DHS Subpoenaed Over Governor Walz’s Alleged Chinese Connections

Subpoena text revealed through torn paper.

House Oversight Committee launches probe into Governor Walz’s alleged Chinese connections, subpoenaing DHS for crucial documents.

At a Glance

  • House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer subpoenas DHS for documents on Gov. Walz’s alleged CCP ties
  • Whistleblower revelations prompted investigation into potential foreign influence in state governance
  • Subpoena demands unredacted records from DHS employee group chat and intelligence reports
  • Allegations include Walz organizing China-funded student trips and multiple visits to China
  • Governor’s office denies allegations, calling them politically motivated distortions

Comer Subpoenas DHS for Walz-China Connection Documents

In a significant development, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has issued a subpoena to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The subpoena demands the release of intelligence reports, documents, and communications related to Minnesota Governor Timothy Walz’s alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This move comes after whistleblower disclosures revealed a non-classified Microsoft Teams group chat among DHS employees containing potentially damaging information about Governor Walz.

The subpoena specifically requires DHS to produce unredacted records from the Microsoft Teams group chat titled “NST NFT Bi-Weekly Sync” and intelligence reports from November 2023 to the present related to Governor Walz. This action is part of a broader investigation into the CCP’s infiltration and influence campaign in the United States, with a focus on efforts to sway state governors.

Allegations and Concerns Surrounding Governor Walz

The investigation into Governor Walz was initiated in August due to reports of his connections to CCP entities and officials. Comer claims that Walz has engaged with Chinese entities, potentially making him susceptible to the CCP’s “elite capture” strategy. Allegations include Walz organizing a China-funded student trip in the 1990s and making approximately 30 visits to China.

“The Committee has recently received whistleblower disclosures informing the Committee of serious concern among Department of Homeland personnel regarding a longstanding connection between the CCP and Minnesota Governor Timothy James Walz,” wrote Chairman James Comer.

The probe also scrutinizes Walz’s former company, Educational Travel Adventures, Inc., which reportedly coordinated student trips to China until 2003. Additionally, Comer noted Walz’s meeting with Consul General Zhao Jian in March 2024 to discuss China-U.S. relations, raising further questions about the nature of these interactions.

Responses and Defenses

Governor Walz’s representatives have vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing them as politically motivated distortions. They accuse Republicans of twisting facts and lying about the governor’s record. It’s worth noting that while Walz has visited China multiple times, he has also been critical of the Chinese government’s human rights record.

Carolyn Bartholomew, former chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, has defended Walz’s actions against Chinese propaganda. However, the lack of substantial evidence supporting the claims has led fact-checkers to deem the allegations against Walz as currently unverified.

Broader Implications and Next Steps

This investigation is part of a larger effort by the House Oversight Committee to understand the extent of CCP influence in the United States and identify necessary legislative reforms. The committee seeks to combat what they perceive as CCP political warfare targeting prominent Americans for “elite capture.”

“The Committee’s investigation of the CCP—begun long before Governor Walz was elevated to be the vice-presidential candidate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris—seeks to understand the extent of the CCP’s infiltration and influence campaign and to identify legislative reforms to combat CCP political warfare targeting prominent Americans for elite capture. If a state governor and major political party’s nominee for Vice President of the United States has been a witting or unwitting participant in the CCP’s efforts to weaken our nation, this would strongly suggest that there are alarming weaknesses in the federal government’s effort to defend the United States from the CCP’s political warfare that must be urgently addressed. The information required of DHS by the Committee’s subpoena will inform the Committee’s understanding of how successful the CCP has been in waging political warfare in and against the United States, how effectively federal agencies are addressing the communist regime’s campaign, and what reforms are necessary to counter this threat,” concluded Chairman James Comer.

As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen what evidence, if any, will be uncovered to substantiate the allegations against Governor Walz. The outcome of this probe could have significant implications for American political integrity and the ongoing efforts to counter foreign influence in domestic affairs.

Sources:

  1. Comer Subpoenas DHS After Whistleblower Reveals Information on Governor Walz’s Ties to the CCP
  2. Fact Check: Tim Walz CCP Subpoena Inspires Unverified, Misleading Attacks
  3. Walz says he ‘misspoke’ after unearthed newspaper reports undercut claim he was in Hong Kong during Tiananmen Square protests
  4. Comer subpoenas DHS for records relating to Walz’s alleged ties to Chinese Communist Party
  5. Homeland Security staffers raised ‘serious concerns’ about Tim Walz’s China ties, whistleblower says — and now the House is investigating

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR