Emerald Coast Times

U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz has raised concerns about a potential cover-up by the Biden-Harris Administration, allegedly intended to aid Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign. In a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Gaetz claims that Ian Sams, a White House staffer, obstructed the release of documents related to Harris's role as "border czar."

Gaetz's inquiry stems from a Freedom of Information Act request made by the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project. The request sought correspondence referring to Harris as "border czar." According to Gaetz, Sams blocked the response and later joined Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign as a top spokesman.

The congressman expressed concern over possible violations of the Hatch Act and other regulations. He stated, "I am concerned that the good government work of your career employees—to respond in a timely fashion to a small but important request of a Member of Congress—was scuttled by a White House cover-up to assist candidate Kamala Harris in her campaign."

Gaetz reiterated his demand for unredacted copies of communications involving Sams on this issue by October 25, 2024. He highlighted that DHS employees had attempted to fulfill his document request before it was allegedly halted by political appointees.

"More troubling, however," Gaetz noted, "is the FOIA response that the Heritage Foundation Oversight Project has provided my office... This FOIA production proves that DHS front-office career employees did their job."

The full text of Congressman Gaetz’s letter is available online.