Speaker Mike Johnson says he ‘hasn’t had time to dive deep into the evidence’ when asked about a possible impeachment vote for Joe Biden as Republican push stalls after six months
Six months into Joe Biden’s impeachment inquiry, Speaker Mike Johnson said he has not had time to “dive deep into the evidence” to determine whether Republicans should vote to formally impeach the president.
Johnson told reporters during a news conference at the annual House GOP retreat at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia that he has been too “busy” to delve into the evidence.
“To be very honest with you, very honest and transparent, because I’ve been so busy with all my other responsibilities, I haven’t been able to take the time to delve deeply into the evidence,” he revealed.
“Yet what has been discovered is alarming,” the speaker added.
With only a two-seat majority, Republicans in the House of Representatives would need near-unanimous support to vote to impeach the president.
“To be very honest with you, very honest and transparent, because I’ve been so busy with all my other responsibilities, I haven’t been able to take the time to dig deep into the evidence,” Johnson revealed.
But without impeaching the president, Republicans would fall short of one of their biggest priorities this Congress in the middle of election season.
Johnson told reporters during a news conference at the annual House GOP retreat at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia that he has been too “busy” to delve into the evidence
But without impeaching the president, Republicans would be failing on one of their biggest priorities this Congress in the middle of election season.
They have already voted to impeach the Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas by just one vote, but that was before New York Rep. George Santos’ seat was unseated by a Democrat, Rep. Tom Suozzi.
Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., recently gave himself an exit strategy: recommending criminal referrals and prosecutions to the Justice Department.
This week, Republicans brought in former special counsel Robert Hur to testify and he revealed that Biden had “intentionally” withheld classified documents, but he didn’t believe a jury would find the evidence to convict the president, a “well-intentioned,” “elderly” ‘, to condemn. and ‘forgetful’ person.
Republican impeachment investigators have gathered testimony showing that Hunter was wanted because of his last name and that Joe was apparently more aware of his business deals than he let on, but so far Democrats are bragging — and even some Republicans are began to admit – that there is no ‘smoking gun’ to prove evidence of a crime.
It comes just as Hunter Biden crushed Republican Party efforts to bring him back to Capitol Hill for a public hearing after testifying behind closed doors.
Last week, House Republicans invited Hunter and several of his ex-business associates to testify at the same impeachment hearing, creating a public spectacle.
Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sent invitations to Hunter’s former associates Devon Archer, Tony Bobulinski and Jason Galanis – who are currently incarcerated in Alabama. They’ve essentially all turned on Hunter and it’s unlikely they’ll appear together.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter’s attorney, wrote to Chairman James Comer on Wednesday, saying the invitation “does not constitute a serious oversight proceeding.”
“It is your attempt to revive your Conference’s dying research with a circus act created for the right-wing media,” he added.
Hunter also has a hearing the next day in California, but the scheduling conflict is the “least problem,” Lowell says.
Hunter and Bobulinski are feuding after his ex-partner came forward with allegations that Joe was involved in their deal with Chinese company CEFC in 2017.
He also admitted that he had invited his father Joe to lunches with business associates and “friends” many times over the years, but insisted he was not involved in his shady dealings with the Chinese, Ukrainians and others.
“I’m surprised my dad hasn’t called me by now, and if he did, I’d put him on speakerphone to say hello to you, Congressman Raskin, and everyone else in the room. It’s literally nothing nefarious,” Hunter said.
Meanwhile, Bobulinski unequivocally claimed that Hunter was taking advantage of his last name and that Joe was involved.
In 2020, Bobulinski published a May 2017 email detailing a proposed stock split for a Chinese investment — the 10 percent for the “big guy” note — and first claimed the “big guy” was Joe.
He also told impeachment investigators that “it is also no coincidence” that CEFC used the Biden family’s “weakest link” Hunter to funnel tens of millions of dollars.
But Hunter last week disputed that his father is the “great man” being referred to and blasted Bobulinski for spreading lies about his family.
“My father was not involved,” he explained.
‘I think it was a pipe dream. As if Joe Biden is not in the office. Maybe we can get him involved,” Hunter testified.
Republicans have already voted to impeach the Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas by just one vote, but that was before New York Rep. George Santos’ seat was ousted by a Democrat, Rep. Tom Suozzi
Last week, House Republicans invited Hunter and several of his ex-business associates to testify at the same impeachment hearing, creating a public spectacle.
“I want to be crystal clear: From my direct personal experience and what I have subsequently learned, it is clear to me that Joe Biden was ‘the brand’ sold by the Biden family,” Bobulinski said in his opening statement.
He continued to say that Joe was “more than a participant” in the family business, but rather “a facilitator, despite being buffered by a complex scheme to keep deniability plausible.”
“The Biden family business was Joe Biden, period,” he said. In addition, he described how the Chinese energy company CEFC “successfully tried to infiltrate and compromise” the Obama and Biden White House.
Bobulinski also previously suggested that he would testify publicly before Congress along with Hunter, Jim Biden and Joe Biden.
Galanis, who is currently in prison in Alabama, told Republican impeachment investigators that the ‘Biden lift’ was the reason he went into business with the first son, claiming it helped close deals they believed would cost billions would yield.
The “Biden lift” we talked about was access. Access meant to us at the time, as we were in the process of acquiring other companies, to convince third parties to do business with us,” Galanis explained in transcripts made public on Monday.