Dan Meuser: Biden using federal agency, taxpayer resources to bolster reelection

In the 118th Congress, I serve on the Small Business Committee, chairing the Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.

Recently, we discovered a troubling development within the Small Business Administration (SBA).

On March 19, 2024, the SBA announced an aggressive voter registration initiative with the Michigan Department of State. The Small Business Committee believes this agreement is likely unethical and potentially illegal. The arrangement utilizes SBA staff and resources to register voters, seemingly targeting Democrat-heavy areas like Dearborn and Detroit. Given the Biden campaign’s focus on Michigan, the timing and location are highly suspect.

The SBA’s mission is to, “aid, counsel, assist, and protect small business interests.” The agreement with the Michigan Department of State, however, “aims to promote civic engagement and voter registration,” which is drastically outside the SBA’s scope. This raises the question: Why is the SBA involved in activities unrelated to its mission?

The day after this agreement was announced, I questioned SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman in an open hearing. I asked her to provide, “every email and every official correspondence to (American) small businesses and interagency (communication) … related to requesting and enticing companies to register” to participate in this voter registration initiative. Eight weeks later, the SBA has not provided the requested documents. The Committee followed up with a letter on April 4, requesting similar documentation, but only one of many requested documents has been provided. What is the SBA hiding?

Adding to the suspicion is the hiring of Jennifer Kim as the SBA’s Associate Director of Field Operations in March 2022, three months after the SBA began negotiating the agreement with Michigan. Kim has no small business experience but has ties to Michigan and a background in campaigns and voter registration efforts, including work on the Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden presidential campaigns. It is shocking that the SBA boasts about hiring someone on its website with no relevant experience. This is unprecedented.

The situation worsened on April 17, 2024, when Tyler Robinson, a senior Adviser at the SBA, was caught on camera admitting that the SBA and Administrator Guzman were being used as a de facto campaign arm for President Biden’s reelection. When asked if Guzman was indirectly campaigning for Biden, Robinson responded, “Yes, yeah.” When asked if Guzman was “going to these critical battleground states to basically campaign for President Biden,” Robinson again responded, “yeah.” He added, “Anytime we go we try to visit a member of Congress if they’re a Democrat … because then we can help them get reelected as well … The White House is like yes go. Don’t invite the other Senator because he’s a Republican and don’t invite the two members of Congress because they’re Republicans.” These comments reveal the SBA’s partisan motives and make their involvement in voter registration even more concerning.

The House Small Business Committee has oversight jurisdiction over the taxpayer-funded SBA. Following the release of the video, the Committee requested interviews with Robinson and the SBA’s chief of staff, Arthur Plews, which were scheduled for May 2 and 3, 2024. However, on May 1, the SBA informed the Committee that they would not make officials available for interviews. Consequently, the Committee issued subpoenas for Robinson and Plews to testify. While they have reportedly lawyered up, President Biden’s SBA continues to stonewall this Committee’s investigation. If they fail to appear for depositions the Committee will pursue legal action in D.C. District Court to compel their testimony about the SBA’s voter registration activities in Michigan.

Thus far, our investigation has revealed that the Biden Administration is using taxpayer dollars to register voters in Democrat-heavy areas, far outside the SBA’s mission. The Committee aims to ensure taxpayer resources are used appropriately. If these actions are unethical or illegal, the SBA must end its agreement with the Michigan Department of State and cease this initiative immediately.

Throughout our investigation, information has also come to light that leads the Small Business Committee to believe similar voter registration initiatives may be occurring at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If that is in fact the case, the Financial Services Committee, of which I am also a member, will exercise its oversight authority on HUD.

Using the federal government as an extension of the president’s reelection campaign is unacceptable. It erodes confidence in elections and suggests corruption within the sitting president’s administration. This is just the latest politicization of the federal government. The Department of Justice has been weaponized against the president’s political opponents, the White House has collaborated with social media companies to censor free speech, the Department of Education has investigated religious institutions, and the IRS has targeted conservative organizations. The American people must be aware of these actions and understand the importance of their vote. This is wrong and outrageous, and we must correct course.

The Small Business Committee believes the vast majority of SBA employees, particularly those in Pennsylvania, are dedicated public servants committed to the agency’s mission of supporting Main Street America. However, the senior leadership appointed by the Biden administration clearly has a partisan political agenda, and they are the focus of the Committee’s investigation. Our Committee will continue to investigate this betrayal of public trust and inform the public of our findings.

Ensuring government accountability and integrity is crucial to preserving confidence in our institutions and elections. The SBA must return to its core mission of supporting small businesses and stay out of partisan politics.