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McCarthy Announces Impeachment Inquiry
- Thread starter Uncle J
- Start date
Uncle J
Member
Another impeachment witness tells the GOP what it doesn’t want to hear
Eric Schwerin, a former business associate of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, appeared Tuesday on Capitol Hill for sworn closed-door testimony before congressional investigators. The appearance triggered the usual response from right-wing media — new evidence emerges of Biden’s culpability!! — but the more important story is a quieter one.
Once again, an associate of Hunter Biden’s asserted explicitly and under penalty of perjury that the president was not involved in his son’s business...
The Washington Post obtained quotes from Schwerin’s prepared testimony that directly addresses the question of Joe Biden’s involvement.
For example:
Eric Schwerin, a former business associate of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, appeared Tuesday on Capitol Hill for sworn closed-door testimony before congressional investigators. The appearance triggered the usual response from right-wing media — new evidence emerges of Biden’s culpability!! — but the more important story is a quieter one.
Once again, an associate of Hunter Biden’s asserted explicitly and under penalty of perjury that the president was not involved in his son’s business...
The Washington Post obtained quotes from Schwerin’s prepared testimony that directly addresses the question of Joe Biden’s involvement.
For example:
Or:
And so on.
Uncle J
Member
Remember the ‘Biden bribe’ allegation? DOJ now says it was made up.
At the beginning of May, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to the Justice Department making a stunning accusation: Evidence existed of “an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.” The letter called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to make the “verifiable, valuable” evidence public.
For several months, Comer in particular publicly pushed for the release of an FBI interview form documenting the allegation — an allegation provided to the bureau by an informant who claimed to have been told about the bribe by a Ukrainian businessman. Grassley slowly leaked out new details from the interview document, such as a claim that there might be telephone recordings of the parties involved in the alleged bribe, including President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Eventually, Grassley released the whole document.
As it turns out, the Justice Department was working on the verifiability of the allegation. On Thursday, it unsealed an indictment: The informant who alleged that he’d been told about the bribe had allegedly made the whole thing up.
At the beginning of May, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to the Justice Department making a stunning accusation: Evidence existed of “an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.” The letter called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to make the “verifiable, valuable” evidence public.
For several months, Comer in particular publicly pushed for the release of an FBI interview form documenting the allegation — an allegation provided to the bureau by an informant who claimed to have been told about the bribe by a Ukrainian businessman. Grassley slowly leaked out new details from the interview document, such as a claim that there might be telephone recordings of the parties involved in the alleged bribe, including President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Eventually, Grassley released the whole document.
As it turns out, the Justice Department was working on the verifiability of the allegation. On Thursday, it unsealed an indictment: The informant who alleged that he’d been told about the bribe had allegedly made the whole thing up.
Uncle J
Member
Indicted ex-FBI informant told investigators he got Hunter Biden dirt from Russian intelligence officials
The former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine told investigators after his arrest that Russian intelligence officials were involved in passing information to him about Hunter Biden, prosecutors said Tuesday in a new court filing, noting that the information was false.
Prosecutors also said Alexander Smirnov has been “actively peddling new lies that could impact US elections” after meeting with Russian spies late last year and that the fallout from his previous false bribery accusations about the Bidens “continue to be felt to this day.”
Smirnov claims to have “extensive and extremely recent” contacts with foreign intelligence officials, prosecutors said in the filing. They said he previously told the FBI that he has longstanding and extensive contacts with Russian spies, including individuals he said were high-level intelligence officers or command Russian assassins abroad.
Prosecutors with special counsel David Weiss’ team said Tuesday that Smirnov has maintained those ties and noted that, in a post-arrest interview last week, “Smirnov admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about Businessperson 1,” referring to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
The former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine told investigators after his arrest that Russian intelligence officials were involved in passing information to him about Hunter Biden, prosecutors said Tuesday in a new court filing, noting that the information was false.
Prosecutors also said Alexander Smirnov has been “actively peddling new lies that could impact US elections” after meeting with Russian spies late last year and that the fallout from his previous false bribery accusations about the Bidens “continue
Smirnov claims to have “extensive and extremely recent” contacts with foreign intelligence officials, prosecutors said in the filing. They said he previously told the FBI that he has longstanding and extensive contacts with Russian spies, including individuals he said were high-level intelligence officers or command Russian assassins abroad.
Prosecutors with special counsel David Weiss’ team said Tuesday that Smirnov has maintained those ties and noted that, in a post-arrest interview last week, “Smirnov admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about Businessperson 1,” referring to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
Uncle J
Member
James Biden says President Biden had no involvement in his business deals
President Biden’s younger brother James, in a lengthy opening statement at the start of a deposition for the House Republican-led impeachment inquiry, said Joe Biden had no role in any of his business dealings that are now under scrutiny.
“I have had a 50-year career in a variety of business ventures,” he said, according to a copy of his opening statement obtained by The Washington Post. “Joe Biden has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest in those activities. None.”
He testified that he has kept his professional life separate from their personal relationship, adding, “I never asked my brother to take any official action on behalf of me, my business associates, or anyone else.”
President Biden’s younger brother James, in a lengthy opening statement at the start of a deposition for the House Republican-led impeachment inquiry, said Joe Biden had no role in any of his business dealings that are now under scrutiny.
“I have had a 50-year career in a variety of business ventures,” he said, according to a copy of his opening statement obtained by The Washington Post. “Joe Biden has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest in those activities. None.”
He testified that he has kept his professional life separate from their personal relationship, adding, “I never asked my brother to take any official action on behalf of me, my business associates, or anyone else.”
Uncle J
Member
Hunter Biden testifies that he never involved his father in business
Hunter Biden, delivering his long-awaiting deposition before a GOP-led congressional impeachment inquiry, testified on Wednesday that he never involved his father in any of his business decisions, and he accused House Republicans of having “built your entire partisan house of cards on lies.”
President Biden’s son, ahead of what is expected to be a lengthy and contentious session, , delivered an opening statement that was defiant, emotional and combative.
“I am here today to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business,” he said, according to a copy of the statement obtained by The Washington Post. “Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never.”
House Republicans have struggled to uncover firm evidence that Joe Biden benefited from — or played a role in — the business pursuits of his family members, the assertion that is at the heart of their investigation of the president. The testimony from Hunter Biden follows an appearance from President Biden’s younger brother James, who also testified last week that Joe Biden never played a role in his businesses. Several other former associates of Hunter and James Biden have made similar statements, all under oath.
“This has been a comedy of errors from the beginning,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said ahead of the hearing. He urged Republicans to “fold up the circus tent” and end the impeachment inquiry.
Hunter Biden, delivering his long-awaiting deposition before a GOP-led congressional impeachment inquiry, testified on Wednesday that he never involved his father in any of his business decisions, and he accused House Republicans of having “built your entire partisan house of cards on lies.”
President Biden’s son, ahead of what is expected to be a lengthy and contentious session, , delivered an opening statement that was defiant, emotional and combative.
“I am here today to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business,” he said, according to a copy of the statement obtained by The Washington Post. “Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never.”
House Republicans have struggled to uncover firm evidence that Joe Biden benefited from — or played a role in — the business pursuits of his family members, the assertion that is at the heart of their investigation of the president. The testimony from Hunter Biden follows an appearance from President Biden’s younger brother James, who also testified last week that Joe Biden never played a role in his businesses. Several other former associates of Hunter and James Biden have made similar statements, all under oath.
“This has been a comedy of errors from the beginning,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said ahead of the hearing. He urged Republicans to “fold up the circus tent” and end the impeachment inquiry.
Uncle J
Member
Hunter Biden gives House Republicans the rebuttal they didn’t want
Hunter Biden’s appearance in front of investigators and members of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees unfolded a bit like a Bruce Lee movie.
Republican legislators and interviewers challenging the president’s son on the House majority’s behalf would throw out an allegation, often one that’s been worn smooth after tumbling around in the right-wing media universe for the past year or two. And Biden would invariably swat it away, stripping off the layers of innuendo that had been applied by Donald Trump and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) or Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) or any of myriad Fox News commentators...
...At one point, a questioner pressed Biden to admit that there was a suspicious pattern in his father having met people with whom Hunter Biden or his partners ended up doing business. Biden rejected that framing.
“The pattern I see is that you literally have no evidence whatsoever of any corruption on the part of my father,” he said. “And therefore what you're trying to do is you're trying to make every single thing in business that I was ever involved in somehow corrupt.”..
...Gaetz later tried to suggest that since Hunter Biden sometimes covered his father’s tab, that his and his father’s finances “were pretty interwoven.” (“Will the record show that we’re all laughing?” Biden attorney Abbe Lowell interjected.)
“No, our finances aren’t interwoven,” Hunter Biden said in response. “What are interwoven is that we’re a family.”..
...A legislator asked him whether he'd worked for foreign governments.
“I never worked for a country,” he replied. “I am not Jared Kushner.”
Hunter Biden’s appearance in front of investigators and members of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees unfolded a bit like a Bruce Lee movie.
Republican legislators and interviewers challenging the president’s son on the House majority’s behalf would throw out an allegation, often one that’s been worn smooth after tumbling around in the right-wing media universe for the past year or two. And Biden would invariably swat it away, stripping off the layers of innuendo that had been applied by Donald Trump and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) or Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) or any of myriad Fox News commentators...
...At one point, a questioner pressed Biden to admit that there was a suspicious pattern in his father having met people with whom Hunter Biden or his partners ended up doing business. Biden rejected that framing.
“The pattern I see is that you literally have no evidence whatsoever of any corruption on the part of my father,” he said. “And therefore what you're trying to do is you're trying to make every single thing in business that I was ever involved in somehow corrupt.”..
...Gaetz later tried to suggest that since Hunter Biden sometimes covered his father’s tab, that his and his father’s finances “were pretty interwoven.” (“Will the record show that we’re all laughing?” Biden attorney Abbe Lowell interjected.)
“No, our finances aren’t interwoven,” Hunter Biden said in response. “What are interwoven is that we’re a family.”..
...A legislator asked him whether he'd worked for foreign governments.
“I never worked for a country,” he replied. “I am not Jared Kushner.”
Uncle J
Member
LOL, you can't make this up. Republican Jim Jordan, when asked about Jared Kushner's $2 billion deal with the Saudi government says "I don't want to get into that".
There's tribalism, and then there's a type of tribalism that's so in your face it's almost daring you to say something...
There's tribalism, and then there's a type of tribalism that's so in your face it's almost daring you to say something...
Uncle J
Member
This line of questioning should have gotten more media coverage....
REP SWALWELL: Any time your father was in government, prior to the Presidency or before, did he ever operate a hotel?
H BIDEN: No, he has never operated a hotel.
SWALWELL: So he’s never operated a hotel where foreign nationals spent millions at that hotel while he was in office?
BIDEN: No, he has not.
SWALWELL: Did your father ever employ in the Oval Office any direct family member to also work in the Oval Office?
BIDEN: My father has never employed any direct family members, to my knowledge.
SWALWELL: While your father was President, did anyone in the family receive 41 trademarks from China?
BIDEN: No.
SWALWELL: As President and the leader of the party, has your father ever tried to install as the chairperson of the party a daughter-in-law or anyone else in the family?
BIDEN: No. And I don’t think that anyone in my family would be crazy enough to want to be the chairperson of the DNC.
SWALWELL: Has your father ever in his time as an adult been fined $355 million by any State that he worked in?
BIDEN: No, he has not, thank God.
SWALWELL: Anyone in your family ever strike a multibillion dollar deal with the Saudi Government while your father was in office?
BIDEN: No.
SWALWELL: That’s all I’ve got.
REP SWALWELL: Any time your father was in government, prior to the Presidency or before, did he ever operate a hotel?
H BIDEN: No, he has never operated a hotel.
SWALWELL: So he’s never operated a hotel where foreign nationals spent millions at that hotel while he was in office?
BIDEN: No, he has not.
SWALWELL: Did your father ever employ in the Oval Office any direct family member to also work in the Oval Office?
BIDEN: My father has never employed any direct family members, to my knowledge.
SWALWELL: While your father was President, did anyone in the family receive 41 trademarks from China?
BIDEN: No.
SWALWELL: As President and the leader of the party, has your father ever tried to install as the chairperson of the party a daughter-in-law or anyone else in the family?
BIDEN: No. And I don’t think that anyone in my family would be crazy enough to want to be the chairperson of the DNC.
SWALWELL: Has your father ever in his time as an adult been fined $355 million by any State that he worked in?
BIDEN: No, he has not, thank God.
SWALWELL: Anyone in your family ever strike a multibillion dollar deal with the Saudi Government while your father was in office?
BIDEN: No.
SWALWELL: That’s all I’ve got.
Uncle J
Member
Believe it or not, this ridiculous thing is still going on. The latest revelation this week comes from Lev Parnas, who was one of the guys Giuliani conspired with to try and dig up dirt on Biden. In his testimony, he explicitly states that the "dirt" was Russian disinformation, Giuliani knew it yet pushed it anyways, and the only major outlet that would help them spread the Russian propaganda was Fox News (more specifically Sean Hannity).
Uncle J
Member
Too much material to copy all of it into this post, but this really is something to see. Lev Parnas, who R. Giuliani was scheming with to try and dig up dirt on Biden, is now releasing texts, emails, and videos that basically expose the entire scheme, including how they colluded with Russian intelligence and how when they asked people at Burisma if the Bidens took bribes or kickbacks they were explicitly told "no".
Oh, lawdy, there are tapes.
Lev Parnas has loads of information on the tRumps clown car show. He and Jared Moskowitz were in the House testifying, after all, and they used the Comer impeachment farce to launch zingers and destroy the GOP-led hearing in the most humiliating way...
www.dailykos.com
Uncle J
Member
How the House GOP’s Biden impeachment effort fell apart
Washington
CNN
—
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer was eager to take the reins of a high-stakes investigation into President Joe Biden and his family, seen as central to the House Republican agenda – a coveted perch that brought the added benefit of elevating his national profile.
But after 15 months of coming up short in proving some of his biggest claims against the president, Comer recently approached one of his Republican colleagues and made a blunt admission: He was ready to be “done with” the impeachment inquiry into Biden, according to the lawmaker who relayed the conversation to CNN.
Comer has grown increasingly frustrated as his investigation appears to be at a dead end, with Republicans resigned to the reality that they don’t have the votes to impeach the president, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN.
Sources say the Kentucky Republican is now focused on tactfully wrapping up his work – all while Comer, a five-term congressman, has another matter on his mind: ambitions to run for higher office one day, including potentially running for governor, according to lawmakers who have spoken to him.
“Comer is hoping Jesus comes so he can get out,” one of the GOP lawmakers who spoke to Comer told CNN. “He is fed up.”
Yeah, a complete lack of evidence tends to do that.
Washington
CNN
—
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer was eager to take the reins of a high-stakes investigation into President Joe Biden and his family, seen as central to the House Republican agenda – a coveted perch that brought the added benefit of elevating his national profile.
But after 15 months of coming up short in proving some of his biggest claims against the president, Comer recently approached one of his Republican colleagues and made a blunt admission: He was ready to be “done with” the impeachment inquiry into Biden, according to the lawmaker who relayed the conversation to CNN.
Comer has grown increasingly frustrated as his investigation appears to be at a dead end, with Republicans resigned to the reality that they don’t have the votes to impeach the president, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN.
Sources say the Kentucky Republican is now focused on tactfully wrapping up his work – all while Comer, a five-term congressman, has another matter on his mind: ambitions to run for higher office one day, including potentially running for governor, according to lawmakers who have spoken to him.
“Comer is hoping Jesus comes so he can get out,” one of the GOP lawmakers who spoke to Comer told CNN. “He is fed up.”
Yeah, a complete lack of evidence tends to do that.