Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, told NBC News' Kristen Welker on Sunday that according to lawyers hired by Congress, "at this point, there's not a specific crime that's been committed" by President Joe Biden in the impeachment probe against him.
The Context:
For over a year, House Republicans led by House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, and House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, have been investigating the Biden family, alleging that the president was involved with and benefited from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings when he was serving under former President Barack Obama as his vice president.
The White House has repeatedly denied these claims, with President Biden saying that the impeachment inquiry against him is a "baseless political stunt."
To impeach an officeholder, Congress must find the politician guilty of a high crime or misdemeanor. The House needs a simple majority to move the matter to the Senate. The Senate would then hold a trial and can either find the officeholder guilty of the articles of impeachment that the House voted for or acquit the officeholder.
What We Know:
Bacon told Welker on Meet the Press: "When I talked to the lawyers on the committee staff, they say at this point there's not a specific crime that's been committed."
Welker then asked the congressman if he believes the probe is now over, asking, "Based on what you're saying, is it time to drop it?"
"I don't know if it's time right now, but I do think, we're probably nearing the conclusion of this investigation," Bacon said. "And I think it was important for the American people to see that yes, there's $24 million in foreign money that the family raised, and all the hidden LLC's that the money was moved around it, but that within itself is not a high crime or misdemeanor."
The impeachment inquiry has yet to provide substantial evidence of its claims.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
Views:
At a committee hearing relating to the impeachment probe earlier this month, Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who sits on the Oversight Committee, tried to call Comer and Jordan's bluff by motioning to impeach Biden.
"Let's just do the impeachment," he said. "Why continue to waste millions of dollars of the taxpayers' money if we're going to impeach because you believe you've shown he's committed a high crime or misdemeanor. What are you waiting on? By the way, we've got Chairman Jordan here also. Why aren't you guys calling for the vote in your committee? When is it gonna happen?"
Jordan responded: "We don't do snap impeachments like you guys. We actually do the facts. We do oversight according to the Constitution."
Moskowitz made the motion anyway and welcomed Jordan to second it, but was met with silence.
"They're never gonna impeach Joe Biden," Moskowitz said while addressing the public. "It's never gonna happen because they don't have the evidence. This is a show. It's all fake."
What's Next?
Comer proposed in a letter Thursday that Biden appear on April 16 to testify before the committee. Comer cited testimony at last week's public hearing from former business associates of Hunter Biden—Tony Bobulinski and Jason Galanis—in which Comer said their testimony contradicted statements the president has made about his involvement in his son's business dealings.
Bobulinski and Galanis claimed that the president participated in schemes to help Hunter Biden's businesses. The White House has denied their testimonies. Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Ian Sams called the invitation for the president to testify a "sad stunt at the end of a dead impeachment."
Meanwhile, Biden, the Democratic incumbent, is leading a reelection campaign against former President Donald Trump, who is the presumed 2024 Republican Presidential nominee.
Update 3/31/24, 11:05 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 3/31/24, 11:39 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 3/31/24, 11:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 3/31/24, 11:54 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in ... Read more
