The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has scheduled its first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden for September 28. The committee also announced plans to subpoena bank records of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, as early as this week.
The hearing, which will be the first on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, will focus on the constitutional and legal questions surrounding the president’s alleged involvement in corruption and abuse of public office. The House Oversight spokesperson stated that the committee is not expecting to uncover any new evidence, but rather rehash existing evidence to educate the press corps.
The lack of new evidence for the hearing is likely to be a point of contention for Democrats, who have accused the GOP of failing to tie President Biden to any wrongdoing. However, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has repeatedly claimed that the president accepted a bribe during his time as vice president in relation to his dealings in Ukraine.
While Republicans have yet to find any evidence to back up their claims, they have focused on President Biden’s efforts to oust former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin. According to the GOP, then-Vice President Biden accepted a $5 million bribe in exchange for helping remove Shokin, who was investigating Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company where Hunter Biden was a board member.
However, it has been widely reported that President Biden’s actions were in line with the calls from other world leaders at the time and that it was Shokin’s failure to investigate corruption that led to his removal. The GOP’s claim of a $5 million bribe comes from a confidential source who tipped off the FBI. Despite considering the source as credible, the FBI was unable to corroborate the tip.
At the upcoming hearing, the committee will also subpoena the bank records of James Biden, the president’s brother. Comer stated that the committee needs these records to advance their probe and that the American public is well aware of why they need them. He also added that the information could potentially be revealed in court if the Bidens refuse to provide them.
The White House has already responded to the committee’s plans for the hearing and subpoenas, accusing the GOP of using a “political stunt” to distract from the looming threat of a government shutdown. According to the White House, the GOP’s true priorities lie in launching baseless attacks on President Biden instead of preventing a government shutdown and the resulting harm to American families.
In summary, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has scheduled its first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden for September 28. The committee is also planning to subpoena bank records of Hunter Biden and James Biden. The lack of new evidence for the hearing is likely to be a topic of debate between Republicans and Democrats, with the latter accusing the former of failing to connect the president to any wrongdoing. However, the GOP claims that President Biden accepted a $5 million bribe while serving as vice president. The White House has criticized the GOP’s plans, accusing them of using a political stunt to distract from the potential government shutdown.