The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, along with the Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees, issued criminal referrals for Hunter Biden and James Biden on Wednesday afternoon. Led by Chairmen James Comer (R-KY), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Jason Smith (R-MO), the referral accuses the President’s son and brother of making false statements to Congress. This raises the level of scrutiny regarding the alleged influence-peddling activities of the Biden family.
“Our investigation has revealed President Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden name around the world,” said Rep. Comer. “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.”
The accusations center around alleged lies told to Congress by Hunter and James Biden to conceal Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s international influence schemes, reportedly generating millions of dollars. According to Chairman Jordan, “Lying to Congress is a serious crime with serious consequences. Both Hunter and James Biden did just that to cover up President Biden’s involvement.”
? BREAKING ?
We Are Referring Hunter and James Biden for Criminal Prosecution
Our Committee, along with @JudiciaryGOP and @WaysandMeansGOP, today sent criminal referrals to the DOJ recommending Hunter and James Biden be charged with making false statements to Congress about… pic.twitter.com/gWM7S8grQm
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) June 5, 2024
Republican members of Congress argue that, while serving as Vice President under President Obama, Joe Biden used his influence to benefit his son’s business interests, especially in Ukraine. Hunter Biden’s role on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, is central to these allegations.
Republicans have highlighted a video in which Joe Biden discusses pressuring Ukraine to dismiss its top prosecutor, who was investigating corruption, including issues related to Burisma, by threatening to withhold U.S. loan guarantees. Biden and his supporters contend that his actions were consistent with official U.S. policy and supported by other international institutions.
The Oversight Committee’s investigation claims that the Biden family and their associates amassed over $45 million through international dealings, which allegedly involved interactions with foreign entities linked to then-Vice President Biden. The report also mentions approximately $8 million in unreimbursed loans to Hunter and James Biden, casting doubts on the legitimacy of these business dealings.
“President Biden claims no one is above the law. We will soon see his Department of Justice put that principle to the test,” said Rep. Smith. He warned of a potential double standard in justice that could undermine public trust. “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.”
The referrals are supported by allegations of misleading testimony and contradictions in the Bidens’ statements. For example, during his deposition, Hunter Biden denied holding a position at Rosemont Seneca Bohai, although documents later proved otherwise. He also misrepresented the nature of threatening text messages sent to a Chinese business partner; new evidence confirmed that the messages were indeed directed at the individual Hunter initially denied targeting.
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Similarly, James Biden is accused of falsely stating that Joe Biden did not meet with Tony Bobulinski, a business associate, in 2017. The claim is directly contradicted by testimony and text messages brought forward by Bobulinski, painting a troubling picture of deception.
Similarly, James Biden is accused of falsely claiming that Joe Biden did not meet with Tony Bobulinski, a business associate, in 2017. This assertion is directly contradicted by testimony and text messages presented by Bobulinski, which depict a concerning narrative of deception.
It’s unclear if the Justice Department will act on the referrals, considering Joe Biden is president and he appointed the current attorney general, Merrick Garland. But even if the DOJ refuses to act, the congressional findings of fact and referral will be enough for former President Donald Trump to likely utilize on the campaign trail when Joe Biden brings up Trump’s criminal conviction.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.