robin Ware,” and “JRB Ware.” Additionally, the committee is seeking emails involving Hunter Biden and his associates, as well as drafts of Biden’s 2015 speech to the Ukrainian Rada. The committee’s investigation aims to shed light on the relationship between Biden’s official duties and his family’s business interests, which have been a subject of controversy.
The National Archives, responsible for preserving and providing access to historical records, is now tasked with responding to Comer’s request. The committee’s concerns center around claims that Joe Biden’s family members were privy to his official government duties in countries where they had financial interests, suggesting potential conflicts of interest and improper influence.
Notably, these allegations come on the heels of a 2021 report from the New York Post, which detailed Biden’s use of pseudonyms such as “Robert L. Peters” and “JRB Ware” in emails that mixed official and family business. A previous release of emails had revealed that Biden used the email address “[email protected]” during his time as vice president and that his son Hunter Biden had been copied on emails containing Biden’s schedule.
