Kevin McCarthy launches bombshell Biden impeachment inquiry

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy officially announced he will begin an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden in a shock statement accusing the president of being involved in a ‘culture of corruption’ over son Hunter’s foreign business deals. ‘House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct,’ McCarthy said, speaking at 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,’ he 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.’ An inquiry is the first step in the impeachment process. 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. 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 speaker justified his decision, claiming Biden’s family got special treatment from the government. ‘It appears that the president’s family has been offered special treatment by Biden’s own administration – treatment that not otherwise would have received if they were not related to the President,’ he noted. When House Republicans meet on Thursday behind closed doors in the Capitol , the two committee chairmen leading the probes of the Biden family – Reps. Jim Jordan of the Judiciary Committee and James Comer of the Oversight Committee – will lay out their findings thus far.

Jordan, Comer and Republican Rep. Jason Smith of the Ways and Means Committee will lead the probe. ‘I do not make this decision lightly,’ McCarthy said. ‘I would encourage the President and his team to fully cooperate with this investigation,’ he added. ‘We are committed to getting the answers for the American public. Nothing more, nothing less. We will go wherever the evidence takes us.’ Three separate Republican-led committees have investigated allegations that Hunter Biden leveraged his father’s vice presidency to secure foreign business deals that made the family a mint.

Hunter is already facing legal issues. Federal prosecutors plan to indict Hunter on illegal gun charges that have a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail by the end of September. David Weiss, a U.S. attorney appointed by then-President Donald Trump, has been leading the Justice Department probe into the first son. He was given special counsel status last month amid concerns from Republicans that Weiss didn’t have the authority to conduct a proper investigation. An impeachment inquiry could mean Hunter is dragged before Congress to answer questions. But, before that begins, the entire House must approve the start of the inquiry. And there are also questions as to whether there are 218 House Republicans who will vote to authorize it. Some moderate GOP lawmakers have been skeptical of the need for an impeachment inquiry.

So far, House Republicans have uncovered no evidence that Joe Biden has personally profited off his son Hunter’s business arrangements. And the White House is waging war against those trying to impeach the president. ‘Will anyone ask Speaker McCarthy *why* an impeachment inquiry is the ‘next logical step?’ The House GOP investigations have turned up no evidence of wrongdoing by POTUS. In fact, their own witnesses have testified to that, and their own documents have showed no link to POTUS,’ White House spokesman Ian Sams said early Tuesday morning. Sams also pointed threats by conservatives like Georgia’s Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said she wouldn’t fund to fund the government without an impeachment inquiry. ‘McCarthy is being told by Marjorie Taylor Greene to do impeachment, or else she’ll shut down the government Opening impeachment despite zero evidence of wrongdoing by POTUS is simply red meat for the extreme rightwing so they can keep baselessly attacking him,’ he noted.

Meanwhile, McCarthy said last month that an impeachment inquiry would only happen with a formal House vote. As speaker he has the power to start one unilaterally, but he said wants all lawmakers to weigh in. ‘To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives,’ McCarthy told Breitbart News ‘That’s why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.’

McCarthy needs 218 votes for the impeachment proceedings to begin. Given the narrow majority he holds, that means he can only lose five Republican votes. He may not have that many. Moderate Republican Reps. Ken Buck of Colorado and Don Bacon of Nebraska have voiced skepticism of the impeachment inquiry. Other Republicans have questioned the timing. An impeachment inquiry could backfire politically, firing up Democratic and swing voters in Biden’s favor as the next year’s presidential election gets closer. Former President Donald Trump successfully used his impeachments to rally his base and raise millions for his political fundraising committees. But McCarthy is facing other threats.

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a close ally of Trump, has said if McCarthy stands in the way of the impeachment process, he’d move to remove him from the speakership. McCarthy became speaker after a deal with the conservative wing of the Republican Party issued a list of demands – including the ability to call a quick vote to ‘vacate the chair’ and remove him from office. Now that threat hangs over McCarthy’s every move like the sword of damocles. The speaker is also dealing with a ticking clock when it comes to avoiding a government shutdown. If Congress doesn’t pass a bill to fund the government by the end of the month, there will be a partial shutdown. Given the Congressional schedule, there are just 11 working days to do that. Conservatives are pushing for massive cuts in federal spending. Democrats, who control the Senate, are standing firm against them. But McCarthy could bring the right-wing under control by launching that impeachment inquiry. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12509209/Kevin-McCarthy-impeachment-biden-hunter-foreign-deals.html?ito=msngallery

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