Responding to demands from within his party’s conservative faction, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday authorized an inquiry into the impeachment of US President Joe Biden.
McCarthy alleged that Biden had lied to the American people about his son Hunter’s foreign business dealings.
“House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations about President Biden’s conduct,” McCarthy said. “Taken together, these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption.”
The business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter, while his father was vice president under Barack Obama, have been a constant target of Republicans. However, there was no credible evidence that the elder Biden was involved in anything illegal.
McCarthy has been under pressure from the party’s right wing, loyal to Donald Trump, for months to open an impeachment inquiry into 80-year-old Biden.
The White House immediately condemned the move, calling it “extreme politics at its worst.”
“House Republicans have been investigating the President for nine months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing,” said Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, on X, formerly Twitter.
McCarthy, who was forced to compromise with the far-right of the party to win his powerful speaker post, said the “allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption” against Biden “warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives.”
Democratic lawmakers have denounced the move as a purely partisan exercise intended to exact revenge for the double impeachment by the House of former Republican president Trump.
Biden sticks by son
Meanwhile, Biden has reportedly never shown he is worried about the effect his son Hunter’s troubles could have on his 2024 reelection bid.
Hunter Biden’s history of controversial business deals, drugs, and women has long made him a target for the elder Biden’s Republican enemies.
But if some see Hunter as the black sheep of America’s first family, the 80-year-old Joe Biden has firmly stood by his sole surviving son against a backdrop of tragedy.
“My son’s done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him,” Biden said in an interview earlier this year about tax and gun charges against the 53-year-old Hunter, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
Asked how Hunter’s problems could affect his presidency, Biden replied: “It impacts my presidency by making me proud of him.”
Yet, while Biden’s love has been unwavering, Hunter’s woes show no sign of abating.
The impeachment probe looking at whether Biden lied about his son’s business deals in Ukraine and China threatens to create a bigger headache than ever for the White House ahead of next year’s election.