Will New Hunter Biden Claims Lead to Impeachments?

What new whistleblower allegations could mean for the House GOP and Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

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Hunter Biden attends an official state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 22, 2023. (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

As House Republicans’ investigations into financial transactions by President Joe Biden’s family members ramp up, GOP leaders are signaling impeachment proceedings may be on the horizon.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday that Attorney General Merrick Garland could face an impeachment inquiry focused on Garland’s alleged weaponization of the Justice Department. The dispute revolves around witnesses who claim the Justice Department slow-walked an investigation into tax violations by Biden’s son, Hunter.

House Republicans have channeled much of their anti-Biden energy this year into the Oversight Committee, where Kentucky Rep. James Comer has led a probe into influence peddling by the president’s son and other members of the Biden family, as well as an allegation of bribery that dates back to when Joe Biden was vice president.

But shortly after Hunter reached a deal with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses last week, the Ways and Means Committee—which has jurisdiction over the IRS—released interview transcripts of two witnesses who had previously testified about possible political interference in the Justice Department’s investigation. The transcripts run for hundreds of pages and provide Republicans with new ammunition to make their case.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Good job, Price. Haley left Uphill in good hands until she returns.

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  2. Joe1776

    "Weiss—a Trump appointee ..."
    We hear this all the time. According to Ted Cruz the senators of the state also have a role in this. And the senators from Delaware are both Democrats. Basically they have to find someone in the middle because it won't go anywhere if the Senators of that state refuse to sign off. Neither he nor I am trying to impeach Weiss based on this but it is worth while to hear the other half of the story that is often left out. He was more of a bipartisan pick then just a Trump appointee.
    https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvZTczYzk5OGUtNmU2MC00MzJmLTg2MTAtYWUyMTAxNDBjNWIxLzJiZWU5NDE5LTQzZGUtNDZjZS04OTk2LWFmMmEwMTE2NzUxNy84NGNmNTUxZi1hMzNiLTQxZDgtYjExMi1hZjJhMDExNjc1NDEvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M/episode/YzU5ODVmOTgtMTlhMS00YjRlLThlNzItYjAyZDAwMTUwMjFk?sa=X&ved=0CAQQkfYCahcKEwjo--iA0-b_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

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  3. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    “Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,” the ominous text read. “And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the Chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”

    Yup. Looks like a big, fat nothingburger.

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      Stephanie

      Sounds like an empty threat. He knew the recipient had no way of knowing it was a bluff.

      If Joe biden was really in on it and getting ticked off, Joe Biden would speak for himself.

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    2. Hikingguy

      Sounds like a crackhead talking bullshit. Because that's all it is.

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      1. Mark

        No, it sounds like bribery. If this were the only evidence out there, then maybe it would be easy to ignore this, but there is lots of evidence of bribery, influence peddling or whatever flavor of corruption you want to call it. This thing stinks to high heaven.

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          Stephanie

          It doesn't sound like bribery. It sounds like Hunter Biden desperate for cash & trying to pressure someone who's not responding to his demands.

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  4. BPhillips

    Did I read this right? 2 whistleblowers claim Weiss appeared to be hindered by his superiors, but Weiss himself says he was not. Does that seem a bit odd to anyone else?

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    1. Joe1776

      Yes and NYT claims to have talked with a 3rd witness that confirmed the whistleblower version.

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        Stephanie

        OTOH, maybe Weiss was tired of Mr. Shapley bugging him and trying to tell him what to do.

        The classic way to get someone like that off your back is to say you don't have the authority to do it because your boss won't let you.

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    2. Avatar photo
      Retired Prosecutor

      You've read it correctly. Odd perhaps, but deserving of sworn testimony from everyone involved.

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  5. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    I’m not especially intelligent. But I have plenty of bandwidth to read and understand information about Donald Trump’s and Joe Biden’s criminal activities. Those who say this isn’t a big deal and not comparable to Trump’s crimes are lying yellow dogs. There appears to be enough there to warrant a thorough investigation.

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    1. Hikingguy

      Yellow dogs! Drink!

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    2. Acre00

      Yeah, there's far more here than there was on Trump when the FBI opened their investigation. If one believes there was enough evidence to investigate Trump, they should support an investigation of Biden.

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      1. Joe1776

        I think I have heard enough to make it clear to me that Biden is corrupt. There is no way he was not aware of what Hunter was doing. No way.

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          Stephanie

          How does it make Biden corrupt?

          What his son did was sleazy but not against the law.

          And if he was trying to run some kind of pay-to-play scam, it only implicates his Dad if Biden did some favor in return.

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  6. Avatar photo
    Jak41592

    What I don't get is why a Trump appointed prosecutor, who was given special counsel status and retained by the DOJ would be held back? Isn't it more likely that these IRS investigators just wanted to go harder than the special counsel?

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    1. Avatar photo
      Stephanie

      Yes. According to Ken White (legal podcast) it is pretty much the norm.

      It reminds me of when I worked in urgent care as a provider, I would have nurses trying to tell me I had to order an X-ray, for example, or some blood test, when it was possible to make the diagnosis without it.

      People in these positions need to stick to what they know.

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    2. Joe1776

      Weiss was not appointed special counsel by Trump or anyone. Shapely and two others say he told a room full of people he was being blocked in his investigation.

      “A similar request to prosecutors in the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles, was also rejected, Mr. Shapley testified,” the report added in the 21st paragraph. “A second former I.R.S. official, who has not been identified, told House Republicans the same story. That episode was confirmed independently to The New York Times by a person with knowledge of the situation.”
      https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-times-buries-the-lede-confirms-hunter-biden-probe-whistleblower-claims

      So three people say Weiss said that. (two IRS agents and whoever the 3rd person the NYT said independently confirmed this) Plus there was an email sent at the time confirming that. No one denies what Weiss said at that time. Weiss's denial of this was vague and allowed wiggle room that this dispatch story leaves out.

      "Weiss sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) this month in which the U.S. attorney indicated he had been granted the “ultimate authority” in the Hunter Biden matter, including for prosecutions, “consistent with federal law, the Principles of Federal Prosecution, and Departmental regulations.”"

      See that last part about "consistent with ....Principles of Federal Prosecution and Department regulations" *might* mean he had to get the ok from other prosecutors or others in the DOJ and did not get those oks.

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        Jak41592

        I am not an expert. But…did the other prosecutors not agree with Weiss’s recommendations? Did the charges remain the same but the venue just change? Why would Weiss lie? I see no reason for him to do so

        And I don’t count the daily wire that useful Of a news organization

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        1. Avatar photo
          Cogitatio

          I cannot see the NYT article (paywall), but the Daily Wire linked to the NYT article. It would be...surprising if they were misquoting something so easily identified.

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            Jak41592

            They did not quote an article. They quoted themselves

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    3. Avatar photo
      Retired Prosecutor

      And what I don't get is why two senior investigators in the IRS would fabricate all of this and expose themselves to obloquy and a felony perjury prosecution. BTW, Weiss was NOT a special counsel and one of the claims is that he attempted to gain that status and was prevented by Garland..

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        Jak41592

        Or they’re not making this up but over analyzing facts to make a mountain out of a mole hill

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          Retired Prosecutor

          Please read one of Shapley's statements, which I recount in a posting above, and then tell me that this is "over analyzing facts." The whistleblowers may not be telling the truth about the facts, but this clearly isn't a situation involving "a misunderstanding" of them.

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            Stephanie

            The investigators are not attorneys. So this is likely a disgruntled guy who didn't get promoted because he didn't stay within the boundaries of his job, looking for payback.

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            Jak41592

            I disagree. They may think the case is ironclad, and the prosecutor disagrees. They may have miss interpreted what was said. There is a lot of room there in my opinion that does not involve corruption

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    4. Acre00

      Weiss was very specifically not given Special Council status

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      1. BPhillips

        Garland claims Weiss never asked for Special Counsel status, and had no problem with Weiss testifying about the matter. Seems pretty easy to sort that one out.

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  7. Deleted Comment

    This comment has been deleted

  8. MikeS

    Ah. This is the first reporting I've seen that these interviews were conducted under oath. Thank you.

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  9. Acre00

    I wonder how many of commentators claiming these accusations are just a bunch of baseless smears jumped to defend Kavanaugh when he was pilloried with far less evidence.

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  10. Pundette

    Blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda...

    The Right talks a big game about impeaching Majorkas, impeaching Garland, but it's all just that: talk.

    My progressive friends never heard of the Hunter Biden laptop until a few months ago (not in October 2020), and they haven't heard anything about the money laundering, influencing peddling, or shady goings-on in the Biden family, at the FBI, the IRS, or DOJ. When I mention any of this stuff, everyone is ready to break out the aluminum foil hat and put it on my head.

    When it comes to public policy to help the American people, The Left talks and the Right actually does. When it comes to going after the opposition, the Right talks and the Left does.

    So I'll believe it when I see it.

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    1. David R

      Nobody actually cares about misdeeds of the president's relatives except partisans of the opposition party. It's always been that way.

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      1. Pundette

        I agree, David R., about the families (I'd hate to be held responsible for mine!), but what's troubling is Biden's involvement himself.

        Everyone keeps saying, "Nothing to see here! Sure, the president's brother, sister-in-law, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren all took gobs of foreign money for services rendered through the family business, whatever that is, but there is no indication that the president himself profited from these inexplicable payouts."

        Yes. Because that's what money laundering and influence peddling look like.

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    2. Avatar photo
      DougAz

      What exact policy over the last 60 years have been initiated by only conservatives but maybe with liberal support, that are actually in place today ?

      Can't think of anything but war and tax cuts.

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      1. Avatar photo
        John A Johnson

        Medicare prescription drugs )Part D)

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        1. Avatar photo
          DougAz

          Superb!! First to ever mention this great Part D Medicare. It has an amazing legislative history!!

          https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1081/vote_108_1_00459.htm

          First, it's a lesson on the House and Senate working back and forth. There is some Democrat support, but it's mostly Republicans who did the work 👍

          The Democrats who voted against the final bill included Biden, Schumer. But ironically McCain also voted against the final bill. As did Hagel, Trent Lott.

          Somewhere in the Amendment ups and downs is probably the reason they opposed the final bill. Speculation says it may be that they wanted more bargaining power for CMS on pricing.

          On further reading, I think the 19 House Republicans who voted against the bill with most of Democrats, probably objected to the design of the new Medicare Advantage.

          I have the Supplement plan, or old Medigap. My wife and I believe, perhaps McCain and others, the Advantage plan created higher financial amd coverage risks.

          Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Needed Care, Federal Report Finds

          https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/health/medicare-advantage-plans-report.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

          Also the Medicare Advantage insurance companies commit a decent amount of fraud.

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      2. MikeS

        60 years? EPA, maybe? Welfare to work? Banking deregulation?

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          DougAz

          EPA and NEPA 1970. Nixon, Democrats and Republicans. It was Wisconsin Democrat Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was leading Legistative champion for the Clean Air, Clean Water, and other environmental legislation.

          Some Republicans joined, but not a majority of them. A minority of southern Democrats also did not join. Broadly bipartisan in development of the legislation.

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