Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) is a strong advocate of the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden for his involvement in the Biden family business.
During a September House floor speech, Johnson eloquently articulated three reasons to justify the inquiry initially launched by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA):
There are three irrefutable facts that have taken us to this point: Number one, President Biden lied directly to the American people. Number two, President Biden’s family and their associates profited millions through shell companies. Number three, President Biden’s federal agencies are stonewalling our legitimate congressional inquiry.
Johnson, who served as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference and on the House Judiciary Committee, noted those facts are “just the tip of the iceberg”:
There are so many scandals; there’s so much corruption that’s been uncovered. Every stone that we overturn leads to more and more corruption. And because of that, Mr. Speaker, a lot of the American people are simply getting lost in the barrage of evidence, in the barrage of allegations of corruption and the evidence itself.
After defining key points in the investigation, Johnson also slammed the media for covering up the scandal. “And as expected, the D.C. and the national press corps have blindly accepted the White House’s spin, and they’re trying to convince the American people that our inquiry, even the impeachment inquiry, is illegitimate.” He then mocked several headlines written by establishment media outlets about the sandal:
From CNN, “The most predictable impeachment investigation in American history.” From Reuters, “McCarthy opens Long Shot impeachment probe of Biden.” From MSNBC, “McCarthy’s Biden impeachment inquiry is the Benghazi investigation on steroids.” These headlines are going to increase. We know what’s coming.
…
We know that they’re working against us, against the American people, in this case, and for the White House. They’re on their [White House] team.
Most recently, Johnson drew attention to the latest development in the probe, slamming Joe Biden for accepting a $200,000 check from James Biden, who claims the money was not a part of a business agreement with his brother.
“.@JoeBiden received $200k payment from his brother James— Hunter Biden’s business partner. My friend @RepJamesComer is taking the next steps for us to hold the President accountable for his influence peddling scheme,” Johnson said. “No one should get away with this— especially a President.”
I applaud my friend @RepJamesComer for his leadership in the first hearing on the impeachment inquiry today.
Expert witnesses supported this important step taken by @HouseGop to get answers for the American people.
There is much more to come. https://t.co/OBxIZ5Z7Yj
— Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) September 28, 2023
Johnson also had the opportunity to question Attorney General Merrick Garland in September about IRS whistleblowers who claimed political appointees influenced the Justice Department’s probe into Hunter Biden. “Whistleblowers are lying to us under oath — those whistleblowers are lying?” Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) questioned Garland.
“Their description of the process, Congressman, is an opinion, not a fact question,” he replied.
“Have you had personal contact with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation?” Johnson asked Garland.
“I don’t recollect the answer to that question, but the FBI works for the Justice Department,” he replied.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Johnson interrupted. “You don’t recollect? You don’t recollect whether you’ve talked with anybody at FBI headquarters about an investigation of the president’s son?”
“I don’t believe that I did,” Garland affirmatively replied. “I promised the Senate when I came before it for confirmation that I would leave Mr. Weiss in place and that I would not interfere with his investigation.”
Among the allegations, the IRS whistleblowers alleged Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf refused to allow investigators to ask about Joe Biden being “the big guy,” the DOJ twice prevented now-Special Counsel David Weiss from bringing stronger charges against Hunter Biden, and the IRS recommended charges against Hunter Biden that were not approved by Garland.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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