House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has stated that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct. McCarthy made these remarks in response to pressure from GOP members to demonstrate support for former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
McCarthy acknowledged that the House’s previous probes into the Biden family’s finances have not proven any wrongdoing. However, he believes that an impeachment inquiry would allow Congress to gather more information and uncover the truth.
If the House were to launch an impeachment inquiry, it would be the first step towards bringing articles of impeachment against President Biden. The length of the probe would be determined by the House and could potentially stretch into the campaign season.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Constitutional Court has overturned the impeachment of the public safety minister who was ousted over a Halloween crowd surge that resulted in the deaths of nearly 160 people in Seoul last October.
In the midst of these developments, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has released an unclassified document that Republicans claim is significant in their investigation of Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son.
However, it is important to note that social media users have been sharing false claims this week. The facts are that President Joe Biden has not been impeached, and the House voted last month to send articles of impeachment to its Judiciary Committee and Homeland Security Committee for review.
Despite the lack of evidence, Republicans in the House are increasingly threatening impeachment against President Biden and his top Cabinet officials. McCarthy, who had previously sidelined efforts by House conservatives to launch such an inquiry, now says that he will follow this matter to the end.
McCarthy’s comments mark the strongest statement yet from him regarding a potential Biden impeachment. With a slim majority in the House, McCarthy is facing pressure from Trump allies to prioritize their agenda. Trump himself questioned why Biden has not yet been impeached during a recent Fox News town hall.
However, McCarthy has not yet endorsed Trump or any other GOP candidates for president. He denied reports that he is considering House votes to expunge Trump’s two impeachments as a way of showing support.
McCarthy did not provide a timeline for launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden and stated that he had not spoken to Trump about it. He also declined to comment on whether he would be making a presidential endorsement.
The White House responded to the House GOP’s eagerness to go after President Biden, stating that their focus should be on addressing issues such as lowering inflation and creating jobs.
Republicans in Congress have been intensifying their investigations into Biden and his son Hunter. They are particularly interested in the younger Biden’s payments from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that was involved in the first impeachment of Trump.
Hunter Biden has reached an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of failing to pay income taxes for several years. He is set to appear in court this week for that case.
Despite the lack of evidence, Republicans continue to pursue the theory that Burisma sought to pay the Bidens in return for their help in ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor. The Justice Department reviewed these claims under Trump’s Attorney General William Barr but found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Last week, Senator Chuck Grassley released an FBI form containing unverified claims from an informant regarding the Burisma allegations. Grassley is working with House Oversight Chairman James Comer, who had subpoenaed the FBI for the document.
Democrats on the Oversight panel have countered these allegations with a four-page memo, citing other documents and testimonies that dispute the claims. They also highlight that other Western allies were also concerned about the Ukrainian prosecutor and that Biden has repeatedly stated that he never discusses his son’s overseas business dealings.
The White House has dismissed questions about potential impeachment proceedings, viewing them as a political diversion that lacks public support or the support of McCarthy’s GOP majority.
McCarthy’s comments on Fox News reflect the ongoing pressure within the Republican Party to demonstrate loyalty to Trump and investigate the Biden administration. The possibility of an impeachment inquiry against President Biden remains uncertain, but it is clear that Republicans are determined to pursue their claims of financial misconduct.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Suggests Impeachment Inquiry of President Biden Over Financial Misconduct Claims
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct, responding to enormous GOP pressure to demonstrate support for Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
In remarks Tuesday at the Capitol, McCarthy said the questions House Republicans are raising about the Biden family finances need to be investigated. So far, he acknowledged, the House’s probes have not proven any wrongdoing, but an impeachment inquiry “allows Congress to get the information to be able to know the truth.”
An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. Such a probe could be as lengthy or swift as the House determines, potentially stretching into campaign season.
It’s the strongest comment yet from McCarthy on a potential Biden impeachment after the Republican leader sidelined earlier efforts by House conservatives to launch such an inquiry.
With a slim majority in the House, McCarthy faces demands from Trump allies to elevate their priorities. Trump himself questioned at a Fox News town hall last week why Biden has not yet been impeached.
McCarthy has not yet endorsed Trump, who is the early Republican frontrunner for president, or any other GOP candidates. He denied a report that he is considering House votes to expunge Trump’s two impeachments as another way of showing support.
McCarthy on Tuesday gave no timeline for launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden and said he hadn’t spoken to Trump about it. He declined to say if he would be making a presidential endorsement.
Asked if he felt pressure from Trump, he scoffed, “Do I look like I’m under pressure?”
White House spokesman Ian Sams said the House GOP’s “eagerness to go after POTUS regardless of the truth is seemingly bottomless,” using shorthand for the President of the United States.
“Instead of focusing on the real issues Americans want us to address like continuing to lower inflation or create jobs, this is what the House GOP wants to prioritize,” Sams said on Twitter.
Republicans in Congress have ramped up investigations of Biden and his son Hunter Biden. House Republicans are digging into the family finances, particularly payments the younger Biden received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump.
Hunter Biden has since reached an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of having failed to pay income taxes for several years. He is set to appear in court this week in that case.
But Republicans continue to pursue a largely debunked theory stemming from the first Trump impeachment about Burisma, with newer information. An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company.
The Justice Department launched a review of the informant’s claims in 2020 under Trump’s Attorney General William Barr. The probe was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Still, last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, released the FBI’s so-called FD-1023 form — with unverified claims from the informant — providing a full, public look at the allegations.
Grassley is working with House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who had subpoenaed the FBI for the document.
Democrats on the Oversight panel countered Monday with a four-page memo rebutting the allegations.
In the memo, Democrats point to other documents, including from Lev Parnas, a former associate of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani who claimed to have first-hand knowledge of some of the conversations and disputed the allegations. Parnas said one of the Burisma officials told him the claims are not true.
The Democrats also note that it wasn’t just Biden who wanted Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin ousted, but other Western allies were also raising concerns that Shokin was failing to investigate corruption in Ukraine.
Biden has repeatedly said he never speaks to his son about his overseas business dealings.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined Tuesday to entertain questions about potential impeachment proceedings, reflecting the administration’s thinking that is a political diversion that doesn’t have support of the public or even the entirety of McCarthy’s GOP majority.
McCarthy’s brief comments late Monday on Fox appeared intentional rather than simple banter with the show’s host, Sean Hannity. He said that Biden’s actions are “rising to the level of impeachment inquiry.”
The speaker’s appearance came as Trump was meeting at his Bedminster, N.J., club with Ohioans including Rep.
What evidence or specific claims of financial misconduct have been presented against President Joe Biden and are they substantial enough to warrant consideration of an impeachment inquiry?
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has suggested that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct. McCarthy made these remarks in response to pressure from GOP members to demonstrate support for former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
While McCarthy acknowledged that
It’s ironic how quickly the tables have turned. It seems like the Republicans are taking a page from the Democrats’ playbook. Political games or genuine concern? Only time will tell.