As new allegations continue to surface implicating President Joe Biden in efforts to use his political power to enrich himself and his immediate family, Republicans in Congress are becoming more vocal in their support of possible impeachment proceedings.
While the president is at the center of such discussions, other top governmental figures are also facing serious scrutiny based on the suspicion that they deceived the public by shielding Biden from investigation.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy addressed one such official — Attorney General Merrick Garland — in a tweet earlier this week.
We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee.
If the whistleblowers' allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into… https://t.co/Q3LLeJhW85
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) June 25, 2023
His suggestion that Garland could face an impeachment inquiry of his own was based on a whistleblower’s claim that U.S. Attorney David Weiss indicated that he was prevented from bringing certain charges against Biden’s son, Hunter. Weiss was instrumental in brokering a plea deal with the younger Biden that many critics contrasted with the indictment of former President Donald Trump, concluding that it exposed a two-tiered justice system.
Garland publicly stated that Weiss did have the authority to bring such charges — and Weiss’ own remarks on the subject only added to the confusion.
“I want to make clear that, as the Attorney General has stated, I have been granted ultimate authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges and for making decisions necessary to preserve the integrity of the prosecution, consistent with federal law, the Principles of Federal Prosecution, and Departmental regulations,” Weiss wrote.
Nevertheless, the IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley said that Weiss’ statements to the contrary could be “easily corroborated” by others, including three individuals he named who had been present for an October 2022 meeting during which the U.S. attorney asserted that he did not have such authority.
McCarthy expounded on his stance during an appearance on Fox News, citing “IRS long-term workers” who have reported witnessing an “abuse of power” regarding how the Hunter Biden case was handled.
“None of it smells right and none of it is right,” the California Republican concluded.
White House spokesperson Ian Sams, on the other hand, claimed that GOP interest in the story is evidence of a “partisan stunt” that only proves party leaders “have no positive agenda to actually help the American people on the issues most important to them and their families.”
