By Makini Brice
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are leading an impeachment inquiry into the president Joe Biden asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to prosecute his brother James and his son Hunter for allegedly lying during their investigation.
More than eight months have passed since House Republicans launched their investigation into the Democratic president, alleging that members of Biden’s family benefited from actions he took as vice president between 2009 and 2017. They have presented no evidence proving Biden’s wrongdoing and have not put any articles of impeachment up for a vote.
The Justice Department is not expected to consider the indictment requests Hunter Biden54, or James Biden, 75, with making false statements during the investigation, and to also charge Hunter Biden with perjury.
“Hunter Biden and James Biden provided false testimony to the Oversight Committee and the Judiciary Committee in what appears to be a deliberate, calculated effort to isolate Joe Biden from the duly authorized impeachment inquiry,” said Reps. James Comer, Jim Jordan and Jason Smith . the chairmen of the three committees leading the impeachment inquiry wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Special Counsel David Weiss.
Representatives for Hunter Biden and James Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment.
In addition, Hunter Biden went on trial this week on charges that he illegally purchased a gun while addicted to crack cocaine. The president’s son is accused of tax crimes in another case set to go to trial in September. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases brought by Weiss.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s allies in Congress, including the three committee chairmen, have accused President Biden, without providing evidence, of orchestrating the Republican former president’s four criminal prosecutions.
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump last Thursday of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star, making him the first former or sitting US president to be convicted of a crime.
Trump also faces charges stemming from efforts to overturn Biden’s 2020 election victory, both in federal court and in Georgia, as well as federal allegations that he unlawfully retained classified documents and misled officials trying to get them back . None of the remaining three cases are expected to go to trial before the Nov. 5 election.
Trump has promised to install loyalists at the Justice Department who will do his bidding if he is re-elected. Traditionally, the department’s decision-making on criminal investigations is independent and the White House has no say in such matters.
(Reporting by Makini Brice; additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
