Kevin McCarthy launches bombshell Biden impeachment inquiry

By Emily Goodin, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Published: 12:01 EDT, 12 September 2023 | Updated: 12:32 EDT, 12 September 2023

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy officially announced he will begin an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden in a shock statement accusing the president of an ‘abuse of power and 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.’

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. The GOP 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. 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. 

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.

He did not specify how the Bidens got special treatment but House Republicans have demanded records from the Justice, State, and Treasury Departments as part of their probe. Hunter is under investigation by a special counsel and faced an IRS investigation about his taxes.

Hunter Biden has denied any wrong doing. 

House Republicans have been investigating the president and his family since they took control of the lower chamber in January.

Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the Oversight Committee, claims there could be upwards of 12 Biden family members who benefitted from influence peddling by the president and Hunter.

While most names have not yet been revealed, Comer previously said that suspicious activity reports (SARs) reviewed by Republicans on the panel have found that President Biden’s brother Jim Biden and his son Beau’s widow Hallie Biden benefited from foreign business deals.

Comer accused Hallie Biden of influence peddling by receiving a $35,000 payment linked to a Chinese firm.

The reports from earlier this year claimed that Hallie received a cut of the $3 million from China sent to an associate of Hunter Biden, whom she dated from 2016-2019 after her husband Beau died of brain cancer.

The White House, at the time, released a blistering statement accusing Republicans of orchestrating an ‘attack’ on Hallie.

Members of the Biden family could get dragged into the impeachment probe.

‘We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various shale companies,’ McCarthy said on Tuesday.

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 Comer – 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 Tuesday.

‘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 brought before Congress to answer questions. 

McCarthy, in announcing the inquiry, is using his unilateral power as speaker to begin the impeachment process. Nancy Pelosi did the same when she was speaker to begin both of Donald Trump’s impeachments.

The entire House could vote to begin impeachment proceedings but there were questions as whether McCarthy could wrangle the 218 votes from House Republicans 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. 

McCarthy said last month that an impeachment inquiry would only happen with a formal House vote.

‘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.’

In a full House vote, he’d only be able to lose five Republicans. Some had already cast doubt. 

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. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close Trump ally, has said she wouldn’t vote to fund the government without an impeachment inquiry against Biden. 

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, another ally of the former president, has said if McCarthy stands in the way of the impeachment process, he’d move to remove him from the speakership.

He doubled down on that threat on Tuesday.

Speaking on the House floor shortly after McCarthy announced the impeachment inquiry into the president Gaetz warned: ‘Focus on balanced budgets and term limits, subpoenas for Hunter Biden…and impeachment for Joe Biden…Do these things or face a motion to vacate the chair.’

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.

The White House has suggested passing a temporary resolution to keep the government open through the end of the year while negotiations continue.

McCarthy is trying to float a 30-day stopgap measure that would keep things running until  Nov. 1, but conservatives are balking at what’s called a continuing resolution.

The White House has requested that resolution contain $16 billion in disaster relief funds and $24 billion for the Ukraine. Many Republicans want to cut off funding for the Ukraine.

London-listed SPAC launches Lloyd’s of London investment vehicle

• Financials Acquisition revealed it had set up London Innovation Underwriters 
• SPACs are blank-check firms formed specifically to raise capital through an IPO

By Harry Wise

Updated: 12:31 EDT, 8 September 2023

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Mike Pence launched a direct attack on rivals Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis in a speech where he challenged the Republican Party to return to its conservative roots. 

The former vice president, in what was billed as a major speech by his campaign, slammed the direction the GOP was moving in and called for new leadership that would bring the party to what it was under Ronald Reagan. 

‘The truth is the Republican Party did not begin on a golden escalator in 2015,’ he said, referring to Trump’s campaign announcement, when he rode down as escalator at Trump Tower.

Much of what Pence addressed is reflective of the internal battle happening inside the Republican Party – a fight between the right-wing MAGA supporters and the more moderate side. The battle is playing out both on the campaign trail and in the halls of Congress as the GOP struggles with its future.

He made his argument at  Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, an must-stop on the presidential campaign trail. New Hampshire, which holds the first in the nation primary, prides itself on its political independence, touting its state motto of ‘Live Free or Die.’

A small crowd of about 50 people listened to his remarks and posed for selfies afterward.  

For Pence, the speech could be a pivotal moment.  It comes after he made aggressive attacks in the first Republican primary debate. The second debate will take place in three weeks, on September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Other candidates have tried similar moves – making grand speeches that are also targeted at addressing one of the major questions voters have about them. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, made one on faith during his presidential campaign. And Barack Obama made one on race during his presidential bid.

For Pence, that major question is Trump. As his former vice president, he worked in the administration that pushed some of those policies he is now questioning. 

Trump has a strangle hold on the Republican Party. His MAGA supporters have made or broken candidates in several primary elections, leaving him in a position of power. The former president’s own arraingments and legal issues have seen him raise millions from his supporters. 

In his remarks, Pence cast himself as the inheritor of Reagan’s legacy and slammed his rivals for rejecting the Constitution, using the government to further their own agenda, and turning to populism.

‘When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, he promised to govern as a conservative. Together we did,’ Pence said. ‘But it’s important for Republicans to know that he and his imitators in this Republican primary make no such promise today.’

He also criticized Trump’s position on Medicaid and Medicare. 

‘Donald Trump’s position on entitlement reform is identical to Joe Biden’s,’ Pence said. 

Pence is struggling to gain traction in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination. He has been barnstorming New Hampshire – the first primary state – but sits at 2% in the RealClearPolitics polling average of the state. Trump leads by double digits and Ramaswamy is at 6%.

And the latest poll in New Hampshire had Trump holding a 38-point lead over the field with 48% while Pence was in seventh place with only 4%. 

DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley shared second place with 10% apiece. Ramaswamy came in at 8%. 

Pence, in his speech, tried to tie DeSantis to Trump, calling the Florida governor an ‘imitator’ of the former president. 

‘These imitators in this primary have demonstrated a willingness to brandish government power to impose their will on opponents,’ he said, pointing to DeSantis’ war on Walt Disney.

‘The governor of Florida still justifies using the power of the state to punish a corporation for taking a political stance that he disagreed with,’ Pence said. 

The DeSantis/Disney clash began when the company spoke out against the governor’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law – a state law prohibiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. As part of that war, DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Florida legislature terminated the self-governing privileges that Disney World had held since 1967.

And Pence criticized Ramaswamy for advocating in his book for a 59% inheritance tax. The former vice president said the tax policy was something liberals would support.

‘In his book Nation of Victims last year, he said that Americans should not become wealthy quote, just by having rich parents,’ Pence noted.

Pence called on Republicans to return to the policies of ‘limited government and individual liberty.’

He argued that was the way to defeat President Joe Biden next November. 

‘If we’re to defeat Joe Biden and turn America around, the Republican Party must be the party of limited government, free enterprise, fiscal responsibility and traditional moral values,’ Pence said in his closing. ‘And I’ll be carrying that message across the Granite State and all across America in the days ahead.’

British Airways and British Airways Holidays have launched their end-of-summer sale, offering flight and holiday savings for travel in both 2023 and 2024.

Running until 3 October, 2023, the sale features short and long-haul destinations, with highlights including European beach holidays from £219pp, New York city breaks from £499pp and Caribbean resort stays from £599pp.

British Airways Holidays says that it is offering ‘a wide range of enticing holiday packages for customers booking their flight and hotel together’.

Those jetting off to far-flung destinations in the Caribbean, says British Airways Holidays, ‘can enjoy week-long holidays to Tobago from £599pp, Barbados from £749pp and Antigua from £719pp’.

For European city break lovers, these start from £139pp for two nights, for flights and a hotel.

British Airways Holidays reveals that two-night breaks to Nice and Prague can be snapped up from £139pp, while customers can bag a seven-night holiday to the Algarve for £219pp.

For Brits looking to catch some winter sun close to home, they can soak it up in Mallorca for seven nights from £459pp on an all-inclusive basis, or Egypt for seven nights all-inclusive from £469pp.

Claire Bentley, Managing Director of British Airways Holidays, said: ‘We are excited to announce our holiday sale to popular travel destinations.

‘Whether you desire a quick getaway or a long-awaited trip to visit family and friends, we have offers to suit all. We remain dedicated to providing our customers with ample choices, flexibility, and value.’

Flight only

Travellers looking for transatlantic flight-only options can book return flights to New York from £333, Orlando from £373, Boston from £370, San Diego from £428 and Chicago from £419.

In addition, customers who book ‘World Traveller’ (BA’s name for long-haul economy) will have the option to upgrade to World Traveller Plus (premium economy) on selected routes for an extra £249 return.

Those who upgrade will enjoy wider seats and more legroom, two meals and complimentary bar service, priority boarding, more luggage allowance and a ‘stylish’ amenity kit made from recycled plastic bottles.

Executive Club members also have the option to save by paying with Avios, with examples including returns to New York from £173 + 36,000 Avios and Dubai from £179 + 62,500 Avios.

Those looking to travel in Club World (business class) can secure return flights to Dubai from £1,599, New York from £1,762 and Tel Aviv from £1,100.

Further information on the flight and holiday sale can be found at www.ba.com/sale.

British Airways Holidays deals, from Barbados to Boston via the Cote d’Azur

Caribbean

Barbados: Seven nights at the three-star Travellers Palm from £749pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in May 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/barbados or calling 0344 493 0120.

Tobago: Seven nights at the three-star Shepherds Inn from £599pp on a B&B basis travelling on selected dates in May 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/tobago or calling 0344 493 0120.

St Lucia: Seven nights at the three-star Bay Gardens Hotel from £739pp on a room-only basis travelling on selected dates in June 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/stlucia or calling 0344 493 0120.

Aruba: Seven nights at the three-star Talk of The Town Hotel & Beach Club from £649pp on a room-only basis travelling on selected dates in June 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/aruba or calling 0344 493 0120.

Middle East

Dubai: Three nights at the four-star Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai from £499 on a room-only basis travelling on selected dates in June 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/dubai or calling 0344 493 0123.

Indian Ocean

Mauritius: Seven nights at the three-and-a-half-star Tropical Attitude from £849pp on a B&B basis travelling on selected dates in June 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/mauritius or calling 0344 493 0778.

Europe

Prague: Two nights at the four-star Grand Majestic Plaza from £139pp on a room-only basis selected dates in January 2024. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance and accommodation. Book now: www.ba.com/prague or call 0344 493 0125.

Nice: Two nights at the three-star Monsigny Hotel Nice from £139pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in January 2024. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/nice or calling 0344 493 0125.

Egypt: Seven nights at the four-star Xperience Sea Breeze Resort from £469pp on a B&B basis on selected dates in January 2024. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.britishairways.com/holidays or calling 0344 493 0125.

Greece: Seven nights at the five-star Ikos Oceania from £929pp on an all-inclusive basis on selected dates in April 2024. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/halkidiki or calling 0344 493 0125.

Malta: Seven nights at the five-star The Westin Dragonara Resort from £499pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in December 2023. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/malta or calling 0344 493 0125.

The US and Canada

Orlando: Seven nights at the three-star Ramada Plaza Resort and Suites International Drive from £499pp on a room-only basis travelling on selected dates in April and May 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/orlando or calling 0344 493 0124.

New York: Three nights at the four-star Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square from £699pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in January and February 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/new-york or calling 0344 493 0122.

Boston: Three nights at the four-and-a-half-star Fairmont Copley Plaza from £619pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in January and February 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/boston or calling 0344 493 0122.

Toronto: Three nights at the four-star Chelsea Hotel Toronto from £559pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in January and February 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/toronto or call 0344 493 0122.

San Francisco: Five nights at the four-star Hotel Abri from £699pp on a room-only basis on selected dates in February and March 2024. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport and 23kg luggage allowance. Book by visiting www.ba.com/sanfrancisco or calling 0344 493 0122.

What is Threads?

Threads is a new microblogging app that was launched by Meta Platforms at 7pm EST, July 5 and at midnight on July 6 in the UK.

It is a text-based conversation platform which is linked to Instagram, allowing users to follow accounts they are already interested in on the photo-sharing platform.

Users can share their point of view in thread-like posts that appear very similar to tweets.

‘Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,’ the App Store’s description reads.

‘Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.’

The app is available in 31 different languages, including but not limited to English, Traditional Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

Location and browser history is used to make Threads function, according to Meta’s terms of service. 

What does it mean for Elon Musk? 

Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads came just days after Elon Musk announced a temporary cap on how many posts a user can read on Twitter. 

Now, Twitter users who chalk up the $8 a month to become a verified user can view up to 6,000 daily tweets. 

Unverified users can see up to 600 tweets a day, and new unverified accounts can see up to 300 tweets a day.

Threads is likely to be a huge source of competition between Zuckerberg and Musk, with the pair already agreeing to a physical fight last month.

Just before the launch, Musk appeared to take a swipe at the new platform.

‘Thank goodness they’re so sanely run,’ he wrote in response to a group of Thread screenshots.

What personal data will Threads collect?

Threads collects 14 different types of data that may be linked to your identity.

Alongside location and browser history, this includes financial information, purchase history and even health data.

The App Store also suggests that identifiers and ‘sensitive information’ are collected too, in addition to personal contact data.

But data use can vary depending on your use of the features on offer.

A full list of its data collection is below:  

• Health and Fitness
• Financial Information
• Contact Information
• User Content
• Browsing History
• Usage Data
• Diagnostics
• Purchases
• Location
• Contacts 
• Search History
• Identifiers
• Sensitive Information
• Other Data 

How and when can you download it? 

Threads is free and is currently available for pre-order for users aged 12 and above on Apple’s App Store.

Mark Zuckerberg claims that a web version will be  available soon.  

The Bachelor’s Ben Higgins launches campaign website to run for the Colorado House of Representatives

By Cassie Carpenter For Dailymail.com

Updated: 21:25 EDT, 3 June 2016

Jedidiah Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting fame has announced that he is running for a seat the Arkansas House of Representatives — 20 years after his father Jim Bob Duggar served two terms in the same government body.

The 20-year-old shared the news on Instagram on November 3, just days after getting an account, and added more information about his newly-launched campaign on his website.

‘I will fight for sound economic policies, push for more tax relief for all Arkansans, and advocate for conservative values,’ he said. ‘I am a Christian and I will stand up for religious liberty, I am pro-life and I will be an advocate for the unborn, and I will always defend our Second Amendment.’ 

Jed is running as a Republican to represent Arkansas’ 89th district, which includes Springdale, where he lives with his parents and 10 of his siblings, including twin brother Jeremiah. In fact, he, his twin, and four of their younger brothers still share a bedroom in the house.

‘I have grown up in the Springdale area all my life and as a local small-business owner, I understand the important issues facing the residents and businesses of District 89,’ he said in a campaign video. 

On his website, Jed touts his qualifications, highlighting his role as the owner of Champion Motorcars in Springdale.

He also lists Christian mission trips he has taken taken and details his participation at church. 

His political experience includes working as a campaign manager for Senator Bob Ballinger’s 2018 State Senate bid, as well as serving as a legislative assistant at the Arkansas State Capitol during the 2017 legislation session. 

Jed, who is the 10th of 19 children, promises he is ‘pro-business, pro-family, and is committed to putting Springdale’s conservative values first.’

His website also lays out his stances on several issues, which all fall in line with religious conservatism.  

‘I am a Christian and pro-life conservative who values the fact that life begins at conception,’ he said, promising to champion the ‘un-born.’

‘I believe every human life is created in God’s image, and we must stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.’

On guns, the NRA member said: ‘I will defend our right to keep and bear arms and I will take a stand against liberal judges who trample on our God-given constitutional rights.’

He promises to work to lower taxes and ‘fight to keep government out of the way and push back on burdensome regulations that hurt our small businesses.’

Jed, who was raised in an evangelical household, also wrote a lengthy passage about religious liberty.

‘People of faith understand that worship is not only confined to the four walls of church, it must be lived out in our daily life. Business owners and employees should never be forced to choose between violating their religious conscience and breaking the law,’ he said.

Finally, he lamented the opioid crisis and shared his intention to fix it with the help of religious programs.

‘We must combat this issue head on by promoting educational initiatives and working with non-profit and faith-based programs that encourage prevention, recovery and rehabilitation.’ 

The election is still a year away, during which time he’ll make his case for winning the Republican nomination and replacing first-term incumbent Megan Godfrey, a Democrat.  

Godfrey herself had just narrowly unseated Republican State Representative Jeff Williams last November, winning 1,857 votes to his 1,827.

Jed and his immediate family in Arkansas who are over age 18 have 21 votes among them.

Godfrey, 35, is a married mother of two with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Arkansas. She previously worked as a teacher, and now serves on a subcommittee on higher education.

Higher education is unlikely to be a point of focus for Jed, who was home-schooled by his mother. 

Michelle held home-school sessions for three to four hours a day, enlisting the older ones to teach the younger ones. She wrote in a blog post for TLC that she picked a ‘Christian-based curriculum — one in which there’s a lot of character emphasis, character building like responsibility, honesty, self control.’ 

Jed’s announcement has him following in the footsteps of his father Jim Bob, 54, who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002, representing District 6. 

He was vice chair of the House Corrections and Criminal Law Subcommittee during that time, and also ran on a conservative values platform.

In 2002, he decided to leave the House and ran in the Republican primary election for a seat in the United States Senate, but lost in the primary to incumbent Senator Tim Hutchinson, with a vote of 71,576 to 20,546

In 2006, he also lost a race for the Arkansas State Senate and has not returned to politics in an official capacity, though he has supported numerous political campaigns. 

Jim Bob’s oldest son, Josh, 31, was the next to go into politics, though his career was short-lived, getting derailed by a series of sex scandals.

He worked as a part-time political consultant in 2007, and in 2008 worked on the Republican presidential primary campaign of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. 

He also campaigned for presidential candidate Rick Santorum in 2012, telling a crowd: ‘Our family is like the epitome of conservative values. People connect to us in that way.’

Finally, he took a job as executive director of FRC Action, a conservative political action and lobbying group where he engaged in ‘taking the message of faith, family and freedom all across America.’

But Josh left his job in 2015 after InTouch revealed that he had molested five little girls — including four of his younger sisters — when he was a teenager. Soon after, Josh was discovered to have an account on the adultery website Ashley Madison, and he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife and watching pornography.

‘I have been the biggest hypocrite ever,’ he said in a public statement at the time. ‘While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife.’  

He added: ‘The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country while hiding my own personal failings.  

Second-oldest son John David, 29, is also an elected official, serving as a Constable. He ran as a Republican. 

Otherwise, the family’s political activism has come down to voting and supporting conservative candidates.

In 2015, matriarch Michelle, 52, came under public scrutiny for recording a transphobic robocall in opposition to an anti-discrimination bill in Arkansas.

‘Hello, this is Michelle Duggar,’ she said in the recording. ‘I’m calling to inform you of some shocking news that would affect the safety of Northwest Arkansas women and children. 

 ‘The Fayetteville City Council is voting on an ordinance this Tuesday night that would allow men – yes, I said men – to use women’s and girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping areas and other areas that are designated for females only.

‘I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls. 

‘I doubt that Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatized by a man joining them in their private space. 

‘Parents, who do you want undressing next to your daughter at the public swimming pool’s private changing area?’

She and Jim Bob also had all of their kids record a campaign video endorsing Rick Santorum in 2012.  

But Jed may not be the last Duggar to run for office. While the women in his family don’t have careers, he still has several younger brothers who could decide to run for office some day.

His 16-year-old brother Justin, in particular, has expressed an interest in politics.  

In September, Northwest Arkansas’ CBS affiliate 5NEWS shared an image of a local highway taken from above, showing the words ‘TRUMP 2020’ mowed and burned into the grass along the side of the road.

Though they didn’t identify the political landscaper responsible for the message, oldest son Josh Duggar’s wife Anna soon shared the post and credited her teenage brother-in-law Justin for the grassy shout-out.

‘Looks like Justin’s lawn “art” is picking up some local attention,’ Anna, 30, wrote in an Instagram Story post.

She added a trio of emojis including an American flag, a laughing face, and a shushing face.

A woman has launched a podcast to investigate her father’s unsolved murder more than 20 years after his death, in the hopes of finding out who shot him – and why.

In 2002, Madison McGhee’s father, John Cornelius McGhee, 45, was shot and killed in the doorway of his home in Bridgeport, Ohio, a small town in Belmont County on the border with West Virginia.

According to an incident report from the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office it was a home invasion gone wrong.

But McGhee says that theory is laden with inconsistencies – and ignores that her father, also known as JC, was a former drug dealer turned confidential informant for local law enforcement. 

So far, McGhee has released six episodes of the podcast Ice Cold Case, which unravels the different theories and potential characters behind her father’s sudden death.

The fatal incident happened shortly after 6am on July 11, 2002, between two neighboring houses in Bridgeport, a town of around 2,000 people in rural Ohio, according sheriff’s office incident reports seen by DailyMail.com.

McGhee’s father lived in one of those houses and that day was there with his elder daughter and McGhee’s sister Alyssa, who was sleeping at the time.

Next door lived JC’s sister Pearl. Her son Omar had been there that morning with his girlfriend Kim.

After the event, Pearl, Omar and Kim told deputies a group of around four men dressed in black arrived at Pearl’s house in at least three cars and armed with shotguns and pistols before bursting into her home and demanding drugs or money.

Amid the chaos, the house was ransacked, Pearl and Kim were tied up with telephone cord, covered in blankets and the men doused them in alcohol before threatening to set them alight.

According to those reports, Omar was able to escape and fled to a nearby auto shop. It was at point that at least one of the men moved next door to JC’s house and fatally shot him in the head in the doorway.

JC’s daughter Alyssa told deputies she was woken up at the time by the sound of a gunshot.  

Alyssa then found her father bloody in the doorway of the house and called 911.

Minutes later, Omar used the phone in the auto shop to call 911 to report that his ‘neighbor’ was being robbed and that ‘they got my mom and my girl’, presumably referring to Pearl and Kim, according to a dispatch transcript.

Details in sheriff’s office’s account are limited but according to the report a coroner found that JC was killed with a bullet to the head from a pistol

‘It was a kill shot,’ McGhee told DailyMail.com. ‘A coordinated hit.’

McGhee, who was just six-years-old at the time, had been living with her mother in Charleston, West Virginia, and was told by family that her father had died from a heart attack.

Some ten years later, aged 16, she went to Bridgeport with her mother and met her cousin Omar. 

It was after that meeting that McGhee’s mom told her that her dad had actually been killed.   

At the time she was about to graduate high school and thinking about a career in TV production.

‘I went to school with the idea that production was something I was passionate about but there was this poke in the back of my mind that I could make something about my dad’s murder,’ she said.

‘I think that that voice just got louder and louder as I got older.’

Then came Covid, and with nothing much else to do, she started to dig and recorded her conversations with the people she spoke with along the way.

Throughout her podcast McGhee probes various theories as to why those men were present that day and why her father was shot. 

Along the way she introduces characters in her father’s often murky life, including his ex-girlfriend, Daneen Schrader, and her new boyfriend at the time, Butchy.

According to sheriff’s office’s documents, Daneen gave birth to JC’s son, but as an informant JC had also been involved in Butchy’s recent indictment.

During the podcast McGhee also suggests her father was in the midst of a custody battle for the child.

‘My dad was due in court the day after he was murdered for the custody of Daneen’s son, who was also my dad’s son and my half brother,’ she said.

And according to some, Butchy was an acquittance of Omar. ‘I have heard that they were friendly,’ said McGhee. ‘That’s just through talking with people who are around at the time.’ 

Although there is now no leading theory, in the weeks after the killing in July 2002, Belmont County Sheriff’s department and prosecutors singled out one man – Daryl Smith, according to sheriff’s department logs.

He was thought to have been present at the time based on information given by Kim, Omar and Pearl, who all identified him among a series of photos.

Belmont County sheriff’s department and the prosecutor’s office were sure enough that Smith was involved that they took his case to a Grand Jury, which threw it out at the last minute, according to McGhee.

In each episode of the podcast, McGhee pieces together more pieces of the puzzle, meshing together the varies theories in the hopes of landing on a narrative that ties up all the loose ends.

Although the podcast was scheduled for eight episodes, McGhee has said it will have to go on.  

‘Putting this all out is helpful because information will come in, and the bigger this gets, the more information will funnel through,’ she said.

‘But I need proof. I need someone to come forward and say I was there and this is what happened. That is going to be really difficult, but I’m not giving up until that happens.’

The first episodes of Ice Cold Case are available to listen for free.