The three Republican-led committees leading the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden have released a report alleging that the U.S President committed impeachable offences.
A 291-page report by the committees alleged that Biden profited from an influence-peddling scheme to enrich himself and members of his family through foreign business dealings beginning in 2014 when Biden was vice president.
Jim Jordan, head of the Judiciary Committee, said the investigation showed “conclusively” that Biden had “abused his public office for the private financial benefit of the Biden family and Biden business associates.”
James Comer, Head of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, stated that President Biden’s legacy “is marked by abuse of public office, corruption and obstruction.”
“The evidence produced by our impeachment inquiry is the strongest case for impeachment of a sitting president the House of Representatives has ever investigated.”
James Comer
The nearly yearlong inquiry released by the Republicans on Monday, August 19, 2024, stops short of alleging any criminal wrongdoing by the President, who decided last month not to run for re-election this year.
Instead, the report covers familiar ground, asserting the Biden family traded on its “brand” in business ventures in corrupt ways that rise to the US Constitution’s high bar for impeachment.
Republicans have for years used Biden’s son; Hunter’s foreign links and chaotic personal life as a recovering drug addict against Biden.
They have alleged that the Biden family and its associates received about $27m in business payments from partners or clients in Russia, China and other countries. They alleged an additional $8m in loans, including some from Hunter Biden benefactor Kevin Morris, a Hollywood attorney, and question the purchases of the son’s artwork.
The report said that it is “inconceivable” that President Biden did not understand what was going on.
“President Biden participated in a conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family,” the report alleged.
The report also accused the White House and others in the Biden administration of hampering Congress’ efforts to obtain key documents and witnesses related to probes of the president’s handling of classified materials and his son’s business dealings.
However, it is unclear whether the commitees would push for a vote following the probe.
Since Republicans launched their impeachment inquiry into Biden 11 months ago, they have failed to convince their narrow majority to move forward with articles of impeachment.
With Biden no longer seeking reelection, and attention on Capitol Hill shifting to the 2024 presidential election, the momentum to continue to use investigative muscle to scrutinize Biden and his family has also dissipated.
While Kamala Harris is not mentioned in Monday’s report, the same committees leading the inquiry have begun to open new probes into her and her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
White House Slams Impeachment Endeavour
In a statement, White House spokeswoman, Sharon Yang slammed congressional Republicans for their “failed” impeachment endeavor.
“After wasting nearly two years and millions of taxpayer dollars, House Republicans have finally given up on their wild goose chase,” Yang said.
“This failed stunt will only be remembered for how it became an embarrassment that their own members distanced themselves from as they only managed to turn up evidence that refuted their false and baseless conspiracy theories.”
Sharon Yang
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, also said in a statement that the impeachment report continues “debunking and refuting the same old lies and propaganda that have defined the Oversight Republicans’ embarrassing work in the wasted 118th Congress.”
“I would call it a complete exoneration of the target of their pathetic attacks—President Joe Biden,” Raskin said.
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