House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is turning up the heat on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) regarding his potential connections to China. This investigation follows a Washington Examiner report that revealed Walz’s ties to a research institute with links to the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In a letter sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Comer questioned Walz’s promotion of the Hormel Institute, a Minnesota-based research group that partners with Chinese entities, as reported by the Washington Examiner.

According to Comer, Walz, while serving in Congress, secured over $2 million in funding and lobbied for a $5 million federal earmark for the institute, which has collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology—infamously connected to the origins of COVID-19.

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Comer’s letter also referenced a Fox News report that tied the Hormel Institute to the Beijing Genomics Institute, labeled by the Pentagon as a “Chinese military company.”

The University of Minnesota, which oversees the Hormel Institute, denied any formal connection with these Chinese organizations, but journal records show that the Hormel Institute has worked on projects involving researchers from these groups. Comer condemned Walz’s relationships with these Chinese-affiliated organizations, calling them “inexcusable” and demanding answers from the FBI.

Republicans have continued to hammer Walz for these China ties, especially since he was named as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.

His stance on China, expressed in 2016, stating that the U.S. and China need not be adversaries, has only added fuel to the fire. Comer also highlighted Walz’s extensive travel to China, including a honeymoon trip and his involvement in organizing a CCP-sponsored trip for students while he was teaching.

Comer is also investigating Walz’s former teaching position at China’s Macau Polytechnic University, an institution that pushes Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, a key component of Beijing’s global influence agenda.

Additionally, Comer raised concerns about Dr. Zigang Dong, the former executive director of the Hormel Institute, who stepped down in 2019 amid an FBI probe into his foreign backing while applying for grants.

Despite these concerns, Comer noted that the FBI has yet to fully cooperate with the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Walz’s ties to China. Comer expressed his worry that Walz’s interactions with Chinese officials could have influenced his decisions as a congressman and governor—and potentially, his future role in the White House should he be elected vice president.

He requested all relevant documents from the FBI by September 19.