House Republicans appear to be moving toward an impeachment inquiry regarding President Joe Biden.
But do they have a real premise for doing so?
Fox News’ Steve Doocy poured cold water on the notion of using an unverified FBI document, known as an FD-1023, that contained allegations Biden was involved in a foreign bribery scheme as the reason for launching an impeachment inquiry.
“I’ve heard from members of Congress on the Republican side, they are going to do the ‘I-word’ of Joe Biden,” Doocy said.
He went on, “And they’re going to use the 1023 form as the basis for everything. Here’s the problem… The 1023 form makes a damning case against the Bidens but it’s completely unverified. And in fact, there are certain critical parts of the story that have been refuted by the people in the story. So it’s problematic.”
Watch the video below:
Fox News host Steve Doocy on Republicans' plan to impeach President Biden:
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 26, 2023
“Here’s the problem….It’s completely unverified…there are certain critical parts of the story that have been refuted by the people in the story! So so it’s problematic.”pic.twitter.com/OpD91xHeCI
On Monday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) addressed the allegations against the president as he said Republicans’ investigation is “rising to the level of impeachment inquiry.”
According to the allegation in the FD-1023, an informant who the FBI described as “highly credible,” provided information about meetings that took place as early as 2015.
The informant shared information about a 2016 meeting allegedly involving Mykola Zlochevsky, the CEO of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, who claimed he made two $5 million payments to “the Bidens.” However, he did not specify which family members.
“It costs 5 (million) to pay one Biden, and 5 (million) to another Biden,” Zlochevsky allegedly told the informant.
The FBI noted the informant could not “provide any further opinion as the veracity” of the allegations.
Republicans are trying to draw a line from Zlochevsky’s alleged comments to Joe Biden. But according to the document, the president was not specifically mentioned — and there are other Bidens in the world. So the form and the allegation alone without further information looks suspicious, however, there is not a smoking gun.
It also looks suspicious when Joe Biden tells reporters he never discussed Hunter Biden’s business deals, and then a text surfaces allegedly sent from the younger Biden to a business associate claiming his father was in the room.
“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” a 2017 message allegedly from Hunter Biden to the CEO of a Chinese fund management company reads.
Again, this looks suspicious, but Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to a charge stemming from his decision to lie on a federal form to get a gun. So he is an admitted liar and without any kind of proof, for all we know, the message was just a bunch of bluster aimed at intimidating his associate by invoking the then-former vice president.
Between allegations of bribery and political interference in the investigation of Hunter Biden, it looks like there is a lot of shady activity going on, but frankly, there is no smoking gun yet.
McCarthy has signaled he would launch an impeachment inquiry to get more information if he feels information is being withheld from their investigation.
Congress should seek to get answers on whether there is any veracity to the allegations made against the president. But impeachment is a political process, and lawmakers do not need to meet the same burden of proof as in need in a criminal trial.
Republicans should be careful. If they trigger an impeachment inquiry based on unverified claims, they may find themselves caught in in a whirlwind and unable to get off the impeachment train. And they may wind up impeaching a president on completely unfounded allegations.