A top Democrat said President Joe Biden was “being a father” to his son Hunter in response to the impeachment inquiry overseen by House Republicans.
Democratic South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn insinuated to NBC News’ Kristen Welker that the impeachment inquiry is unjustified since the president is trying to be a good father. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched the inquiry Sept. 12 to investigate a possible influence-peddling scheme carried out by Biden regarding his son’s foreign business dealings.
“Well, his associates said they were pleasantries, but I think it’s appropriate to be a father to your son,” Clyburn said on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.” “And if your son is having a problem, and we all know the history of the problem that Hunter has with addiction, and he is being a father to his son. You don’t impeach a man for being a father to his children.”
Hunter’s former business associate Devon Archer testified that Hunter spoke to his father on speakerphone while surrounded by his foreign business associate on at least twenty occasions during a July 31 hearing before the House Oversight Committee. An FD-1023 form handed over by a Department of Justice (DOJ) whistleblower alleges that the owner of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, bribed the Biden family by giving Joe Biden and Hunter Biden each $5 million to get former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin fired for investigating the company for corruption. Hunter Biden was also paid $80,000 per month by Burisma, according to bank records released by House Oversight.
Biden has denied having any involvement or communicating with Hunter about his overseas business dealings.
Republican Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has scheduled a Sept. 28 hearing regarding the impeachment inquiry to look into the “constitutional and legal questions surrounding the president’s involvement in corruption and abuse of public office.” (RELATED: Good Dad Joe Biden’s Next Move With Hunter Is Obvious. Will He Make It?)
The White House has accused Comer of participating in a “political stunt” by scheduling the hearing two days before the deadline to fund the government for the next fiscal year, according to The Washington Examiner.
“Staging a political stunt hearing in the waning days before they may shut down the government reveals their true priorities: To them, baseless personal attacks on President Biden are more important than preventing a government shutdown and the pain it would inflict on American families,” White House spokesman Ian Sams wrote.