Congress

House GOP Goes on Fishing Expedition for White House Documents

2ND YEAR’S THE CHARM

The committee widened its probe to search for recent impeachable offenses after a yearlong search yielded underwhelming results.

Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As House Republicans aggressively seek a justification to impeach President Joe Biden, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said his Oversight Committee is now probing whether the White House knew anything about Hunter Biden’s decision to flaunt a closed-door deposition requested by the panel.

Both the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday demanded the White House turn over any recent communication between Hunter Biden and White House employees, as well as any internal communications surrounding Biden’s Dec. 6 claim that he never interacted with Hunter’s business partners.

Hunter Biden, the president’s son, defied a congressional subpoena earlier this month—offering to testify in a public hearing but not a closed-door session.

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later that day said Biden was “certainly familiar with what his son was going to say.”

That line alone sent Comer on another fishing expedition to examine “whether the President corruptly sought to influence or obstruct the Committees’ proceeding by preventing, discouraging, or dissuading his son from complying with the Committees’ subpoenas,” according to a letter penned by Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

“Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense,” they added.

A years-long GOP investigation has struggled to produce evidence linking Biden to any illegal activity. That didn’t stop House Republicans from going all-in, voting to open a formal impeachment inquiry earlier this month.

The committee gave the White House a two-week deadline to produce the documents it requested.