GOP case to impeach Biden begins
1st day of hearing starts with smoke, but no fire
WASHINGTON – House Republicans worked to establish a basis to impeach President Joe Biden Thursday even as they lacked clear evidence for their claims that the president benefited financially from foreign business dealings of his son Hunter Biden in exchange for steering U.S. foreign policy.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, opened the first impeachment inquiry hearing accusing “the Bidens and their associates” of creating 20 shell companies that raked in more than $20 million, including when Biden was vice president.
“What were the Bidens selling to make all this money?” Comer said. “Joe Biden himself.”
Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine have raised major questions about the ethics of using a powerful political family name to make money overseas, but no evidence has emerged showing Joe Biden took payments or abused his office.
Democrats accused Republicans of holding a “sham hearing,” taking marching orders from former President Donald Trump as payback for his two impeachments and ignoring the real crisis: a looming federal government shutdown.
‘Passed the threshold’ or ‘fishing’?
All three witnesses brought in by Republicans said the committee does not have evidence of an impeachable offense.
“I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment,” said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University. “But I also do believe that the House has passed the threshold for an impeachment inquiry.”
Bruce Dubinsky, a forensic accountant, said that “much more information is still needed” to determine whether Biden family members were involved in “any improper or illicit activities.”
However, “as a fraud investigator, when I see smoke, I immediately look for the fire,” Dubinsky said.
But Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina, said searching for potential high crimes or misdemeanors is insufficient grounds for an impeachment inquiry. “A fishing expedition is not a legitimate purpose,” said Gerhardt, a witness invited by Democrats. He said the impeachment hearings appear driven by “partisan animus.”
Biden accused of ‘lying’
As proof the president was part of his son’s business scheme, Republicans argued the president lied at least 10 times when he said he never talked to his son about his business dealings and claimed his son did not make money from Chinese sources.
One example Republicans cited came during a 2020 presidential debate, when Joe Biden said, “My son has not made money – in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about – China.”
Earlier this week, the committee reners leased evidence that Hunter Biden – listing his father’s Delaware home address – received bank wires in 2019 totaling $260,000 from two Chinese nationals in Beijing. Republicans have argued the listed address proves Joe Biden was getting paid.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, argued that a “benefit to your family can be a benefit to you,” and accused the White House of misleading investigators.
Omitting key testimony
Republicans leaned heavily on prior testimony of Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden at Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm.
“Evidence reveals that then–Vice President Joe Biden spoke, dined and developed relationships with his family’s foreign business targets,” Comer said, including “oligarchs who sent millions of dollars to his family.”
Archer has told the committee that Hunter Biden put his father on the speakerphone about 20 times to speak with Burisma executives. In addition, he said the now-president attended two dinwith his son, Archer and foreign business partners.
Not mentioned by Republicans: Archer also testified that Joe Biden never talked business with them and that Hunter presented an “illusion of access to his father.”
Democrats: GOP seeks payback
Democrats scoffed. They said the committee had no evidence against the president and was doing Trump’s bidding.
“If Republicans had a smoking gun or even a dripping water pistol then they would be presenting it today. But they’ve got nothing on Joe Biden,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. “Despite years of investigation, there is no smoking gun that connects Joe Biden to his ne’er-do-well son’s corruption.”
Raskin cited an Aug. 27 post Trump made on his social media site Truth Social: “Either impeach the bum or fade into oblivion. They did it to us,” Trump wrote.
Raskin asked House Republicans how they could reconcile voting against Trump’s impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection with supporting the impeachment of Biden for allegedly committing a high crime and misdemeanor “that has not even been defined yet, much less proven.”
Government shutdown looms
Throughout the hearing, it was impossible to ignore the reality of a government shutdown that will go in effect Sunday unless Congress passes a shortterm funding resolution or budget.
Several of the hard-line Republicans presiding over the hearing are the same lawmakers who have resisted a deal to fund the government.
A government shutdown would have major repercussions. They include furloughing federal workers without pay, requiring essential federal workers to work without pay, halting funds for certain social welfare programs and potentially closing national parks.
The White House and Democrats worked to remind the viewing public of the optics. House Democrats at the hearing displayed a running shutdown clock, and the White House issued statements at 30-minute intervals.