Republican James Comer claims Tim Walz has 'longstanding connections' to China in letter to FBI

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is claiming that Minnesota Governor and Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz has "longstanding connections" to China and has launched a formal investigation into it.

Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray notifying it of the investigation, Fox News reported on Friday. "Recent reporting reveals that Governor Walz has concerning ties to the People's Republic of China," he wrote.

"The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is conducting a government-wide investigation into the Chinese Communist Party's political warfare operations against America and the response from federal agencies," reads another passage of the letter.

The lawmaker is seeking information regarding the Chinese entities and officials Walz potentially "engaged and partnered with," as well as any "warnings or advice the FBI may have given to Governor Walz about U.S. political figures being targeted by or recruited for CCP influence operations."

Comer went on to say that the committee he leads was briefed by the FBI on the matter on April 22 and July 17, before Walz was announced as Kamala Harris' running mate.

He claims that the candidate has "longstanding connections to CCP-connected entities and officials that make him susceptible" to being influenced to "the benefit of the communist regime and the detriment of Americans."

One example listed is that Walz, as a teacher in the early 1990s, organized a trip to China, with the costs being "paid by the Chinese government." "In 1994, Mr. Walz set up a private company named 'Educational Travel Adventures, Inc.,' which coordinated annual student trips to the PRC until 2003, and was led by Mr. Walz himself," said Comer, adding that the tie was ended four years later after Walz became a congressional official.

He also claimed that Walz traveled to China about "30 times," that during his time in Congress, he served as a fellow at the Macau Polytechnic University and that in 2019 he headlined the 27th National Convention for the U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association in Minnesota.

"Despite bipartisan efforts to identify and defeat CCP unrestricted warfare against America, Governor Walz continues problematic engagement with concerning entities and individuals," Comer wrote.

The document requests the FBI assist in the investigation by providing documents and information. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the lawmaker said that ""Americans should be deeply concerned that Governor Walz, Kamala Harris's vice-presidential running mate, has a longstanding and cozy relationship with China."

"The American people deserve to fully understand how deep Governor Walz's relationship with China goes."