Congressman Jim Banks, Chairman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, stated he has asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for answers regarding Governor Tim Walz’s trips to China while he was a member of the National Guard. Banks shared his statement in an August 13 press release.
"There are still many unanswered questions about Governor Walz's relationship with the Chinese Communist Party," said Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). "How did a senior enlisted guardsman, presumably with a Secret security clearance, travel to China regularly on unofficial business without raising red flags? Did Walz accurately report the dozens of these trips to his superiors, as is required for anyone with access to classified information, or did he keep them in the dark? These are basic questions with grave national security consequences, and I am urging Secretary Austin to provide the public with documents that could help explain Governor Walz's apparent disregard for our national security."
According to the letter Banks sent to Secretary Austin, there are concerns about Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice president nominee Tim Walz’s trips to China between 1989 and 2005. Banks said Walz potentially did not comply with foreign travel reporting requirements and security clearance while he served in the National Guard. He also mentioned scrutiny over Walz’s "history of pro-China positions." Banks requested answers specifically about Walz’s trips to China with the National Guard.
In the letter, Banks asked that Austin provide answers to those questions no later than August 20, 2024. The questions include whether Walz had security clearance at the time of his visits to China, how many times he traveled to China with security clearance, if he ever failed to report upcoming trips to China, if he declined to attend a foreign intelligence threat briefing, if he failed to complete a Debriefing Questionnaire, if he was investigated or reprimanded in any way for failing to report, and whether any superior of Walz expressed concern about his travels to China.
According to the New York Post, Banks said Walz was an "obvious security risk," stating that "Any individual traveling dozens of times to an adversary nation in a personal capacity while having access to classified information poses an obvious security risk." Brian Cavanaugh, a former National Security Council senior director for the White House, said that extensive security measures are "designed to mitigate the risk of foreign intelligence activities and ensure that individuals are aware of potential threats." Additionally, Cavanaugh said, "If Governor Walz failed to report foreign travel or take action on any mitigation measures, the risks of him jeopardizing national security are very real."
According to CBS News, Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris chose Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and previously served 12 years as a U.S. congressman. He also served in the Army National Guard for almost 25 years and taught high school in China for a year after finishing his degree in the 1980s.
Banks has served Indiana’s 3rd district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2016. From 2010 to 2016 he chaired the Indiana state Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Committee. From 2014 to 2015, Banks took a leave of absence and deployed in Afghanistan during Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel.
