Physical Address

304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124

GOP Impeachment Report Claims President Biden Engaged in ‘Egregious’ Corruption

WASHINGTON – On Monday, House Republicans unveiled an impeachment report laden with accusations of influence peddling and obstruction aimed at President Joe Biden. Biden, who has previously labeled the allegations as “lies,” has faced scrutiny amid a nearly two-year investigation.

The extensive 291-page report stems from the collaborative efforts of three committees: Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means. It alleges that President Biden participated in a conspiracy designed to benefit his family financially through foreign interests, involving phone conversations and dinners with foreign entities.

According to the report, “The totality of the corrupt conduct uncovered by the Committees is egregious. President Joe Biden conspired to commit influence peddling and grift. In doing so, he abused his office and, by repeatedly lying about his abuse of office, has defrauded the United States to enrich his family.”

The timing of this report aligns with Biden’s scheduled appearance at the Democratic National Convention, where he has opted not to seek reelection against former President Donald Trump. The committees involved stated that their purpose was to keep lawmakers updated on the evidence gathered thus far while they continue their investigation. However, Biden’s supporters believe the investigation serves as a strategy to bolster Trump’s polling numbers in preparation for the November election.

Biden has maintained that the corruption allegations are false, and both his brother James and son Hunter have denied any wrongdoing related to their business dealings. After a hearing in March, where even some Republican lawmakers questioned the validity of the evidence against Biden, White House counsel Edward Siskel declared the impeachment inquiry effectively over.

Siskel emphasized, “Instead, the investigation has continually turned up evidence that, in fact, the President did nothing wrong,” in a letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The recently released report is characterized as an update on the various investigations that Republican lawmakers have pursued since regaining control of the House in 2023, rather than an immediate indication of an impeachment vote or a Senate trial.

Following Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, GOP legislators announced their intent to investigate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

The report frequently references passages from the 2019 Democratic impeachment of Trump concerning his interactions with Ukraine as justification for the current charges against Biden.

Despite the past impeachment proceedings, the report asserts that such actions shouldn’t be taken lightly, remarking, “Despite the cheapening of the impeachment power by Democrats in recent years, the House’s decision to pursue articles of impeachment must not be made lightly.”

This report surfaces a week after Special Counsel David Weiss from the Justice Department filed arguments in the ongoing trial against Hunter Biden related to unpaid taxes. Prosecutors indicated that rather than proving Hunter received compensation for actions associated with his father impacting national or international politics, evidence suggested that he “performed almost no work” in exchange for the substantial earnings he received from foreign firms.

Some Republicans expressed concerns that the prior impeachments of Trump, who was acquitted both times in the Senate, would lead to retaliatory political maneuvers every time Congress and the presidency are controlled by opposing parties. So far, the House has impeached Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, but the charges focused on border security were dismissed in the Democratic-controlled Senate without a trial.

The Republican accusations against Biden highlighted multiple themes, including his relatives’ business dealings, the prosecution of his son, and ongoing investigations potentially linked to classified documents located at Biden’s residences.

  • The report claims Biden’s relatives accumulated $27 million from foreign entities since 2014, which includes periods during his vice presidency and a four-year break from public office. The Bidens contend that the president did not benefit from these deals.
  • Hunter Biden allegedly placed his father on speakerphone during meetings with foreign partners involving Russian, Romanian, Chinese, Kazakhstani, and Ukrainian associates, though some testimonies stated these conversations were trivial.
  • There are allegations that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment from the Justice Department during investigations related to gun possession and unpaid taxes, after a plea deal was rejected by a federal judge. In June, he was convicted of gun charges and is facing a trial for tax-related issues.
  • The report also states that the White House obstructed the impeachment inquiry by withholding critical documents and testimonies. Biden invoked executive privilege to refuse the release of a recording related to an interview about classified documents, claiming that the absence of the recording would not deter witness participation.

The GOP report closely mirrors the Democratic-led impeachment of Trump in December 2019, which centered on allegations of abuse of power stemming from Trump’s request for Ukraine to investigate Biden.

House Republicans have cited this previous impeachment as “highly relevant,” asserting that it defined the criteria for impeachment as involving “abuse of power,” “betrayal of the national interest through foreign entanglements,” and “corruption of office and elections.”

The report continues to propound that Biden’s alleged participation in these conspiracies signifies an abuse of public trust, prioritizing his family’s interests over those of the nation. It recalls that, as established during Trump’s impeachment, actions that undermine national interest while abusing official power meet the criteria for impeachable offenses.

Biden, along with key members of his family and administration, have continuously negated these allegations throughout the inquiry. Biden asserted that Republicans were more focused on attacking him with untruths instead of working towards improvements in Americans’ lives.

Siskel reiterated that the comprehensive evidence collected by Republicans, exceeding 100,000 pages, has failed to demonstrate any wrongdoing on Biden’s part.

Despite some accusations connecting Biden to bribes, with claims from a former FBI informant regarding substantial payments tied to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, doubts about these claims arose when the informant faced indictment for allegedly lying to the FBI.

In conclusion, as the inquiry unfolds, Biden’s team and supporters assert that the process is a misuse of power, emphasizing the lack of concrete evidence against him. 

Source: USA Today