Republicans slam Biden's new clean energy czar John Podesta as CCP 'shill' over ties to top Chinese official

Republican leaders in Congress are blasting President Biden’s newly tapped clean energy czar, John Podesta, over his close ties to a top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official.

Jessica Chasmar is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com and on Twitter: @JessicaChasmar.

Fox News Digital reported Monday that Podesta has close ties to Tung Chee-hwa, a top CCP official, referring to him as his "friend" and taking several phone calls from him between 2015 and 2016 while serving as the chairman for Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign, according to emails.

Podesta said he has the "highest regard" for Tung, who has been serving as a vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) since the early 2000s. Tung’s CPPCC is a "central part" of China’s united front system, which works to "co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)," according to a 2018 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. government agency.