Hunter Biden’s rejected plea deal puts Justice Department in hot seat

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden's Justice Department is facing heat over developments that transpired during Hunter Biden's first court appearance on Wednesday.

Hunter Biden's plead deal fell apart, and he pleaded "not guilty" as federal prosecutors confirmed he's still under federal investigation. The president's son was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of the plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

Critics have since set their sights on the Justice Department following the development. Mike Howell, director of the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation, said that "something is rotten in the state of Delaware, and the judge sniffed it out today."

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS 'NOT GUILTY' AS PLED DEAL FALLS APART DURING DELAWARE COURT APPEARANCE

"We're thrilled her reasoning tracked with the arguments we laid out in our brief to the Court," Howell told Fox News Digital. "Hunter Biden won't be able to use this sweetheart plea deal as a get out of jail free card for any charges that may arise from the ongoing investigation into him. And that means that President Biden didn't get a pass either."

Paul Kemenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center, said it's absurd that a multi-year Justice Department investigation ultimately resulted in misdemeanor charges.

"It's outrageous that after a five-year investigation of Hunter Biden, and the recent IRS whistleblowers' sworn testimony of a Justice Department coverup and obstruction, the best that the prosecutor can come up with is a couple misdemeanor charges and recommend probation as a slap on the wrist," Kamenar told Fox News Digital.

"Thankfully, Judge Norieka rejected the plea deal as we urged, but it remains to be seen if a new deal is agreed to," Kamenar added.

HUNTER BIDEN AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL TAX CHARGES

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton went even further and stated that the development should, at a minimum, lead to an impeachment inquiry targeting Attorney General Merrick Garland.

"If the DOJ had an ethical culture, this astonishing development would result in the resignations of US Attorney Weiss, Attorney General Garland and other responsible officials (such as the US Attorneys in CA and DC who helped subvert the prosecution), Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said.

"This development lends added urgency to an impeachment inquiry targeting Biden and, at least, Garland," Fitton added. "And if a special counsel isn't immediately appointed by Garland to investigate Biden, Inc., one can further presume that Garland is criminally compromised."

Hunter Biden was also expected to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate felony charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY 'COERCED' BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

Judge Maryellen Noreika pressed federal prosecutors on the investigation and questioned whether there was the possibility for future charges, and asked prosecutors if Hunter Biden was currently under active investigation. Prosecutors said he was, but would not answer specifically what the president's son is under investigation for.

During a contentious court hearing in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, federal prosecutor Leo Wise confirmed to Judge Noreika of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware that the DOJ is still investigating Hunter Biden over a potential FARA violation. According to the DOJ, a willful violation of FARA could result in a five-year imprisonment and $250,000 fine, or both.

"Yes," Wise stated after Noreika asked him whether the government could bring a charge against Hunter Biden related to FARA.

Prosecutors on Wednesday, though, said Hunter Biden pleading guilty to the two misdemeanor tax offenses would not immunize him from future charges.

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Hunter Biden ultimately pleaded not guilty because Noreika could not accept the plea deal as constructed. She repeatedly expressed her concerns about the constitutionality of the diversion deal related to the felony gun charge, specifying that the main issue with the agreement was that if Hunter Biden breached the deal, the judge would need to make a finding of fact on the matter before the government could bring charges.

Will collapse of Hunter Biden plea deal help RFK Jr. in his longshot primary bid against President Biden?

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The potential collapse of Hunter Biden’s plea deal with prosecutors during a contentious court hearing in federal court in Delaware on Wednesday will likely provide Republicans with more ammunition as they aim to link President Biden to his son’s high-profile legal difficulties.

But looking ahead to the president’s 2024 re-election campaign, while Democratic strategists scoff at the notion that the younger Biden’s scandals could weaken his father’s bid for re-nomination and potentially help primary challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a veteran political analyst told Fox News that "this is not a good situation for a man who’s weak in the polls and is running for re-election."

Hunter Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax, as part of plea deal with federal prosecutors to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge. The younger Bien owned a handgun in 2018 – during a period where he’s admitted he was regularly using cocaine. That violates federal law, which prohibits drug users from possessing firearms.

But after the judge in the case refused to accept the plea agreement – due to questions of the constitutionality of the deal – Hunter Biden pleaded "not guilty" as federal prosecutors confirmed the president's son is still under federal investigation.

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS ‘NOT GUILTY’ AS PLEA DEAL FALLS APART DURING DELAWARE COURT APPEARANCE

Wednesday’s legal fireworks come after Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower testimony revealed allegations of Department of Justice misconduct throughout the years long investigation into the president's son, which began during former President Donald Trump’s administration.

Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealing with Ukraine when his father was serving as vice president in the Obama administration are also in the spotlight. A separate whistleblower has alleged that the FBI and the Justice Department are in possession of an unverified document that claims a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.

And this week House Speaker Kevin McCarthy floated that the Republican majority in the chamber may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over the unproven claims of financial misconduct.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS SAYING ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN'S DAY IN COURT

"There’s a lot of questions and we need some answers," Republican presidential candidate and former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

Haley argued that "now there’s enough questions and enough whistleblowers to say ‘OK, should there be a congressional inquiry into looking into this and I think that’s what Speaker McCarthy’s talking about and if he decides to go through the inquiry, it would totally be warranted."

The White House has pushed back against Republicans, criticizing what it says were "unfounded, unproven, politically motivated attacks against the president and his family" made "without offering evidence for their claims or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. interests."

Hunter Biden’s legal saga and the mounting inquiries come as the battle for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is heating up, and as Biden faces longshot primary challenges from Kennedy – the environmental lawyer and high-profile vaccine critic, and scion of arguably the nation’s most famous family political dynasty – and best-selling author and spiritual adviser Marianne Williamson, who’s making her second straight White House run.

Fox News reached out to Kennedy’s campaign for reaction to Wednesday’s legal developments but didn’t receive a response by the time this story was published.

But Kennedy, in a Fox News Channel interview this past weekend, said he backs McCarthy’s potential probe into the Bidens.

"The issues that are now coming up are worrying enough that we really need a real investigation of what happened," Kennedy told host Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures."

"I mean, these revelations …where you have Burisma, which is this notoriously corrupt company, that paid out apparently $10 million to Hunter and his dad, if that’s true, then it is really troubling….So I think … it needs to be investigated," Kennedy said.

RFK JR RIPS WHITE HOUSE'S ‘BAD DECISIONS,’ WON'T SAY WHETHER BIDEN IS FIT TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT

Whether the controversy surrounding the Bidens will boost Kennedy’s bid against Biden is under debate in New Hampshire, which will likely be ground zero for attempts by Kennedy and Williamson to try and upend the president’s renomination.

Pointing to the president’s approval ratings – which have been underwater for nearly two years – and polls suggesting Democrats are anything but enthused with the 80-year-old Biden seeking a second four-year term in the White House, New Hampshire Institute of Politics executive director Neil Levesque told Fox News that "there is a lot of chatter right now and nervous Democrats concerned about Biden running anyway, and the polls indicate that."

"So if you add on any legal difficulties that his son might have that also tarnish the president’s image, it’s not good for him. This is not a good situation for a man who’s weak in the polls and is running for re-election," Levesque argued.

And he said that "every week that goes by where Hunter Biden has more legal troubles it creates a precarious position" for the president.

But veteran political scientist Dante Scala of the University of New Hampshire disagreed, emphasizing that "until Democrats are confronted with incredibly solid evidence that the father himself has some wrongdoing in all this, their default is to confine the sins of Hunter Biden to Hunter Biden."

"Until something emerges that clearly shows that the president did something wrong here, I think Democratic primary voters shrug. Especially given the alternatives. The alternative in no way is Robert F. Kennedy or Marianne Williamson," Scala argued.

Voicing what many Democratic strategists are saying in a party that appears united behind the president, New England based Democratic consultant Joe Caiazzo told Fox News that "the reason why the Republicans are going after the president on Hunter Biden is because they cannot attack him on his record of governing because he’s been a success."

"I think Democratic primary voters are focused on making sure that we win back the House and keep control of the Senate and keep President Biden in the White House in 2024," added Caiazzo, a veteran of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns.

The behavior of some controversial Republicans in Congress may also be energizing Democrats to support Biden.

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Pointing to conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is facing plenty of criticism for prominently displaying explicit photos of Hunter Biden at recent House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, a progressive activist in New Hampshire said when it comes to Democratic primary voters, "even if there was something on Biden, it’s lost in all the nonsense and false accusations."

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report

Republicans fume at Mayorkas over border policies at fiery House hearing: ‘Our constituents want answers’

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was on the receiving end of another barrage from House Republicans on Wednesday as he faced the House Judiciary Committee and was quizzed about the administration’s efforts to tackle the border crisis.

"I’ve been in Congress seven years. I think you're the most dishonest witness that has ever appeared before the Judiciary Committee, and I think I speak for a lot of my colleagues," Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., said. "This is such a frustrating exercise for us because our constituents want answers."

The fireworks came as part of a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the department, which has been at the center of the handling of the ongoing crisis at the southern border in its third year.

Mayorkas has become a lightning rod for the crisis, with Republicans blaming him for running "open border" policies they say sparked and then fueled the border crisis, which saw over 1.7 million migrant encounters in fiscal 2021 and over 2.4 million in fiscal 2022.

MAYORKAS BAFFLED BY DEM REP'S BIZARRE HISTORIC TRIVIA IN BORDER HEARING

Republicans say that the rollback of Trump-era policies, including border wall construction, the Remain-in-Mexico policy and others, along with a reduction of interior enforcement and expansion of catch-and-release, has led to the historic surge. House Republicans have accused Mayorkas of dereliction of duty, with some backing a potential impeachment.

Mayorkas and the agency have pushed back consistently against those claims, arguing his agency is working in a broken system in need of reform by Congress while dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis. The agency has pointed to a sharp drop in encounters after the end of the Title 42 public health order.

JUDICIARY CHAIR JORDAN TELLS MAYORKAS TO ‘BE PREPARED’ AHEAD OF KEY HEARING ON BORDER CRISIS

While encounters are still high, with over 144,000 in June, they were the lowest numbers since February 2021. It has led to claims by DHS that its post-Title 42 strategy is working. The strategy includes a historic expansion of the use of humanitarian parole to allow migrants in legally at ports of entry while limiting the ability of migrants who enter illegally to claim asylum.

"Our approach to managing the borders securely and humanely even within our fundamentally broken immigration system is working," Mayorkas said. "Unlawful entries between ports of entry along the southwest border have consistently decreased by more than half compared to the peak before the end of Title 42.

"Under President Biden's leadership, we have led the largest expansion of lawful, safe and orderly pathways for people to seek humanitarian relief under our laws. At the same time, imposing tougher consequences on those who instead resort to the ruthless smuggling organizations that prey on the most vulnerable."

But Republicans are unconvinced and have accused the administration of abusing parole, which is defined by Congress as an authority to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian purposes or for significant public benefit.

They have said the use of parole — which includes up to 1,450 a day at the border via the controversial CBP One app and a policy to fly in up to 30,000 a month from four countries — is illegal.

Supporters of the use of parole by the administration have noted that multiple administrations have used it to grant relief on multiple occasions, including migrants fleeing Cuba and Vietnam and, most recently, "parole in place" to prevent deportation of illegal immigrant family members of military veterans. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., noted it had been used as far back as the Eisenhower administration.

"We have used our parole authority consistent with the law and consistent with past practices of different administrations," Mayorkas said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., accused Mayorkas of orchestrating an "amnesty dance" with the CBP One app, which allows migrants to come to the border and schedule appointments to be paroled into the U.S.

"You've taken this app, and you've digitized illegal immigration. And you've scaled it to the moon," Gaetz said. "This app that you've got everybody downloading is like the Disney Fast Pass into the country, never to be subject to actual removal, just removal proceedings as you call them."

"I disagree with everything you said," Mayorkas responded.

HOUSE HOMELAND GOP REPORT ACCUSES MAYORKAS OF ‘INTENTIONAL’ DERELICTION OF DUTY OVER BORDER CRISIS

Gaetz and Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, repeatedly grilled Mayorkas in an effort to get key data, including the number of migrants who have been released into the U.S. during the Biden administration and have now been removed.

"Let me ask real quick: Can you get that number to us, like, tomorrow, or is it — you've got to go back and is it going to take weeks and months and haggling back and forth and all the letters we do? Congress writes letters to agencies, and we haggle back and forth, all that dance we have to do. Or can you just get us the number?" Jordan said.

"Mr. Chairman, we'll provide that data to you as promptly as possible," Mayorkas responded.

Democrats generally praised Mayorkas for the work he is doing and attempted to push back against Republican talking points.

Ranking member Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of pushing a "dangerous" narrative of an invasion at the border.

"The invasion narrative some members push in this hearing room is bigoted, fact-free and dangerous," Nadler said, tying the rhetoric to the 2019 El Paso, Texas, shooting.

"We can draw a straight line from the hateful rhetoric we hear from some congressional Republicans to that horrific tragedy."

He also slammed Republicans for "outlandish claims" made at the hearings, particularly claims the border is open.

"The border is not open, and to say so is not only false but is really an insult to the brave men and women at Border Patrol who work every day to keep us safe," he said.

But a number of Republicans doubled down on accusing Mayorkas of pushing "open border policies" and expressed anger at what they saw as Mayorkas not answering any of their questions.

Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., at one point exploded at Mayorkas for his alleged lack of responsiveness.

"You’re not answering questions," Spartz said. "You’ve not answered any Republican questions. Is it something that your intent is not to respond to any questions from Republicans? You came with that intent?"

"That is incorrect, Congresswoman," he responded.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to how Hunter Biden’s legal woes could accelerate an impeachment inquiry

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The legal woes of Hunter Biden and today’s dropped plea deal likely accelerates the possibility of a formal impeachment inquiry by House Republicans.

Some Republicans were skeptical of launching any sort of inquiry – let alone impeaching the President.

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS 'NOT GUILTY' AS PLEA DEAL FALLS APART DURING DELAWARE COURT APPEARANCE

But issues with the plea deal did nothing but pose more questions from Republicans.

That’s why this likely spurs more serious conversation about impeachment inquiry.

HUNTER BIDEN TO APPEAR IN FEDERAL COURT, ENTER GUILTY PLEA OUT OF YEARS-LONG FEDERAL PROBE

This will be about the math.

The full House must vote to formally begin an impeachment inquiry. It’s fair to say that the House is a little closer to that now than it was before the Hunter Biden deal blew up.

LONGTIME BIDEN ALLY WAS PROSECUTOR IN US ATTORNEY WEISS' OFFICE DURING HUNTER PROBE, CALLED HIM 'A BROTHER'

Moreover, voting to ESTABLISH an impeachment inquiry gives the House WIDE LATITUDE to go after more documents, information and conduct depositions. The Hunter Biden deal situation poses more questions than answers. So more Republicans may be inclined to pursue such a plan.

Meantime, Democrats seem to be caught off guard by the change with Hunter Biden’s deal. They were prepared to just dismiss this and move on. But they can’t anymore. So far, Democrats have presented little cohesive strategy about how to deal with this turn events – and protect the president.

We could hear more about this Thursday and Friday as this is the last time until mid-September that the House will be in town.

Expect lawmakers to pepper House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) about the next steps. And also, pose questions to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) about the defense Democrats may need to mount on behalf of the president.

White House shuts down questions on collapse of Hunter Biden plea deal: ‘I don’t have anything to share’

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly shut down questions from reporters concerning the collapse of Hunter Biden's plea deal during Wednesday's daily press briefing.

Jean-Pierre began the briefing by attempting to preemptively encourage reporters not to ask questions related to Hunter's ongoing legal issues by stating he "is a private citizen and this was a personal matter for him," and directed questions to his legal representation.

It didn't work.

"Have the president and his attorneys been in touch with Hunter's legal team today? And have they been keeping tabs on the proceedings?" one reporter asked.

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS ‘NOT GUILTY’ AS PLEA DEAL FALLS APART DURING DELAWARE COURT APPEARANCE

"Look, I don't have anything to share. I would refer you to — on this particular issue I would refer you to Hunter's representative. I would refer you to the Department of Justice. I don't have anything to share beyond on what I shared at the top of this briefing," Jean-Pierre responded.

The reporter noted it was "extremely rare" for such a high-profile plea deal to fall apart, and asked if President Biden felt federal prosecutors in the case has acted "appropriately and competently."

"This was an independent investigation that was overseen by the Department of Justice. As we've been very clear, they are independent. We give them the space to do their work. We believe in the rule of law. I just don't have anything else to share on this. I would refer you to the Department of Justice. Again, this was done independently, and I would also refer you to Hunter's representatives," Jean-Pierre answered.

Another reporter noted President Biden's steadfast support for stricter gun laws throughout his political career, and asked if he believed "someone who is charged with possessing a firearm illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," referencing Hunter.

RFK JR RIPS WHITE HOUSE'S ‘BAD DECISIONS,’ WON'T SAY WHETHER BIDEN IS FIT TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT

"I think I know where this question is going, and I'm just going to continue to say, as it relates to the case that we're seeing in Delaware, I'm just going to not speak to that. It is an independent matter," Jean-Pierre answered.

"This is up for the Department of Justice. Even with the question that you're asking me, it's up to — it's one of those legal criminal matters, and it's up to that process, that legal process. I'm just not going to speak to it here," she said.

The reporter pressed Jean-Pierre, noting Biden's previous work on gun legislation and his comments on getting "illegal firearms off of our streets." "So when someone possesses one illegally, what does the president believe should happen today?" the reporter asked.

"The president has been very clear. You just laid out where his position has been, what his policies have been, what he was able to pass into law. I'm going to be very mindful here. I'm going to be very careful because I see where this question is going," Jean-Pierre responded.

SPEAKER MCCARTHY REVEALS RED LINE FOR POSSIBLE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"And I'm just going to refer you — as this has been an independent investigation. It's overseen by the Department of Justice. I'm going to let them speak to this as they are moving forward," she added.

Hunter Biden's plea deal fell apart during his first court appearance earlier in the day, leading to his "not guilty" pleas as federal prosecutors confirmed the president's son is still under federal investigation.

He was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

But Judge Maryellen Noreika did not accept the plea agreement, questioning the constitutionality — specifically the diversion clause and the immunity Hunter Biden would receive.

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Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Impeach Biden? Skeptical GOP senators warn against mimicking Dems who ‘cheapened’ the process

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's recent comments about opening an impeachment inquiry into President Biden were greeted with skepticism from Senate Republicans, including one who warned against following the lead of Democrats who "cheapened" the process under former President Trump.

"You'd have to have the argument," Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Tuesday. "It's a high threshold. I'd assume they'd have to have evidence and some process where they would at least get that evidence if they don't have it."

"Clearly the statements they're making would lead me to believe they have evidence. Or they think they have evidence that could reach that threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors," Thune added. "I'll say what I said before, and that is I think the best way to change the presidency is win the election… I think it's in our best interest to be making an argument for why we need to have the majority in the House, the Senate and the White House come Jan. 2025."

In a Monday night in an interview on "Hannity," McCarthy escalated his talk about potentially impeaching Biden by saying "this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry." The speaker said evidence uncovered by House committees' investigations into the president may necessitate a full inquiry to gather more evidence of alleged corruption by the Biden family.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES HUNGRY FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT AFTER MCCARTHY'S COMMENTS: ‘GROUND SHIFTED’

"You've got IRS whistleblowers saying something when it comes to government treating the Bidens different. You've got an informant claiming that the Biden family had been bribed. Should you ignore that or should investigate that?" McCarthy told reporters Tuesday. "The only way you can investigate that is through an impeachment inquiry. So the committee would have the power to get all the documents that they would need."

However, Senate Republicans were not excited about the prospect of a third presidential impeachment in four years.

"It's getting to be a habit around here, isn't it?" Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said of impeachments.

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY ‘COERCED’ BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

"No it's not," Cornyn added when asked if that was a good thing. "Unfortunately what goes around, comes around. But obviously the stuff that the House is revealing about the Biden family business is very disturbing. But obviously the Senate doesn't have any role in that."

"I'll wait to see what evidence they present," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said. "But we've got to do the homework. They cheapened the process the last two impeachments and we don't want to repeat that mistake."

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said there are serious lingering questions about the Biden family, including what the president knew about his son Hunter's overseas business dealings and if Biden got any money from those deals. However, Kennedy said mere political disagreements should not be grounds for an impeachment.

DOJ OFFERS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR FOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE

"No one should be impeached, certainly not a president, unless there is substantial evidence that the president has committed a high crime or misdemeanor," Kennedy said. "I'm not going to support – and I'm not suggesting this is what Kevin has suggested – but I'm not gonna support impeaching somebody just because I don't like their politics."

It is up to the House to impeach a president, but removal from office only happens if two-thirds of the Senate votes to convict the commander in chief.

An impeachment would be very difficult to get through the House with McCarthy's narrow GOP majority. It would also put massive pressure on his most moderate members in districts that voted for Biden if impeachment came to the floor. Like the two Trump impeachments, it is highly unlikely the Senate would vote to convict Biden given its Democratic majority and the supermajority vote needed to remove Biden.

IRS WHISTLEBLOWER: 'INDEPENDENT ATTORNEY' NEEDED IN HUNTER BIDEN DELAWARE CASE

However, at least one Republican in the Senate welcomed the prospect of more investigative tools for the House as it looks into the Biden family.

"I think we're gonna get to a point really soon, you may have to stand up a committee that then would open an impeachment inquiry just to do the investigation, particularly because the White House isn't cooperating at all," said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

He added, "The American people deserve to know if the president's a crook."

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However, even Sen. Chuck Grassley R-Iowa, who has been among the leading voices on investigating the president and Hunter Biden, said in a floor speech about evidence detailing a bribery allegation against the president that his focus is on federal law enforcement.

"I want to make clear what my oversight focus is and will be holding the Justice Department and the FBI accountable to explain to the American people what they did to investigate and what they found," Grassley said.

Fox News' Brianna O'Neil and Ben Florance contributed to this report.

Speaker McCarthy reveals red line for possible Biden impeachment inquiry

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy revealed Republicans' red line for possible impeachment proceedings against President Biden, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that his party would, for now, continue seeking information related to the Biden family finances unless that information began being withheld.

"What I've said is if they withhold information, the impeachment inquiry allows Congress to have the apex of power to get all the information they need. All this information people are finding out now is only because Republicans have investigated," McCarthy told Fox.

"The people of America have a right to know what went on. They have a president who lied to the American public and said they didn't get any money from China. We know that's true. We've had whistleblowers from the IRS come say the Biden family is treated differently and that other things were going on. And then you have a[n] informant with the FBI saying there was a bribe. We need to know the answer to this," he said.

McCarthy added that if "at any time" he felt they weren't going to be able to get the information they needed to progress through the investigation, then they "would have to rise to the level of impeachment inquiry."

MCCARTHY: BIDEN CASE WILL ‘RISE TO IMPEACHMENT’ AS 16 ROMANIAN PAYMENTS ALLEGEDLY WENT TO ‘SHELL COMPANIES’

"That's not happening today. But what I'm explaining to everybody that if we don't get the information, I will go to impeachment inquiry to make sure we get all the answers," he said.

When asked whether he thought a sitting U.S. president could be impeached based off actions that occurred before they took office, McCarthy dismissed dealing in hypotheticals.

"What we're looking right now is getting an answer to the questions and seeing, did [Attorney General Merrick] Garland lie to the American public or not? We know what has been said in these meetings, and we're going to get the answers," he said.

McCarthy predicted during a Monday appearance on Fox News' "Hannity" that House Republicans would soon have enough evidence gathered to mount an impeachment inquiry against Biden as the corruption scandal enveloping him and his son Hunter continues to grow.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES HUNGRY FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT AFTER MCCARTHY'S COMMENTS: ‘GROUND SHIFTED’

During the interview, McCarthy said that 16 of the 17 payments the Bidens allegedly received from a Romanian national went to what he described as "Biden shell companies" while Biden was vice president. According to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., the elder Biden had been "lecturing Romania on anti-corruption policies" while instead being a "walking billboard for his… family to collect money."

"When President Biden was running for office, he told the American public that he's never talked about [Hunter's] business. He said his family has never received a dollar from China, which we now prove is not true," McCarthy said during the interview.

Biden has long denied discussion or involvement in Hunter's business deals, recently rebuffing a New York Post reporter who asked why he is reportedly referred to as the "big guy" in the FBI form – which is the same nickname purportedly used as a pseudonym in a message gleaned from previously released documentation connected to Hunter.

DOJ OFFERS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR FOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE

McCarthy's comments have riled up members of the House Freedom Caucus, who appeared eager Tuesday for him to make good on his veiled impeachment threats, with one saying the leader's words marked a "paradigm shift."

"When he does speak to … impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight. And that's why I think the ground shifted on that a little bit when he opened up the door," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said after the group's Tuesday press conference. "I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift."

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Fox News' Charles Creitz and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Joe Biden laughs, ignores questions about potential impeachment by House Republicans

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden brushed off and smiled at reporters who peppered him with questions Tuesday evening about a potential impeachment by Republicans in the House.

Following a speech in the East Room of the White House about expanding access to mental health care, Biden made his way to the exit where a group of reporters eagerly asked for his thoughts about the growing discussion by Republicans to impeach him.

Amid numerous questions, one reporter asked, "Mr. President, McCarthy says he may [consider] an impeachment inquiry to get to the bottom of —"

Smiling from ear to ear in one clip shared to social media, Biden quickly passed by the noisy group of reporters.

MCCARTHY: BIDEN CASE WILL 'RISE TO IMPEACHMENT' AS 16 ROMANIAN PAYMENTS ALLEGEDLY WENT TO 'SHELL COMPANIES'

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry of Biden over claims of financial misconduct.

Speaking Tuesday at the Capitol, McCarthy said the questions House Republicans are raising about the Biden family finances need to be investigated. He said an impeachment inquiry "allows Congress to get the information to be able to know the truth" about whether Biden committed any wrongdoing.

An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. Such a probe could be as lengthy or swift as the House determines, potentially stretching into campaign season.

Other Republicans also appear to be on board with the idea of impeachment, specifically House Freedom Caucus members.

"When he does speak to … impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight. And that's why I think the ground shifted on that a little bit when he opened up the door," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said after a Freedom Caucus press conference on Tuesday. "I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift."

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., suggested there would be "an uprising" against Biden if the House did not move forward with trying to remove him.

"Look, the evidence is mounting against this guy. Look at what he’s done," Norman said. "What Donald Trump’s done with papers pales in comparison."

Norman said there was a "difference of opinion" on whether to take such a severe step but dismissed the idea of risking an impeachment vote that fails.

"Some people think that what he’s done isn’t that bad. A lot of us in general — the public, it’s gonna be an uprising against this guy, I think, at the end of the day."

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES HUNGRY FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT AFTER MCCARTHY’S COMMENTS: ‘GROUND SHIFTED’

McCarthy predicted Monday that Republicans will gather enough evidence soon to mount an impeachment inquiry against Biden, as the corruption scandal enveloping him and his son Hunter continues to grow.

McCarthy made reference to a relatively new revelation from the House Oversight Committee that — while Joe was vice president — Hunter Biden "capitalized" on a financial relationship with a Romanian national later convicted on corruption charges.

According to prepared remarks from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., in June, the Bidens received more than $1 million in 17 increments.

McCarthy, during an appearance on Fox News, said that 16 of those 17 payments went to what he described as "Biden shell companies" while President Biden was vice president. According to Comer's prepared remarks, the elder Biden had been "lecturing Romania on anti-corruption policies" while instead being a "walking billboard for his … family to collect money."

He said evidence and legitimacy of their caucus' probes are mounting, as he described the two IRS investigators who testified before Congress last week as "some of the most credible" to come forward.

McCarthy cited the FBI 1023 form wherein a confidential human source told the bureau that Biden was paid $5 million by a Burisma executive while he was vice president and while Hunter was on the board.

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Biden has long denied discussion or involvement in Hunter's business deals, recently rebuffing a New York Post reporter who asked why he is reportedly referred to as the "big guy" in the FBI form — which is the same nickname purportedly used as a pseudonym in a message gleaned from previously released documentation connected to Hunter.

McCarthy on Tuesday gave no timeline for launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

Fox News' Charles Creitz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House conservatives hungry for Biden impeachment after McCarthy’s comments: ‘Ground shifted’

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Freedom Caucus members on Tuesday appeared eager for Speaker Kevin McCarthy to make good on his recent veiled impeachment threat against President Biden, and one member of the conservative group of GOP members said the leader’s words marked a "paradigm shift."

"When he does speak to … impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight. And that's why I think the ground shifted on that a little bit when he opened up the door," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said after a Freedom Caucus press conference on Tuesday. "I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift."

After a series of hearings and briefings on alleged misconduct by Biden and his family, McCarthy said on Fox News's "Hannity" Monday night, "This is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed."

It’s the most direct comment yet the speaker has made about impeaching Biden, something the hardliners in his conference have been clamoring for since the House GOP took the majority this year.

IRS WHISTLEBLOWER: 'INDEPENDENT ATTORNEY' NEEDED IN HUNTER BIDEN DELAWARE CASE

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., suggested there would be "an uprising" against Biden if the House did not move forward with trying to remove him.

"Look, the evidence is mounting against this guy. Look at what he’s done," Norman said. "What Donald Trump’s done with papers pales in comparison."

JORDAN ROASTS DEMS AFTER RFK JR HEARING: PARTY TURNED AGAINST ITS MOST FAMOUS NAME

Norman said there was a "difference of opinion" on whether to take such a severe step but dismissed the idea of risking an impeachment vote that fails.

"Some people think that what he’s done isn’t that bad. A lot of us in general — the public, it’s gonna be an uprising against this guy, I think, at the end of the day."

It's not just Biden that Republicans are looking to target. GOP members have called for impeachment proceedings against some of the president’s top Cabinet officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Norman answered "all of the above" during the press conference when asked about which Biden official should be impeached first.

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY ‘COERCED’ BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said Mayorkas would be the "low hanging fruit" to initially consider. "But with the evidence that we've induced in the Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee with regard to the Biden — I would call it from the crime syndicate, I don't know what else you can call it — the corruption that's there," he said.

"That would certainly be a very interesting and perhaps even necessary step," he said. "I’ll just tell you that the evidence I’ve seen is overwhelming, and it would lead one to believe our president, our sitting president, is corrupted and compromised."

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At one point Norman took a jab at Vice President Kamala Harris that earned some nervous laughter by saying, "I realize the replacement for Joe Biden is probably giggling somewhere now, so she’s not an alternative."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Judiciary Chair Jordan tells Mayorkas to ‘be prepared’ ahead of key hearing on border crisis

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is telling DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "be prepared" with data for a key House hearing on Wednesday, in which the Homeland Security head is expected to receive another grilling over his handling of the crisis at the southern border by the Republican majority.

Mayorkas will appear Wednesday before the GOP-led committee in a hearing called: "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security."

The secretary has clashed repeatedly with Republicans at congressional hearings, who have taken aim at his handling of the border crisis now into its third year and which saw historic migrant numbers in both FY 2021 and FY 2022 -- with some even calling for his impeachment over what they have branded as the administration's "open borders" policies – a label the administration has rejected.

In a letter to Mayorkas on Tuesday, obtained by Fox News Digital, Chairman Jim Jordan says that during his last appearance before the committee last year, "you were unable to provide specific data or information and, to this date, you still have not provided substantive responses to some Members’ questions from that hearing."

"We hope that you will be prepared with specific data and information during your appearance before the Committee this year," they say.

HOUSE HOMELAND GOP REPORT ACCUSES MAYORKAS OF ‘INTENTIONAL’ DERELICTION OF DUTY OVER BORDER CRISIS

The majority says it had in July requested data regarding Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity by Monday, but DHS said it would not be able to meet the deadline, but would try to provide the data "as soon as we are able."

"Accordingly, if the Department is unable or unwilling to provide this data in advance of the hearing, as we requested, we ask that you come to the hearing prepared with this data," Jordan said in the letter to Mayorkas.

The data the committee requests includes the number of migrants who have been released into the U.S. and have remained in DHS detention. It includes those who have claimed a fear of persecution, who have been removed, have been placed in removal proceedings and who have received credible fear determinations. It's a sign that the committee will focus in part on parole and other policies that have allowed for migrants to be released into the U.S. as part of the expansion of legal pathways by the administration.

"We look forward to your upcoming testimony and the opportunity for the Committee to effectively pursue its oversight of the Department’s immigration-related authorities," Jordan writes.

A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency "responds to congressional correspondence directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight."

MIGRANT NUMBERS DROP SHARPLY IN JUNE AS BIDEN ADMIN'S POST-TITLE 42 STRATEGY TAKES SHAPE

A DHS official, meanwhile, noted that it has made an "enormous" number of personnel, documents and briefings available to Congress – including 50 witnesses across over 30 hearings in both chambers, as well as over 8,000 pages of documents in responses to over 1,400 congressional letters.

It comes amid a torrent of scrutiny by House Republicans on the administration. Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee recently accused Mayorkas of a "dereliction of duty" as they probe his handling of the border crisis.

Republicans have blamed the administration for the crisis, saying it canceled "effective" Trump-era policies including border wall construction, Title 42 and the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). Separately, they objected to narrowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidance, that coincided with plummeting deportations and increased use of catch-and-release. Recently, they have also scrutinized the widespread use of parole to release migrants into the U.S. via legal asylum pathways.

The Biden administration has pushed back against criticism, pointing to a sharp drop in encounters at the border since the end of the Title 42 public health order in May. Numbers from June, released last week show 144,000 migrant encounters for the month, which is the lowest number since February 2001, although still high compared to pre-2021 numbers.

The administration has tied the drop in encounters to measures it put into place when Title 42 ended in May, including a significant expansion of the use of parole to expand lawful immigration pathways -- combined with an asylum rule which limits migrants from claiming asylum if they enter illegally and fail to claim asylum at a country through which they already passed. However, that rule was dealt a legal blow on Tuesday when it was blocked by a federal judge in response to a lawsuit from left-wing groups.

DHS has said it is working to build a "safe, orderly and humane immigration system" and has called on Republicans in Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform legislation introduced on Day One of the administration – but that was rejected by Republicans due to the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

"Instead of pointing fingers and pursuing a baseless impeachment, Congress should work with the Department and pass comprehensive legislation to fix our broken immigration system, which has not been updated in decades," a spokesperson said last week.