House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden should be launched after Republican-led committees heard allegations that the Bidens had abused their influence and weaponized the government.
“This is reaching the level of an impeachment investigation, giving Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information it needs,” McCarthy said on Fox’s Sean Hannity Show Monday.
“Because this president has also used something we haven’t seen since Richard Nixon: he uses the government’s weapon for the benefit of his family and denies control to Congress.”
Two committees – the House Oversight and Ways and Means – have heard allegations about Hunter Biden’s business dealings and allegations that Joe Biden was implicated in his son’s schemes – something the White House has consistently denied.
On Monday night, McCarthy said there were enough worrying allegations to warrant an impeachment inquiry.
Kevin McCarthy called for impeachment proceedings to be instituted against Joe Biden on Monday evening
Hunter Biden, 53, is seen with his father on June 25 as the two remain targets of House investigations
“When Biden ran for office, he told the public that he never discussed business. “He said his family never received a dollar from China, which we prove is not true,” McCarthy said.
“We were just following where the information was taking us,” the spokesman added.
In response, the White House accused Republicans of not focusing on important issues.
“Rather than focusing on the real issues Americans want to address, like keeping inflation down or creating jobs, @HouseGOP wants to prioritize that,” tweeted Ian Sams, White House spokesman for oversight and investigations.
“Your eagerness to pursue @POTUS regardless of the truth seems to know no bounds.”
McCarthy’s comments came as the House Oversight Committee is in its final week of hearings before the summer recess.
They’re hoping to hear from Hunter Biden’s former business partner and friend, Devon Archer, who will reportedly testify that Hunter regularly called his father, the then-vice president, at meetings.
Archer, 48, was subpoenaed June 12 by the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Hunter’s dealings and whether he and other members of the Biden family engaged in illicit trading of their connections.
Archer has canceled his scheduled testimony three times so far, The Washington Examiner reported, but still intends to speak to the committee. In August they take a summer break.
On Sunday, the New York Post reported that Archer is expected to tell the committee that Joe has spoken to Hunter’s business associates, including those at Burisma, at least 24 times.
Devon Archer, far left, is seen playing golf in the Hamptons with Hunter Biden (far right) and Joe Biden (next to Hunter). Archer is expected to testify that Hunter Joe was on the phone with clients
Hunter and Joe Biden are pictured together in April 2016. Joe served as Vice President from 2009 to 2017
Archer and another business partner, Tony Bobulinski, both said Joe Biden offered Hunter business partners brief greetings and platitudes rather than concrete agreements.
But Archer’s testimony will further challenge the White House’s claim that Joe Biden was never aware of or involved in his wayward son’s business affairs.
“We look forward to hearing from Devon Archer how many times during his tenure as Vice President he has watched Joe Biden meet with Hunter Biden’s foreign business associates, including over the speakerphone,” said James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky who serves as committee chair.
Joe Biden, who was vice president from 2009 to 2017, spoke to Hunter’s partners about Ukrainian energy company Burisma in December 2015.
Hunter and Archer were in Dubai, Archer will reportedly testify, and Hunter told the other Burisma board members they could speak to his father on the phone.
Hunter put his father in touch with Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma, and Vadym Pozharskyi, a senior Burisma manager, and as they gathered on the phone, Hunter told Joe that Ukrainian businessmen “need our support.”
Archer is also expected to say that Joe Biden spoke only vaguely during the brief call greeting the two businessmen.
James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has confirmed that they look forward to Archer’s testimony. A date for his appearance is not yet known
Comer and the committee are interested in the releases because at the time, Joe Biden was serving as President Barack Obama’s “liaison” on Ukraine and US efforts to prevent corruption.
Burisma was under investigation for corruption, and in an email to Hunter and Archer in November 2015 — a month before the hands-free call — Pozharskyi demanded that they use their influence to “drop” the criminal investigation into Burisma, the New York Post reported.
Archer will also tell the committee about a dinner at a restaurant in the French capital where Hunter pulled out his phone and called his father to impress potential investors, the newspaper said.
Archer will say that about every fourth call, Hunter introduced his father to people over the speakerphone.
At other times, he spoke to his father without telling him he was on the speakerphone – leaving open the possibility that Joe was unaware his son was refusing his access.
Joe Biden is known to speak regularly to his son and grandchildren: Hunter Biden told CBS News in 2021 that they speak every night.
A close associate of Archer’s told the New York Post that he is testifying about his time working with Hunter because he believes it is his “civic duty.”
Archer was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal unit and various investment advisory clients out of tens of millions of dollars in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds.
Archer’s rep said he felt the fraud case was a way to silence him.
With nothing to hide, no vengeance to seek, and no one to protect but his family, he feels he has been handcuffed by the absurd imposter [fraud] “The case has been silenced,” the source told The Post.
“In a forum where he enjoys immunity, at least he can start speaking the truth.”
Hunter Biden is seen on the White House balcony on July 4 along with First Lady Jill and First Son Hunter
The committee heard last week from two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, both of whom said Hunter Biden had received preferential treatment from the Justice Department.
Hunter agreed to a plea deal for lying on his tax returns.
He also reached a settlement over allegations of lying about a gun license application: He said he had not used drugs, although he has since admitted to being an addict.
During a committee hearing on Wednesday, hot-tempered Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene raised her eyebrows when she shared explicit images of Hunter Biden with prostitutes captured from his laptop.
The Georgia congresswoman warned parents watching at home before questioning IRS whistleblowers that “discretion is required.”
The shocking moment occurred on the C-SPAN livestream as well as on other cable networks broadcasting the hearing, including Fox News.
“Should we issue that?” Jaime Raskin, a member of the Democratic leaderboard, once asked.
Greene warned, “Before we begin, I want to say to the committee and to everyone watching at home that parental discretion is recommended.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene held up placards at a supervisory hearing on Wednesday that showed explicit images of Hunter Biden from his laptop, allegedly with prostitutes
There are a slew of damning images from Hunter Biden’s laptop showing him naked or shirtless, taking drugs and engaging in sex with alleged escorts
Staff in the room at Wednesday’s hearing reacted with giggles and shock to the images Greene showed on her billboard of the naked First Son
Images from Hunter’s laptop hard drive were printed on a billboard that Greene held up at the hearing.
The photos showed Hunter engaging in sexual activity with prostitutes.
Greene claimed that she was “uncomfortable” showing Congress the graphic photos, but insisted that “the American people deserve to see them.”
“Before we begin, I want to say to the committee and to everyone watching at home that parental discretion is required,” Greene said.
Greene showed the pictures to ask if Hunter Biden could write off taxes on costs related to escorts, prostitutes and sex clubs.
She also presented evidence that Hunter Biden paid for the tickets for the escort who came from Los Angeles to meet him in Washington, DC in June 2018.
“If he bought her a plane ticket for sex and travel across state lines, do you think that’s a violation (of the law)?” Greene questioned the two IRS whistleblowers on Wednesday.
She added that the “West Coast assistant” named on Hunter Biden’s tax returns was likely the person he allegedly flew in from Los Angeles for prostitution purposes.
“That’s not what paralegals do,” Greene said, to laughter from those watching the hearing in the room.