WASHINGTON—In a significant escalation of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, key Republican leaders have referred Hunter and James Biden to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution. The charges stem from allegations that the two made false statements to Congress regarding their involvement in influence peddling schemes, implicating President Biden in the process.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) spearheaded the referral. Their joint statement underscores the gravity of the accusations against the Biden family.
“Our investigation has revealed President Biden knew about, participated in, and benefitted from his family cashing in on the Biden name around the world. Despite this record of evidence, President Biden continues to lie to the American people about his involvement in these influence peddling schemes. It appears making false statements runs in the Biden family. We’ve caught President Biden’s son and brother making blatant lies to Congress in what appears to be a concerted effort to hide Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s schemes. As part of our efforts to hold the Bidens accountable for profiting off public office, we are today referring Hunter and James Biden to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution for making false statements to Congress. This is not the end of our efforts to hold the Bidens accountable; it’s only the beginning,” said Chairman Comer.
The Committees’ investigation focuses on the President’s alleged involvement in and knowledge of his family’s international business dealings, which have reportedly generated substantial financial gains for Biden family members and their associates. According to the committees, the Biden family and their related companies received over $18 million, with an additional $27 million channeled through business associates. Furthermore, they identified over $8 million in loans to Hunter and James Biden, most of which remain unpaid.
Chairman Jordan emphasized the seriousness of lying to Congress, particularly in the context of an impeachment inquiry.
“Lying to Congress is a serious crime with serious consequences. Both Hunter and James Biden did just that. They lied to cover up President Biden’s involvement in their family’s international influence peddling schemes that have generated millions of dollars. These criminal referrals are a reflection of criminal wrongdoing by the Biden family, and the Department of Justice must take steps to hold the Bidens accountable,” said Chairman Jordan.
The Committees outlined specific instances where Hunter and James Biden allegedly provided false testimony. Hunter Biden is accused of lying about his position at Rosemont Seneca Bohai (RSB), a corporate entity that received substantial funds from foreign individuals and entities who had interactions with then-Vice President Joe Biden. Additionally, Hunter Biden reportedly fabricated a story about threatening a Chinese business partner while invoking his father’s presence, which was later disproven by bank records and documents.
James Biden is accused of falsely testifying that Joe Biden did not meet with Tony Bobulinski, a business associate, in 2017 during negotiations with CEFC China Energy. This statement was contradicted by Mr. Bobulinski, Hunter Biden, and corroborating text messages.
Chairman Smith highlighted the importance of accountability and the principle of equal justice under the law.
“President Biden claims no one is above the law. We will soon see his Department of Justice put that principle to the test. Congress cannot allow anyone, not even the president’s son or his brother, to stand in the way of its oversight of the executive branch or deny the American people the accountability they deserve. The IRS whistleblowers have provided indisputable evidence that Hunter Biden broke the law and lied to Congress during his February deposition. Lying to Congress to impede an ongoing congressional investigation is a serious crime. If the Department of Justice fails to act on our criminal referral and hold Hunter Biden accountable, they will once again be telling the American people there are two tiers of justice in this country. One for the wealthy and politically connected, and one for everyone else,” said Chairman Smith.
This referral marks a pivotal moment in the impeachment inquiry, intensifying scrutiny on President Biden’s alleged involvement in his family’s business dealings. The outcome of the Department of Justice’s response to these criminal referrals will significantly impact the ongoing political and legal landscape surrounding the Biden administration.
The letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Special Counsel and U.S. Attorney David Weiss and criminal referrals can be found here.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login