House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has called on President Biden to release his bank statements to dispel allegations of benefiting from his family’s foreign business dealings. This demand comes as Republicans prepare to launch an impeachment inquiry as early as next month. McCarthy asserts that sufficient evidence suggests that the Biden family needs to demonstrate that there was no pay-to-play scheme involved in their foreign business transactions.
The call for transparency is rooted in a controversial WhatsApp message dated July 30, 2017, where Hunter Biden, the President’s son, wrote to a Chinese government-linked businessman that he was “sitting here with my father.” Following this message, approximately $5 million was transferred into Biden-linked bank accounts. The White House has not yet responded to McCarthy’s demand for the President’s bank statements.
Impending impeachment inquiry
As McCarthy explained in an interview with FOX News, the impending impeachment inquiry empowers Congress, both Republicans, and Democrats, to obtain information if someone resists providing it. The House Oversight Committee has already subpoenaed the bank records of Hunter Biden and James Biden’s business partners, leading to allegations that foreign payments flowed to nine Biden family members.
The Oversight Committee, however, has not yet subpoenaed bank records for either the President or his family members. Sources close to discussions about a potential Biden impeachment inquiry revealed that Republicans plan to call additional witnesses and present further evidence linking Joe Biden to his family’s business dealings before calling a vote in the narrowly divided House to launch the inquiry.
The impeachment inquiry, distinct from an actual impeachment proceeding, grants legislators stronger investigative powers. However, an inquiry would almost certainly result in drafting articles of impeachment. The timing of the inquiry, potentially beginning in late September or October, could coincide with the start of early-state primary elections and caucuses in the presidential race.
The unfolding situation around the potential impeachment inquiry and its implications for President Biden’s financial transparency is a developing story that continues to draw national attention. The outcome of this inquiry could have significant implications for the Biden administration.
