'Double standard': James Comer bashed for slamming Joe Biden's email aliases despite using them himself

WASHINGTON, DC: James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, has been vocal in his criticism of President Joe Biden's use of email pseudonyms.

However, recent revelations suggest that Comer himself may have engaged in similar practices during his tenure as Kentucky's Agriculture Commissioner.

Using pseudonyms in emails

James Comer has long criticized President Joe Biden for using email pseudonyms, suggesting that this practice indicates an attempt to evade public records disclosure and hide wrongdoing.

This criticism has particularly focused on a failed business deal involving Biden's son Hunter Biden and a Chinese company, which Comer claims raises questions about transparency and accountability.

However, emails obtained by The Daily Beast reveal that Comer himself used pseudonyms for government business during his time as Kentucky's agriculture commissioner. These pseudonyms were linked to government accounts and involved significant initiatives, including an industrial hemp pilot program.

In one notable instance, a January 2014 email from an account named for Comer’s son Harlan Comer indicated active participation in hemp-related discussions.

“I’ll touch base with you today about Hemp. Some things have happened overnight with respect to hemp so we may be growing it this year,” Comer wrote, signing the email as "James Comer."

The next month, Comer used another alias to communicate with a hemp program partner, revising a presentation and signing off as “Jamie.”

“Ok. I’ll fix it to just study production aspects and then resend to you to approve,” the congressman wrote in the email, which was “Sent from my iPhone.”

These communications were part of a broader pattern, with dozens of emails using pseudonyms such as harlan2@ky.gov and harlan.comer@ky.gov.

James Comer's response and legal implications

When confronted with these findings, James Comer’s spokesperson maintained that the Congressman did not recall using email accounts during his tenure at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA). “The Congressman does not recall logging on or using email accounts while at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture,” the spokesperson told The Daily Beast.

However, this claim appears to be contradicted by the evidence. Numerous emails signed by Comer or "Jamie" were sent from the alias accounts, often discussing official business. KDA officials and the program’s outside counsel were aware of these aliases, further undermining the spokesperson’s assertion.

“As the Commissioner of Agriculture, Congressman Comer’s email accounts were solely monitored and maintained by staff,” a spokesperson added. “All communications are publicly available through the Kentucky Open Records Act.”

The use of pseudonyms by public officials can be legally permissible under certain conditions, according to Amye Bensenhaver, a former assistant attorney general and open records specialist in Kentucky.

Bensenhaver noted that while alias accounts can be used to ensure vital records are saved separately, the intent behind their use is crucial. If the purpose is to conceal information, it is both wrong and illegal.

“It’s fairly common practice to have an account to ensure vital official records are saved separately,” Bensenhaver explained. “But if the purpose is concealing it, it is wrong, it is illegal.”

She described Comer’s denial as a “stupid thing to say, especially with proof that he did use the email,” adding that it gives the impression of “subterfuge to avoid accountability.”

Comparisons to Joe Biden’s email use and more revelations

James Comer’s attacks on President Joe Biden’s use of pseudonyms have been a consistent theme in his media appearances.

In an August interview with Newsmax, Comer accused Biden of using pseudonyms to hide his involvement in his son’s business dealings. “Joe Biden was using pseudonyms to hide the fact that he was working with his son to peddle access to our enemies around the world," he stated. 

On a podcast that same month, Comer suggested that Biden “was using a fake name on a government email, because he knew that emails are subject as you know to FOIA, to [the] Freedom of Information Act, and he wanted to disguise his communication.”

However, the content of Biden’s pseudonym emails, released under FOIA requests, turned out to be largely mundane and personal. This undercut Comer’s insinuations of wrongdoing.

Despite this, Comer continued to criticize Biden, maintaining that the emails demonstrated a lack of separation between Biden’s government duties and his family’s business interests.

The emails obtained by The Daily Beast also highlight potential conflicts of interest and donor influence in Comer’s administration. One significant case involves Dan Caudill of Caudill Seed, a campaign donor who benefitted from Comer’s intervention in regulatory matters.

Shortly after Comer took office, an aide flagged an email to the harlan.comer account from Caudill, thanking Comer for reducing a fine related to fumigation violations. Caudill’s email expressed gratitude for slashing the fine from $2,500 to $250 and credited Comer for the favorable outcome.

“Regarding the fumigation violations that we were written up for, we had a mitigation meeting with Kentucky Department of Agriculture today and they amended the fine down to $250 from the $2,500 and also assigned my head fumigator to attend 2 future classes on fumigation,” Caudill’s email stated. “Of course, that is better than paying the $2,500. So, here again, it looks like the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is being much fairer than they were under the previous administration and I give you the credit for that.”

Later, Caudill was involved in Comer’s hemp initiative, importing Chinese hemp seeds that test later revealed as marijuana. These interactions raise questions about the extent to which Comer’s pseudonym use may have facilitated preferential treatment for donors.

James Comer faces social media backlash

James Comer’s critics have seized upon the revelations of his pseudonym use to accuse him of hypocrisy. Social media reactions have been scathing, with many accusing the representative of projecting his own behavior onto Joe Biden.

"Double f---ing standard," one user posted on X.

"It's always projection," another wrote.

"Every accusation is a confession," one person alleged.

"Really, is there anything that @JamesComer has done that he hasn't accused Biden of doing and when Biden did it it's criminal?" another asked.

"Another 'duh' moment for Kentucky’s Keebler Elf," one comment read. 

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