Month: August 2022

Luke’s Kitchen review Sydney Review 2022

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Luke’s Kitchen review Sydney Review 2022

Address	339 Pitt St sydney, NSW 2000 view map
opening hours	Breakfast daily from 6.30am; lunch Thu-Fri noon-2.30pm; brunch Sat 11am-2.30pm; dinner Wed-Sat 5-10pm
Features	Licensed, Accepts bookings, Business lunch, Breakfast-brunch, Groups, Long lunch, Accommodation, Bar, Degustation, Events, Family friendly, Gluten-free options, Late night, Lunch specials, Pre-post-theatre, Private dining, Romance- first date, Vegetarian friendly, Wheelchair access
Prices	Moderate (mains $20-$40)
Phone	02 8027 8088

Luxury means different things to different people, but in restaurant circles it’s usually high-status items such as caviar, lobster and truffles that earn the tag.

I’m not so sure. Sometimes, it’s about the give of a cushioned banquette, the patina of the table, the weight of a linen napkin on your knee, the tinkle of glass on the martini trolley. The way a considered environment can add to your sense of wellbeing.

At Luke’s Kitchen, a casual name for quite an opulent restaurant that runs alongside the splendid art deco lobby of the Kimpton Margot hotel, the tables for four and six are luxuriously spacious, and the lighting could give a masterclass in setting a mood while still allowing you to read a menu.

Roast spatchcock with citrus and fennel puree. Photo: Wolter Peeters

Plus, you can order 30 grams of oscietra caviar with sour cream and potato gaufrette for $250. Champagne? Call for the champagne cart. Ditto, the caviar and vodka trolley. If you want to shave truffles all over your food, just add $20 to your bill for every five grams.

Luke Mangan has done it all, from cookbooks to cruise restaurants and airlines, but he’s always created environments in which to have a good time. Now, it’s a grand 1930s hotel restaurant, pitched for business lunches and glitzy dinners, with bottomless brunches on Saturdays.

His talents – and those of head chef and long-time collaborator MJ Olguera, who started with Mangan at Bistro Lulu in Paddington in 2004, seem well-suited to the grand hotel life.

Pork terrine with grilled sourdough. Photo: Wolter Peeters

Here, the luxuries are played on shuffle across the broad menu with Mangan’s own modern Australian hits. Skull Island prawns with nam jim and coconut mix it with Peking duck pancakes with hoisin sauce, spiced lamb rump, and Riverina grass-fed rib-eye for two to share.

The garlic bread ($8) is kerfuffle-worthy, being not “garlic bread” but a laminated cronut of caramelized onion jam, curry-spiced garlic butter and Heidi gruyere cheese; sweet, savory, crisp, soft. For a moment, I wonder what it would be like with 20 grams of truffle shaved on top, but the madness quickly passes.

Prawn toast ($18) is difficult to resist, the bread golden and crisp, the sweet prawn mousse jade-green with herbs, a little corn salsa on top for freshness.

Garlic bread with curry butter, onion and garlic. Photo: Wolter Peeters

It’s Mangan, so there are classics harking back to his days as an eager commis in the kitchen of England’s three Michelin-starred Waterside Inn. Proper food, a bit Frenchy. A pork terrine ($29) is gutsy and satisfying, melting pig’s head, neck and belly into a smooth unit, ready to smash onto grill-marked sourdough.

Olguera teams a lacquered duck for two ($180) with crunchy little salt-and-pepper rice cakes and a coconut curry sauce; a nice move. Roast spatchcock ($41) is jointed and sent out with a citrusy salad of fennel, currants and mandarin on a puddle of fennel puree. I feel I’ve had this before, years ago; yet it’s right for now.

The comfort-food drum beats strongest with slow-cooked beef cheeks in a rich red wine sauce ($46), laced with chickpeas and bolstered by Mangan’s pillowy, creamy pomme puree. A spicy, fleshy 2020 Bondar Junto GSM from McLaren Vale ($83) virtually jumps straight in.

Dessert can go luxe – rum baba – but a pretty little meringue roulade ($21) balanced with rich lemon curd is a hit. More so, for me, than the enduring licorice parfait that has been the chef’s signature since 1995. Nice, but I think we can all move on now.

Overall, it’s the mix of old-school glamor and the free-flowing, no-rules approach to hospitality that makes Luke’s Kitchen of interest; a fresh but familiar face in a part of the city that’s getting more and more attention.

It’s not so much the tableside trolleys and truffles that deliver the luxury, although they do add energy and a bit of fun. It’s more about the craft and the comfort that keeps their little wheels turning; that’s the real luxury here.

Soft lemon meringue. Photo: Wolter Peeters

The low-down

Luke’s Kitchen

vibrate Grand hotel lobby dining, high on comfort

go to dish Garlic bread with caramelised onions, curry butter, gruyere, $8

drinks Bespoke cocktails from Wilmot Bar, plenty of wines by the glass, and a reassuring wine list strong on classic labels

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good FoodGuide.

https://www.lukemangan.com/

Tags restaurant

Sports

Ilias’ tribute to ‘papou’ as Greece No. 7 jersey awaits

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Ilias’ tribute to ‘papou’ as Greece No. 7 jersey awaits

At a time when wins and losses are paramount and increased only further for those in finals contention, South Sydney’s rookie playmaker Lachlan Ilias has been handed a newfound perspective.

While his full attention no doubt lies with the Rabbitohs’ finals ambitions, the young halfback is also on the verge of having his first taste of international football in November when he plays halfback for Greece at the Rugby League World Cup.

And when the young playmaker pulls on the blue and white jersey for the first time, it will be a fitting tribute to his late grandfather who recently passed away.

Ilias with his father Arthur Ilias (left) and grandfather Spyros Ilias.
©Supplied

“Playing for Greece will be one of my greatest football moments yet I think,” Ilias told NRL.com.

“I’m really looking forward to it, especially because my grandfather passed away a few weeks ago and he was born in Greece.”

“He left his family behind in Evia, an island off Greece, at a very young age to come to Australia. He came to the unknown and I’m sure that he would have been really tough.

“He’s the reason why we’re here in Australia so I’m really looking forward to representing him and my family.”

While the Rabbitohs’ Greek heritage is strong, including coach Jason Demetriou and close friend Peter Mamouzelos, the 22-year-old is one of just three current Greek players.

“It’s a bit unique being Greek in the NRL, there’s not many of us. I know there’s a couple of us at the club but there’s not many outside of that,” Ilias said.

“I went to Greece when I was about seven but I’d love to go again. I’d love to go in the summer but I’m playing footy so I can’t really go at the moment.

“It’s an honor being Greek and I’m really looking forward to representing Greece and my ‘papou’ (grandfather) in the World Cup.”

Ilias opens the scoring on the Sunny Coast

After a tough outing against the Dragons in Round 15 that saw Ilias taken from the field midway through the first half, the young playmaker has bounced back strong — leading his teammates around the park to win four of five since that night.

Chalking up 13 forced dropouts and ten try assists so far in 2022, Ilias said he is ready to handle the heat in the final month of the season.

“I think I did feel too comfortable earlier on in the year and that was taken from me. But something we talk about is not looking too comfortable and using each week as a challenge,” Ilias said.

“The game against the Dragons is probably something that didn’t need to happen but it’s good that it did, it sort of woke me up and now I’m hungrier now than I ever was before,

“I’m still pinching myself, I get to put the seven on each week and come to training with these fellas and just try and get better everyday.”

The Rabbitohs face one of the toughest runs home to the finals – with their four remaining games against top-eight teams – beginning with an opportunity to jump past Parramatta into fifth place if they walk away with a victory on Friday night.

“You’ve got to expect the best from the Eels, they’re a high offload team and they play off the cuff so you’ve got to be prepared for that and that’s what we’re working on at training this week,” he said.

“Obviously we’ve got four big games coming up against good sides in the top eight so we will just try to take it each week at a time and just focus on the two points.”

Australia

Mystery as several dogs die after visiting Queensland beaches

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Mystery as several dogs die after visiting Queensland beaches

Sunshine Coast pet owners have been put on high alert following a spate of mysterious dog deaths after visiting local beaches.

The Sunshine Coast Council confirmed to 7NEWS.com.au that it had received reports from a local vet of at least five dogs experiencing symptoms of poisoning after visiting the Point Cartwright and Buddina area.

7NEWS understands all five died as a result. The council expressed its condolences to impacted community members.

Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>

The North Coast Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care has since warned residents to “use caution” when walking pets around the areas of Buddina, Minyama, Point Cartwright and La Balsa, which are part of one continuous coastline.

“We, unfortunately, have had a series of patients presenting with alike symptoms that may suggest a toxicity by ingestion,” it said.

“Although we are unable to confirm the cause of these presentations, the link to these patients is the area that they have walked within the 12 hours prior.”

Symptoms include gastrointestinal upsets, breathlessness, lethargy, or any change in the behavior of your pet.

‘Absolutely heartbroken’

One man claimed his six-month-old puppy fell ill after visiting Kawana Beach on Wednesday. On Saturday, she was put down.

“This doesn’t seem like a coincidence, so I’d recommend steering clear for now. Please share around, as I don’t want any other beloved pets to die or anyone else to go through what I have,” he said.

“Absolutely heartbroken.”

Buderim dog day-care centre, Doggie Adventure Playhouse, also shared that one of its dogs, Billy, appeared to have been a victim of poisoning after visiting Buddina on Sunday. He died on Monday morning.

“Our loving thoughts and cuddles go out to Billy’s beautiful and heartbroken parents,” it said.

Silver Lining Pet Rescue Inc said one of her dogs, Sophie, also died over the weekend while on an adoption trial.

“Both Sophie’s now owner and foster mum are devastated at her passing. Please take care until the cause is known, ”she said.

Some locals had expressed concern online that communal drinking bowls might have been contaminated.

Queensland Police told 7NEWS.com.au that it had been “made aware of several instances of alleged dog poisoning in the Sunshine Coast area and are looking into the matter”.

“Anyone with information is being urged to contact police.”

While the exact cause of the poisonings is unclear, a Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson confirmed it was assisting the Queensland Police Service and RSPCA Queensland in the investigation.

“In the meantime, the Council has taken precautionary measures to reduce the risk of animals drinking possibly contaminated water by emptying and sanitizing all dog water bowls in the area,” she said.

“We are also working to remove any loose water bowls and seal any fixed bowls to prevent access.”

The council also encouraged pet owners to keep their dogs in sight at all times while in off-leash areas, ensure their dog is responsive to voice commands before letting them off-leash and contact their vet at the first sign of any symptoms.

Terrific moment cassowary chases down driver.

Tags Lifestyle, News, pets, Sunshine Coast

Hidden camera showed Irvine dermatologist poison husband with drain cleaner, documents allege

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Hidden camera showed Irvine dermatologist poison husband with drain cleaner, documents allege

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) — An Irvine dermatologist was caught on a hidden camera pouring drain cleaner into her husband’s cup on at least three separate occasions, court documents allege.

Yue “Emily” Yu, 45, was arrested last week for allegedly poisoning her husband after he provided video evidence to authorities.

Now that evidence has been made public through a restraining order he filed against her.

The order alleges that Yu maintained a verbally and physically abusive relationship toward her husband and their two children.

RELATED: Orange County dermatologist arrested on suspicion of poisoning her husband

The court granted a temporary restraining order and set a hearing for the permanent order on Aug. 18.

The husband, a radiologist, also filed for divorce on the same day he requested the restraining order.

The couple, who married in 2012, have two children, a 7-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.

“Both children have suffered physical, verbal and emotional abuse” the documents allege.

Housing estate land sales slump as rate rises bite

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Housing estate land sales slump as rate rises bite

“Many buyers have been forced to re-assess their borrowing capacity and re-evaluate their buying decisions in light of interest rate rises. At the same time, they’re facing increasing residential construction costs, rising living expenses fueled by inflation and higher home loan repayments,” he said.

“This is leading to a subdued market in the coming months, with a number of prospective buyers deciding to sit on the sidelines as a result of the uncertain climate.”

The slump in sales hasn’t yet hit the median land price. That grew by 3.6 per cent to a record level of $379,000 a lot over the quarter, although some predict prices will fall too.

Satterley said: “There will be a big price correction. This is a correction being driven by fast rising inflation. That is driving volatility in real estate trust stock share prices. Obviously, the residential outlook is worse than it was six months ago.″⁣

Shares in residential community developers like ASX-listed Peet and Cedar Woods fell to new lows in June, although they have since ticked up slightly.

Cameron Leggatt, executive general manager of development at Singapore-based Frasers Property, said the market had definitely come off.

Conditions were now “more steady” after a hectic period during COVID-19, in which there were unusually strong sales and price growth.

“Many buyers have been forced to re-assess their borrowing capacity and re-evaluate their buying decisions in light of interest rate rises.”

RPM’s managing director of project marketing Luke Kelly

“Inquiry is down 30 to 40 per cent. Land sales are down to a similar amount in volume,” said Leggatt, whose company develops large Victorian estates like The Grove in Tarneit and Berwick Waters in Clyde North.

“With interest rates jumping as quickly as they have, it’s put a bit of uncertainty among buyers. A lot are sitting on their hands and waiting to see where interest rates land in the next six to 12 months.”

Buyers are more focused on Melbourne’s west (it accounts for 45 per cent of lot sales), where demand has shifted from Melton to Wyndham, according to RPM.

The Geelong growth corridor experienced the biggest fall in sales activity as its median lot price slid 0.5 per cent to $380,000.

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Technology

beyerdynamic releases the True Wireless Free BYRD earbuds

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on beyerdynamic releases the True Wireless Free BYRD earbuds

Words by Mixdown Staff

The beloved German audio haus returns to the bluetooth market with new, feature-packed earbuds

beyerdynamic has dropped the True Wireless Free BYRD earbuds, loaded with features over sonic quality, connectivity, and beyond.

What you need to know:

beyerdynamic has dropped the True Wireless Free BYRD earbuds.
The Free BYRD earbuds feature 70mm drivers, and the latest aptX adaptive and AAC codecs.
Free BYRD’s speech intelligibility during phone calls or meetings remains at the highest quality.

Read all the latest gear news here.

The Free BYRD earbuds feature 70mm drivers, and the latest aptX adaptive and AAC codecs to create detailed sound with brilliant highs and powerful bass.

Onboard Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation boosts the sound quality by removing the ambient noise around you, which can be easily mixed in transparency mode, allowing users to go from an immersive soundscape to a conversation with a friend.

On the other side of the conversation, Free BYRD’s speech intelligibility during phone calls or meetings remains at the highest quality, even in a noisy environment, thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm dual 2-mic eve technology.

A total of four microphones, two each on the left and right earpieces of the Free BYRD, deliver natural phone calls.

With Google Fast Pair, the earbuds connect to Android devices within seconds, while Bluetooth connection options are available on iOS, Mac OS, and PC devices.

Certifications from both Amazon and Apple also add ‘Hey Alexa’ and ‘Hey Siri’ voice assistants to Free BYRD.

Consumers can choose between five different silicone earpieces designed by beyerdynamic’s acoustics specialists to ensure the best possible fit with a focus on in-ear ergonomics.

Three additional memory-foam earpieces are included for use during sporting activities, while Free BYRD is splash-resistant with IPX4 certification to protect against sweat during extreme workouts or rain while on the go.

The earbuds boast 11 hours of battery life, with just 10 minutes of charge providing up to 70 minutes of play, all packed with the convenient cradle case.

When combined with beyerdynamic’s MIY app, users can customize and personalize their earbuds’ sound to their own hearing profile.

Head to beyerdynamic for more. For local inquiries, reach out to Syntec.

Entertainment

Olivia Newton-John daughter Chloe Lattanzi: Grease star made pact with God

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Olivia Newton-John daughter Chloe Lattanzi: Grease star made pact with God

Olivia Newton-John once said she was “looking forward to” death because of previous interactions with “spirits”.

The comments came in a resurfaced 2021 podcast interview where she also said she had made a pact with God to save her daughter Chloe Lattanzi before she was born after the grease star suffered complications during her pregnancy.

The entertainment legend died on Monday at her ranch in California following an extraordinary three-decade-long battle with breast cancer which had seen her repeatedly triumphing over the disease only for it to later reappear once more.

In February last year, Newton-John appeared on Sarah Grynberg’s A Life of Greatness podcast.

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The Xanadu actor explained that she did not fear passing on during her 30-year cancer battle because she believed there was something beyond the world of the living, reported the new york post.

“We all know we’re going to die, but I think we spend our lives in denial. It’s extremely personal, so it’s hard to put into words.

“I feel that we are all one thing, and I’ve had experiences with spirits and spirit life. I believe there is something that happens.”

She added: “I hope the energies of the people you love will be there. … I think all the love will be there. I’m sort of looking forward to that—not now, but when it happens.

“It’s almost like we are parts of the same computer and we go back to the main battery.”

Pact with God

On the same podcast she also talked about how she was so worried about her pregnancy with daughter Chloe, now 36, that she told God she would make a deal to keep her yet to be born baby safe.

“I was close to losing her,” she told Grynberg.

“I went to bed and asked God to save her and if he did, I would say the Lord’s Prayer every night for the rest of my life and so I have.”

In the family statement, her husband John Easterling said Newton-John “passed away peacefully” early on Monday morning US time surrounded by family and friends.

“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer, ”her statement she read.

John Travolta’s touching tribute

In a post to Instagram, John Travolta praised Newton-John.

“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much,” he wrote.

“We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”

Sports

MLB 2022: Rodolfo Castro’s phone falls out, video, Pittsburgh Pirates, baseball news

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on MLB 2022: Rodolfo Castro’s phone falls out, video, Pittsburgh Pirates, baseball news

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the sporting landscape, another moment comes along.

On Wednesday that latest moment arrived thanks to American baseball star for the Pittsburgh Pirates Rodolfo Castro.

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The Pirates infielder was left-faced during the middle of his team’s contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks as he slid into third base during the fourth inning.

Castro raced toward third base as a throw from the outfield came in, as he hit the ground and slid towards the base – the impact of his move launched his phone out of his back pocket and into the dirt.

Third-base umpire Adam Hamari immediately spotted the mobile phone that was resting against the base.

Castro, 23, immediately picked it up and handed it to Pirates third-base coach Mike Rebelo who looked bemused by what was being given to him.

Professional sports tend to have strict codes surrounding electronic devices and mobile phones. Major League Baseball doesn’t allow players or coaches to have their mobile phones on them while they’re in the dugout.

An embarrassed Castro spoke about the incident to the media after the game which the Pirates lost 6-4.

“I don’t think there’s any professional ballplayer that would ever go out there with any intentions of taking a cellphone,” Castro told media members through an interpreter. “It’s horrible it happened to me. Obviously, it was very unintentional.”

Castro explained his sliding glove is generally placed in his back pocket and he believed this was all he had on him.

“My first day back, if I was to be the center of attention, I would want it to be helping the team win, but never in this way,” Castro said. “This is definitely something that was an accident, a mistake, something I’m going to learn from. But definitely something I didn’t mean to happen.”

The never before seen moment sent social media into a spin with Castro trending on Twitter as the footage circulated.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist Mike Persak wrote: “I straight up can’t believe this happened what the hell.”

Bay Area radio producer Kyle Madson wrote: “Given this sport’s problems with cheating via electronics over the last decade or so this seems like the kind of thing that shouldn’t be allowed.”

Castro’s phone may be lighting up on Wednesday if the MLB opts to investigate and hand down a penalty.

Australia

Sidoti’s tirade against the ICAC is sour grapes

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Sidoti’s tirade against the ICAC is sour grapes

The Independent Commission Against Corruption has made some mistakes in its 34 years of existence but the case of MP John Sidoti is a reminder that, all too often, criticism of the institution is based on naked self-interest and sour grapes rather than high principle.

Sidoti took to the floor of NSW parliament on Tuesday to launch a broadside at the ICAC which he said was better suited to a “communist regime” than NSW.

He urged Opposition Leader Chris Minns to reform the ICAC if he wins government. “This Frankenstein’s monster is out of control and nobody is safe. Reform the beast before it takes a bite out of you, too,” Sidoti said.

He said the ICAC suffered from “incredible institutional pride” and “will not let go of a matter, even when it is clear that the matter does not fit the definitions required under its Act”.

Not coincidentally, Sidoti made these comments in a debate on a motion to suspend him from parliament because of the findings of corruption the ICAC made against him last month.

The ICAC recommended consideration be given to charging Sidoti with misconduct in public for a prolonged campaign, from 2013 to 2017, to change zoning rules in the City of Canada Bay Council in a way that was “entirely directed to his private interest in increasing the development potential of his family’s growing number of properties in and around the Five Dock town centre”.

Sidoti used his status as the local MP, the ICAC said, to influence councilors to act in his family’s interests and broke public trust by claiming he was acting at all times in the interests of his constituents and the community when he was not.

Sidoti used his speech to rerun many of the arguments which he made during the ICAC’s public hearings last year. He said, for instance, that in pushing for the rezoning which favored his parents’ property he was just acting as a “dynamic, hardworking and passionate advocate for his community”.

But the ICAC found Sidoti could not identify any shopkeepers who had asked him to intervene and the rezoning he was advocating was “inconsistent with what the local chamber of commerce was advocating to CCBC”.

Sidoti’s speech was full of contradictions. On the one hand, he said the ICAC’s decision had robbed him of his “dignity, career, reputation and future prospects”.

Republicans who blast FBI’s Trump search are prepping to snag Joe in a Hunter Biden probe

Post author By mangakiko
Post date August 10, 2022
No Comments on Republicans who blast FBI’s Trump search are prepping to snag Joe in a Hunter Biden probe

These days, Republicans are making no secret of their plans to use a Hunter Biden inquiry next year as a platform to go after his father — after years of brushing off conflicts of interest within Trump’s family. No evidence has emerged to show that the business dealings of Hunter Biden, who’s faced a years-long federal investigation, affected his father’s decisions by him as president.

GOP lawmakers are pushing ahead anyway, planning a sprawling probe that will reach into the ethics of Hunter Biden’s artwork sales and other business deals, as well as policy decisions by the Biden administration.

“I’m not exactly sure I see a big difference” between starting with Hunter and incorporating Joe Biden from the getgo, said Rep. glenn grothman (R-Wis.), a member of the Oversight Committee, who is expected to take the lead on a House inquiry into Hunter Biden. “Obviously, you start with Hunter… [but] it appears as though the president is involved as well, and it’s something you’re going to have to look into.”

The president’s son has long fueled a conservative media fixation on par with Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified material, and a House majority would help Republicans try to push their narrative into the mainstream. But GOP plans to poke at Hunter Biden may have to compete with a growing GOP appetite for an in-depth House inquiry into the DOJ’s scrutiny of Trump, particularly if Republicans decide to form a select committee instead of launching an investigation through the Judiciary Committee.

Conversations Tuesday with more than a half-dozen House Republicans revealed deep concern about constituents panicked and infuriated by the FBI’s daylong Mar-a-Lago search.

“The base has lost its mind. If Trump decides to call them to arms, then I think he could get another Jan. 6,” one senior House Republican said in an interview, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But before this week’s law enforcement activity against Trump, House Republicans had been homing in on Hunter, and several name-checked him in their response to the FBI’s search. Months before an election that will determine whether they control the House, GOP lawmakers and committee aides are already doing prep work, including planning hearings, collecting documents and nailing down potential witnesses — including former business associates and banks.

Rep. james eat (R-Ky.), set to chair the Oversight Committee if Republicans win the majority, said he’ll be ready to formally launch an investigation in January, when the new Congress is sworn in.

“We’re going to have a great hearing early on the potential wrongdoing within the Biden family,” Comer said in an interview. “The fear is that these shady business dealings have compromised the president.”

Comer declined to name the witnesses he’d like to call, simply saying they’d be some of Hunter Biden’s former business associates. Hunter Biden will be invited to testify and it is “very possible” the First Son would be subpoenaed, he added.

The Oversight chair-in-waiting is prepared to answer critics who say his work is manufactured to ding Joe Biden; he insisted that House Republicans wouldn’t investigate Hunter Biden as a “political witch hunt.” But other Republicans are more open in depicting their broader oversight as a way to tee up a 2024 election where they hope to win back the White House.

“That will help frame up the 2024 race, when I hope and I think President Trump is going to run again. And we need to make sure that he wins,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who’s set to chair the Judiciary Committee under a 2023 GOP majority, said at a CPAC conference in Texas late last week.

It would hardly be the first time a congressional investigation has converged with presidential politics, nor the first Hill investigation into Hunter Biden and by extension the wider Biden family. sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and chuck grassley (R-Iowa) conducted a joint probe of Hunter Biden heading into the 2020 election, sparking warnings from fellow Republicans about unintentionally spreading Russian disinformation.

But House Republicans are planning a more sweeping look: Comer fired off a laundry list of topics to delve into, including Hunter Biden’s work in China and an ethics agreement governing Hunter Biden’s art sales that’s been questioned by Obama-era officials.

Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last year that ethics arrangements governing sales of the art were “not White House arrangements; they’re arrangements between Hunter Biden’s representatives and ones that we, certainly, were made aware of.”

Comer is using material from a laptop linked to Hunter Biden that’s attracted controversy, though he underscored that he’s interested in the Biden son’s finances, not salacious personal details.

In addition, Oversight Committee Republicans are still seeking Treasury Department suspicious activity reports relevant to Hunter Biden, though they’ve complained of an inability to obtain the material without Democratic support.

Treasury responded by indicating that its policy of requiring a committee chair or majority of members to OK requests for those reports applies regardless of political party. Some Democrats have also bristled over the department’s handling of suspicious activity reports.

“Since the beginning of this Administration, Treasury has made SARs available in response to authorized committee requests and continues to engage on the process with any individual members seeking information,” Treasury spokesperson Mike Gwin said in a statement.

Democrats are already excoriating the GOP’s investigative plans, accusing Republicans of selectively attacking Biden while ignoring ethical lapses during the Trump years.

“To borrow an old line, every time these Republicans open their mouths, it’s a noun, a verb, and Hunter Biden. They are pushing false conspiracy theories in a desperate effort to attack the President personally and politically, all in service — as they have admitted — of assisting another Trump campaign. And the public will see it for what it is: an abuse of power,” a person close to Biden said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Current Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (DN.Y.) said in a statement that if Comer “is concerned about presidential conflicts of interest, I would welcome him to join me in investigating taxpayer funds spent at Trump properties, serious deficiencies in President Trump’s financial disclosures, foreign government spending at the former Trump Hotel,” and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s ties to Saudi Arabia.

That criticism doesn’t faze House Republicans, who view this week’s search of Mar-a-Lago as further evidence that federal investigations are biased against conservatives — despite the role that one played in derailing Clinton’s 2016 campaign.

“When contrasted with their actions following Clinton-inspired Russian collusion allegations, [the] Clinton [email] server and Hunter Biden, the impression is strong that the FBI is selective and politicized,” said Rep. don bacon (R-Neb.), who represents a swing district.

And Comer, when asked about critics who cite Trump world conflicts of interest, described those as well-trodden ground by others.

“It is not like they are disagreeing on Hunter Biden,” Comer said, adding that “what I say is, ‘There are plenty of people investigating the Trump kids.’”

Olivia Beavers contributed.

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