Republicans open Joe Biden impeachment inquiry with focus on son Hunter’s business dealings
- Details were given on foreign payments to members of Biden’s family, but no evidence was provided showing that the US president had personally benefited
- Trump was impeached twice during his four years in office, and some of his hardline Republican allies have for months called for a Biden impeachment
Republicans leading an impeachment inquiry of US President Joe Biden detailed foreign payments to members of his family in their first hearing on Thursday, but did not provide evidence that the Democratic president had personally benefited.
The initial impeachment hearing by the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee served as a review of evidence that Republicans have gathered so far about foreign business ventures by Biden’s troubled son Hunter Biden, 53, which they say shows that Biden’s family members were selling access.
“The American people demand accountability for this culture of corruption,” House Oversight Committee chair James Comer said. He said Biden has lied about family members’ business dealings and had not walled them off from his official duties.
Democrats and several independent witnesses said there was no proof that Biden had received any of those payments, or otherwise engaged in improper behaviour while he served as vice-president between 2009 and 2017. The White House has denied wrongdoing and dismissed the probe as politically motivated.
“If Republicans had a smoking gun or even a dripping water pistol they would be presenting it today. But they’ve got nothing,” said Jamie Raskin, the panel’s top Democrat.