Biden wishes House Republicans ‘lots of luck’ on their impeachment inquiry as the
President Joe Biden wished House Republicans ‘lots of luck’ on their impeachment inquiry, taunting his political opposition as he returned to the White House Sunday.
The president spent the weekend away in Wilmington, Delaware, where he continued to ignore questions on son Hunter’s indictment – and attracted an armed protester near his residence.
Biden ignored a shouted question on whether he would pardon Hunter as he departed church Saturday evening.
The president didn’t answer the same question when asked it Friday after he addressed the ongoing United Auto Workers strike.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said later Friday that the president would not pardon his son.
President Joe Biden wished House Republicans ‘lots of luck’ when asked about their opening of an impechment inquiry on Sunday
President Joe Biden smiles as he walks by reporters on the South Lawn Sunday after spending the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware
‘I’ve answered this question before and I was very clear. I said no,’ she said at the briefing.
Hunter Biden is facing three federal charges, with up to 25 years in prison, related to his purchase of a gun – allegedly lying on the form to purchase the weapon while he was addicted to drugs.
But it’s the first son’s foreign business dealings that prompted the announcement Tuesday that the House Republicans would be opening an impeachment inquiry.
While President Biden has denied being involved in Hunter’s business deals in Ukraine and China, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated otherwise.
‘House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct,’ he said Tuesday from the Capitol. ‘Taken together these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption.’
‘These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. And they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives. That’s why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,’ McCarthy noted.
‘This logical next step will give our committees, the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public. That’s exactly what we want to know the answers,’ the House speaker added.
President Joe Biden chats with churchgoers Saturday as he departs services at St. Joseph on the Brandywine
Republicans have charged Biden and his family made millions off shell companies Hunter Biden formed when his father was vice president.
Hunter had business deals with an energy company in the Ukraine, received a discounted stake in a private-equity firm in China, and did consulting for a Romanian real-estate magnate.
The president has denied any involvement in his son’s business dealings. But Republicans claim at least a dozen Biden family members could be involved in a scheme to benefit financially from Biden’s public office.
House investigators are expected to issue subpoenas for the bank records of the president and his family.
GOP lawmakers also claim Biden sat in on at least 24 calls with Hunter’s business partners and was referred to as ‘the big guy’ by Hunter’s business associates.
And they say Joe Biden used pseudonyms to discuss his activities related to Ukraine with his son Hunter during his time as vice president.
An inquiry is the first step in the impeachment process.
House Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden Tuesday in an attempt to link him to son Hunter’s (pictured) business deals. On Thursday, Hunter was indicted on gun charges
A man carrying a gun in his side-hip holster demonstrated near President Joe Biden’s Delaware residence on Sunday before the president returned to the White House
It is when evidence is gathered for the articles, or charges, of impeachment against an official.
It is a massive step with many pitfalls, including infuriating Republican moderates and many GOP senators, who are skeptical of the issue and causing friction with the White House as budget negotiations are underway.
Congress faces a September 30th deadline to fund the government or it will shutdown.
McCarthy, however, is under intense pressure from the conservative wing of his party to make such a move, including threats from some of his own GOP lawmakers to remove him from the speakership.
The White House has repeatedly denied Biden has conducted any wrongdoing. The president himself has said he was not involved with any of Hunter’s business deals.
Some of Hunter’s former associates, however, have testified that Joe Biden spoke to Hunter’s business associates but the president’s defenders say it was quick conversation and merely cordial, not related to any dealmaking.
Joe Biden also used various private email addresses from which he would sometimes send, receive and forward government correspondence according to emails found on Hunter Biden’s now-infamous laptop.
‘Robin Ware,’ ‘Robert L. Peters’ and ‘JRB ware’ were three pseudonyms used on emails that were about both official and family business.
The White House argues it’s common for public figures to use false names.
McCarthy charged Biden was involved.
‘Eye witnesses have testified that the President joined on multiple phone calls, and had multiple interactions, dinners, resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his son’s and his son’s business partners,’ he said.
It’s estimated Hunter raked in $40 million through 20 shell companies and fake accounts created while Joe Biden was vice president, at the same time the elder Biden was joining Hunter’s business calls and stopping by at lavish dinners.
The White House called McCarthy’s move ‘extreme politics.’
‘House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own Republican members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped because he doesn’t have support. This is extreme politics at its worst,’ White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams said in a statement.