House lawmakers on Thursday launched their impeachment inquiry into President Biden with newly released documents they say strengthen their claims he helped his son secure foreign business deals and that the Justice Department worked to cover up the action.
“The Ways and Means Committee released new documents showing President Biden was not just aware of his son’s business dealings, but he was connected to them,” Chairman Jason Smith, Missouri Republican, said.
Some of the documents include messages and emails from the president’s brother James Biden and son Hunter Biden that reference Mr. Biden’s involvement in their business deals. Other documents show efforts by the Justice Department to stop IRS and FBI officials from investigating Mr. Biden during their probe of Hunter Biden’s tax fraud and gun crimes.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, Kentucky Republican, said bank financial records have revealed more than $20 million in profits from the foreign business deals, many of them dating back to Mr. Biden’s time as vice president, and much of the money flowed into the bank accounts of nine Biden family members.
All of it belies Mr. Biden’s insistence that he had no involvement in his son’s foreign deals, lawmakers said.
“He lied by telling the American people that there was an absolute wall between his official government duties and his personal life,” Mr. Comer said. “Let’s be clear. There was no wall. The door was wide open to those who purchased what a business associate described as the Biden brand.”
To make their case for impeaching Mr. Biden, lawmakers invited Eileen O’Connor, who formerly supervised tax cases for the Justice Department, forensic accountant Bruce Dubinsky and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley as witnesses.
Lawmakers plan to provide details of bank accounts and other financial records as well as witness testimony and texts and emails to show Mr. Biden acted corruptly.
Democrats on the panel said the impeachment inquiry was based on lies and conspiracy theories, including the GOP claim that Mr. Biden worked to oust Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin because he was investigating a Ukrainian energy firm that was paying Hunter Biden a $1 million salary.
“If the Republicans had a smoking gun, or even a dripping water pistol, they would be presenting it today. But they’ve got nothing on Joe Biden,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat and the oversight panel’s ranking member.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.