Biden ignores reporter questions after son Hunter defies congressional subpoena

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden ignored reporter questions on Wednesday shortly after his son, Hunter, defied a congressional subpoena regarding the family's business dealings.

The president's scheduled news conference before a meeting of his National Infrastructure Advisory Council was delayed for more than an hour Wednesday until Biden made an appearance, walking out to address members of the press gathered to hear the commander in chief speak from the White House.

Earlier in the day, Hunter Biden had arrived on Capitol Hill — not to comply with his subpoena and be deposed by the House Oversight Committee but instead to hold a press conference and again offer to testify publicly. He maintained that his father "was not financially involved" in his business, saying there is "no evidence because it did not happen."

At the White House, President Biden joked with the waiting press to "please say seated," before staying on script about this administration's infrastructure initiatives.

"Last year, I asked this council to ensure that resilience is built into all of our infrastructure projects, including critical sectors like energy, communications, transportation and health care. Together, you delivered, especially on these key challenges," Biden said. "Today, I'm looking forward to hearing about new projects this council will pursue in the coming years as well. So thank you all for being here. I'm just going to ask the press to step out so we can begin our briefing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT 'FINANCIALLY' INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

Fox News' Peter Doocy could be heard repeatedly shouting to Biden, "Mr. President, did you watch Hunter this morning?"

Over the sound of clamoring press, another reporter was heard asking, "Mr. President, should your son have defied the subpoena?"

Yet, Biden looked at the press and walked away from the podium.

Biden at the top of his brief remarks championed how two years ago he "signed into law a once-in a-generation investment in our nation's infrastructure and — to fix our roads, railroads, bridges, ports, airports, remove every single lead pipe in the country and extend high-speed internet, advance clean energy, and modernize the electric grid — energy grid."

JOHNSON DEFENDS VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AMID WHITE HOUSE ‘IMPASSE’: 'WE HAVE NO CHOICE'

"Already, we've announced over 40,000 projects in 4,500 communities all across our country. And when folks see these big projects in their hometowns, when they see the cranes up in the air, the shovels in the ground, I really think — coming from an area that was shut down, up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the steel mill in Claymont, Delaware — I think it brings them hope," Biden said. "Because it's not just about building an infrastructure. It's about building better infrastructure, stronger infrastructure, infrastructure to withstand 21st century challenges from climate change, cyberattacks to natural disasters to foreign threats, and so much more."

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution to formalize the Biden impeachment inquiry, as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republican leadership have accused the White House of "stonewalling" their investigations into the president's alleged involvement in his son Hunter's business dealings.

On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Hunter Biden railed against "MAGA" Republicans who have "invaded" his privacy, "attacked" his family and "ridiculed my struggle with addiction."

House Republicans say the Justice Department has refused to allow two attorneys to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. They claim the White House sent House Oversight and Accountability Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a letter saying they have no intention of complying with GOP subpoenas and requests for interviews without a formal vote, and the National Archives has withheld thousands of pages of documents and emails.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Support for Biden impeachment inquiry grows with a notable level of Democrat backing: poll

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The support for a possible House impeachment inquiry against President Biden is growing among the American public, with nearly a quarter of Democrats saying they would back such a move, a new poll has found.

According to the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday, 49% of U.S. adults say they would support the House of Representatives officially launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden amid allegations of corruption within his family, compared to 48% who would not.

That number is up from the same survey in October that found 47% supported such a move, and 52% would be opposed.

HUNTER BIDEN FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFYING SUBPOENA WITH PRESS CONFERENCE ‘STUNT’: ‘HOLD HIM IN CONTEMPT!’

An impeachment inquiry is most notably supported by 24% of adults identifying as Democrats, although a majority (74%) would still be opposed.

The poll found that Biden's approval rating remains heavily underwater, with just 40% of adults approving of his job performance as president and 53% saying they did not approve.

That number is weighed down heavily by those identifying as independents, with just 36% approving of his job performance and 59% disapproving.

CALLS GROW FOR CONGRESS TO SUBPOENA JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S FLIGHT LOGS DESPITE DEMOCRAT ‘STONEWALLING’

Despite being a traditionally reliable Democrat voting bloc, younger voters' views of Biden also appear to be dragging him down, as just 39% of Gen Z and Millennial voters approve of his job performance, and 50% disapprove.

On favorability, Biden edges former President Donald Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, with 40% of adults saying they view Biden favorably compared to just 38% for Trump.

Among registered voters, 49% said they would vote for Biden if the 2024 presidential election were held today and 48% said they would vote for Trump.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

Biden trails Trump among independent voters 45%-50%, but held a surprisingly slight edge among Gen Z and Millennial voters 52%-48%.

The poll also asked about a number of hot-button policies, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, border security, abortion and gender.

On funding for Ukraine amid its war with Russia and Israel for its war against Hamas, 36% said they oppose funding for either nation, and 32% said they support funding both. Sixteen percent said they support only funding Ukraine, and 15% only support funding for Israel.

Half of Americans said they would not support allowing any Palestinian refugees from Gaza into the U.S. while 47% said they would support such a move.

BIDEN FACES GRIM RE-ELECTION ODDS AS HE TRAILS LEADING GOP CANDIDATES IN TWO KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES: POLL

A majority of 54% support building a physical wall at the southern border and 45% said they do not.

On transgender issues, a majority of Americans (59%) said they believed whether a person is a man or woman is determined by the gender they were assigned at birth, while 38% said a person can be a man or woman even if it wasn't the gender they were assigned at birth.

When it came to abortion, most Americans (54%) said laws should be determined by individual states, rather than at the national level (43%).

If a national law were in place, an overwhelming 84% said they would support exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, while 14% said they would support no exceptions.

On limitations, 21% said abortion should never be allowed, 18% said it should only be allowed in the first six weeks of pregnancy, 21% only in the first 15 weeks, 13% in the first 24 weeks, and 25% said a woman should be able to get an abortion at any point during a pregnancy.

Jordan says Hunter Biden made a ‘huge change’ by saying his father was ‘not financially involved’ in business

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said Hunter Biden made a "huge change" by saying his father, President Biden, was "not financially involved" in his business dealings.

Jordan's comments came shortly after Hunter Biden defied his subpoena by not appearing for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee, and instead, delivering a public statement defending himself and his family amid the House impeachment inquiry against his father.

"My father was not financially involved in my business," Hunter Biden said Wednesday morning from Capitol Hill, adding the president was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the U.S.

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT 'FINANCIALLY' INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

"No evidence to support that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen," Hunter Biden said.

The White House and President Biden have maintained that the president was "never in business" with his son. Biden has also said he never spoke to his son about his business dealings, but Republicans say evidence — including email records and testimony from Hunter Biden's former business partners — seem to contradict those statements.

Jordan, shortly after Hunter Biden's public appearance, pointed out his changing narrative.

"I would just point out that I've had a chance to review what Hunter Biden said in his press conference. I think he made an interesting statement," Jordan said. "He said his father was not financially involved in the business. And I think that qualifier, the word ‘financially’ is important because once again, it shows another change in this story."

Jordan continued, "First, it was no involvement. Then no one ever, never talked to anyone, and then we find out about the dinners, the meetings, the phone calls, everything else."

"Now, it's okay, he wasn't involved in the business financially," Jordan continued. "I think that is important. It's one of the reasons we want to talk to Hunter Biden."

Jordan said the "biggest takeaway" from Hunter Biden's appearance was that statement about President Biden not being financially involved — which to Jordan indicates the elder Biden may have been involved in his son's business dealings in other ways.

WHITE HOUSE, HUNTER BIDEN’S TEAM KEEP SHIFTING GOALPOSTS IN DENYING DAD’S INVOLVEMENT WITH BUSINESSES

"That is a huge change, which means — sort of means he's involved," Jordan said. "I think that's how anyone with common sense would read it."

Jordan described the change as indicating President Biden has "been involved, just not financially."

Jordan said that "is a huge departure from everything they've said now for the last three and a half years."

President Biden, dating back to August 2019 on the 2020 campaign trail, said he "never discussed with my son or my brother or anyone else anything having to do with their business, period."

A month later, Biden said he had "never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings."

The next month, Biden said, "I don’t discuss business with my son."

This summer, however, the White House made a change, and began saying Biden was not "in business" with his son during his vice presidency.

"As we have said many times before, the president was not in business with his son," White House counsel’s office spokesperson Ian Sams said in a June 29 statement.

"The answer remains the same," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a July 24 briefing. "The president was never in business with his son. I just don’t have anything else to add."

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Jordan, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith wrote a letter to White House Counsel Stuart Delery in July to seek clarity on the shifting message, but their July 27 deadline was ignored.

Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell in September said he can "categorically" declare that the elder Biden was not involved in his son's previous business dealings and did not profit from any of them.

"I can tell you that Hunter did not share his business with his dad," Lowell told CNN in September. "I can tell you that he did not share money from his businesses with his dad. And as the evidence out there, his dad, like all good parents, tried to help Hunter when Hunter needed that help."

Meanwhile, Comer and Jordan last week threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress if he defied the subpoena and failed to appear for his deposition.

Comer and Jordan had vowed to release the full transcript of Hunter Biden's deposition if he did participate. They also vowed to then schedule a public hearing for the president's son to testify in a setting for the American people to hear from him directly.

HUNTER BIDEN MAY BE HELD IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS IF HE DOESN'T SHOW UP FOR INTERVIEW

Meanwhile, Comer and Jordan spoke to reporters, defending their "lawful subpoena of the president's son."

"This is a normal process in an investigation," Comer said. "This has been a serious investigation since day one — an investigation about public corruption at the highest level."

Comer said he still expects to depose the president's son.

"And then we will be more than happy to have a public hearing," Comer said.

Jordan said if a public hearing took place first, as suggested by the first son, members would filibuster and delay lines of questioning.

"The way you get the facts is you bring people in for an interview behind closed doors," Jordan said.

Lowell and the White House have argued that the subpoena was not valid because the House impeachment inquiry was never formalized by the full House of Representatives.

However, a vote to do so is expected later Wednesday.

"We think it is going to pass," Jordan said. "We'll see what their excuse is then."

However, Jordan did say that once that vote takes place, he and Comer will, as promised, "move forward with contempt proceedings" against the first son.

Comer said that the committee has tens of thousands of documents prepared in the room where Hunter Biden was expected to testify.

Comer said the committee has "specific questions for the president's son," and said the American people want this investigation.

Hunter Biden faces backlash after defying subpoena with press conference ‘stunt’: ‘Hold him in contempt!’

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Hunter Biden is facing intense backlash after holding a Capitol Hill press conference on Wednesday in which he refused to sit for a deposition before Congress, and declared his father, President Biden, was never "financially involved" in his business dealings.

Calls to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress began almost immediately following the end of the press conference, while other critics pointed to the claims concerning his father's relationship to his business dealings as "goalpost shifting."

"They belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service," Hunter said. "For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here."

He added that "my father was not financially involved in my business," saying he was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the United States.

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT ‘FINANCIALLY’ INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

"We have moved from Joe Biden saying he never discussed business with Hunter to a new argument of Joe Biden wasn’t financially involved at all with Hunter’s business & most media haven’t covered the changing stories. Hold Hunter in contempt & impeach Joe," OutKick founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis wrote on X.

"Hunter Biden refuses to comply with [Rep. James Comer's, R-Ky.] subpoena to be deposed behind closed doors and demands a public hearing so he can tell sob stories on TV. Reminder that Don Jr. testified behind closed doors for over 40 hours about the Russia hoax. Hold him in contempt!" conservative commentator Greg Price wrote.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee quickly reacted on social media, pushing back against Hunter's "stunt."

Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., both echoed those calls to hold Hunter in contempt, accusing him of mocking Congress with a "stunt," and calling his refusal an "obstruction of justice."

"Hunter Biden, this ain't Burger King. You can't Have It Your Way when it comes to congressional subpoenas. Quit the stunts, make your way to the deposition room, and let's talk," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., wrote.

CALLS GROW FOR CONGRESS TO SUBPOENA JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S FLIGHT LOGS DESPITE DEMOCRAT ‘STONEWALLING’

Donalds also responded to Hunter's claim he was being targeted by "MAGA Republicans," declaring, "'MAGA Republicans' did not impugn Hunter Biden's character. Hunter Biden did that to himself."

"What’s Hunter Biden so afraid of?" wrote Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

"This is one HELL of a new qualifier from Hunter Biden. Hunter now says, "My father was not financially involved in my business" FLASHBACK: Joe Biden used to say he has never talked about business with his family. This is a major shift from the Bidens," GOP communications strategist Steve Guest wrote.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

Abigail Jackson, the communications director for Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., echoed Guest, noting that "we've gone from Joe Biden claiming he never even discussed business with Hunter to Hunter claiming Joe was never *financially* involved in his business. Big goalpost shifting and lots of lies from the Bidens."

"First, Joe Biden had no knowledge, then he had no involvement, and now he has no ‘financial’ involvement. Time to explain ‘10 held by H for the big guy,’ the reported bank records showing a money trail to Joe Biden, and Hunter's messages saying Joe Biden financially benefited," Republican National Committee strategic communications director Tommy Pigott wrote.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Biden tells donors Israel is losing support globally

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden is warning that Israel is losing global support in its continued war against Hamas, according to the White House press pool.

Biden made the comments Tuesday during his campaign reception at the Salamander hotel in Washington, D.C.

"Bibi's got a tough decision to make," Biden told attendees, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

PRESIDENT BIDEN TELLS CROWD 'I AM A ZIONIST' AT HANUKKAH CEREMONY, CONDEMNS SILENCE ON ANTISEMITISM

"This is the most conservative government in Israel's history," Biden said. He added that the current Israeli government "doesn't want a two-state solution."

Biden claimed that in order to avoid a global turn of perception against Israel, Netanyahu "has to strengthen and change."

"There’s a lot to do and we’re going to have to be strong supporters of Israel," Biden said. "The goal is Israel’s security."

HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

He added, "We’ve got a lot of work to do."

Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas began after the terrorist group launched an attack on Israeli civilians, infiltrating the country on Oct. 7 and killing more than 1,200 Israelis.

Israel has come under fierce international condemnation for the high numbers of civilian casualties in its counterattacks following the massacre, although the Biden administration has firmly supported the state's right to self-defense.

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Biden hosted a Hanukkah celebration on Monday at the White House, where he condemned the rise of antisemitism during the Israel-Hamas war as "sickening."

In remarks in front of Jewish lawmakers and other attendees, Biden harshly criticized those who remain silent in the face of antisemitism and reiterated his long-standing support for Israel.

"I got in trouble, got criticized very badly by the southern part of my state and some of the southern parts of the country, when 35 years ago I said, ‘You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist. And I am a Zionist,'" Biden said.

Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Johnson defends vote to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry amid White House ‘impasse’: ‘We have no choice’

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday defended a vote scheduled this week to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, arguing that unlike what Democrats did with the "sham impeachment" of former President Trump, Republicans are committed to the "rule of law."

Fox News’ Chad Pergram pressed Johnson on an expectation from the GOP base to bring an impeachment vote sometime in the spring ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Johnson explained that House Republicans have "come to this impasse" in their investigations into President Biden’s alleged involvement in his son, Hunter Biden’s business dealings, and are "hitting a stone wall because the White House is impeding that investigation" and not allowing witnesses to come forward and thousands of pages of documents. The vote on a resolution to formalize the House impeachment inquiry, which is currently set for Wednesday, is not the same as a vote to impeach.

"We have no choice to fulfill our constitutional responsibility. We have to take the next step. We're not making a political decision. It's not. It's a legal decision," Johnson said at the House Republican Conference press conference on Tuesday. "So people have feelings about it one way or the other. We can't prejudge the outcome. The Constitution does not permit us to do so. We have to follow the truth where it takes us and that is exactly what we're going to do."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

Noting some frustration about the time being invested in the impeachment probe, Johnson argued, "this is the way the founders anticipated that something like this would go."

"There shouldn't be any such thing as a snap impeachment, a sham impeachment like the Democrats did against President Trump. This is the opposite of that," Johnson said. "And that's why people are getting restless, because they want things to happen quickly. If you follow the Constitution and you do the right thing, you cannot rush it. You have to follow the facts."

Piggybacking off Pergram’s question about pressure for Johnson to bring the impeachment vote while Republicans hold a slim majority, another reporter asked Johnson, "If you get into the spring and decide not to impeach the president based on the inquiry, you would be comfortable with that decision essentially absolving him months before a presidential election?"

"We're not going to prejudge the outcome of this," Johnson responded. "We can't because, again, it's not a political calculation. We're following the law, and we are the rule of law team. And I'm going to hold to that as my commitment."

CONGRESS AIMS TO HOLD VOTE TO INITIATE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Wednesday’s vote will allow the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees to continue their investigations into the Biden family business dealings, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., explained, stating that the "Biden administration has been stonewalling our investigations."

The Justice Department has refused to allow two attorneys to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, Emmer said at the press conference. The White House sent House Oversight and Accountability Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a letter stating, "they have no intention of complying with our subpoenas and requests for interviews without a formal vote," according to Emmer, who also stressed how the National Archives has "withheld thousands of pages of documents and emails."

"It's clear the House will have to defend our lawful investigations in court, and passing this resolution will put us in the best position possible to enforce our subpoenas and set forth a clear process," Emmer said. "As we have said numerous times before, voting in favor of an impeachment inquiry does not equal impeachment. We will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead. And if they uncovered evidence of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors, then and only then will the next steps towards impeachment proceedings be considered. No one in this country is above the law, and that includes President Joe Biden."

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

House Rules Committee to consider resolution to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The House Rules Committee is set to meet Tuesday morning to consider a resolution that would formalize the impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

If the resolution framework is passed out of committee, a source familiar told Fox News Digital that a full House vote on the floor to formalize the investigation could take place as soon as Wednesday.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

The House impeachment inquiry, which is led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, was launched by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in September.

While the inquiry was launched, it was never formally voted on the House floor.

Sources familiar with the effort to formalize the inquiry told Fox News Digital that the move would strengthen subpoena power for the committees as part of their investigation.

CONGRESS AIMS TO HOLD VOTE TO INITIATE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

A formalized inquiry would strengthen existing subpoenas in court and force individuals to comply, as Biden officials and family members — like Hunter Biden — have pushed back on their compelled testimony or document production.

For example, Hunter Biden was subpoenaed for a deposition set for Dec. 13, but his attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the president’s son would not comply and would only testify in a public setting. Comer and Jordan have threatened to hold the president’s son in contempt of Congress if he doesn't show up on Wednesday.

BIDEN WAS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH HUNTER’S BUSINESS PARTNERS USING EMAIL ALIAS AS VP

The chairmen are investigating any foreign money received by the Biden family, whether President Biden was involved in his family’s foreign business dealings, and steps allegedly taken by the Biden administration to "slow, hamper, or otherwise impede the criminal investigation into the President’s son, Hunter Biden, which involves funds received by the Biden family from foreign sources."

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS ASSOCIATE TONY BOBULINSKI DEMANDS BIDEN 'STOP LYING' ABOUT 2017 MEETING

The top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has been quietly and informally meeting with Republicans ahead of the meeting in an effort to quash the inquiry altogether.

Sources said Raskin has been meeting with "right-wing to more moderate members" in an effort to counter GOP arguments, investigative steps and evidence collected throughout the investigation.

Those sources told Fox News Digital that some Republicans, in recent days, have been "especially receptive to seeing the Administration’s record of cooperation with investigators."

NATIONAL ARCHIVES TO HAND OVER 62,000 BIDEN RECORDS TO HOUSE GOP, INCLUDING EMAILS USING ALIASES

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital has obtained "fact sheets" that House Oversight Democrats plan to share with both Democrats and Republicans to support their efforts to quash the impeachment inquiry.

"These fact sheets are a hat-in-hand, fact-based appeal to House Republicans," a senior House Democrat aide told Fox News Digital. "Republicans may not be getting all of the facts from Mr. Comer, so we are making sure that they have the full picture as they decide whether to endorse this impeachment effort."

EXCLUSIVE: JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY PAID $5M BY BURISMA EXECUTIVE AS PART OF BRIBERY SCHEME, ACCORDING TO FBI DOCUMENT

But Comer told Fox News Digital that it is "ironic Democrats continue to say there is no evidence and then at every turn seek to prevent the Oversight Committee from gathering evidence."

JOE BIDEN RECEIVED $40K IN 'LAUNDERED CHINA MONEY' FROM BROTHER IN 2017, COMER SAYS

"Despite Democrats' best efforts, the House Oversight Committee has produced evidence revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden last name," Comer told Fox News Digital. "We will continue to follow the facts and hold this president accountable for his corruption."

The White House has blasted the inquiry. President Biden has maintained he has never been in business with his son or spoken to him about his foreign business ventures.

WATCH: Biden repeats exaggerated house fire story he claims almost killed his wife in 2004

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden once again told his often exaggerated story about the time a minor fire occurred at his Delaware home as a result of a lightening strike in 2004 that he says almost claimed first lady Jill Biden's life.

Biden began his speech to a group of firefighters in Philadelphia on Monday with the story that didn't quite go as far as he'd taken it in the past, but still included the claim that his wife's life was in danger despite the fire being "small" and "contained to the kitchen."

"They also saved my home and my wife's life when I was away. It was the last day that the most famous guy doing ‘Meet the Press’ in Washington, D.C., and I was doing the program. And what happened was there was a lightning struck a little pond behind my house. It hit a wire and came up through the basement of my home and three stories," Biden said of his local fire department.

BIDEN FACES GRIM RE-ELECTION ODDS AS HE TRAILS LEADING GOP CANDIDATES IN TWO KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES: POLL

"And the smoke literally ended up being that thick, literally that thick. You've seen it. You guys have seen it. I wasn't there. And my wife was there and my dog and my cat and my '67 corvette. But all kidding aside, they saved my wife and got her out. They saved my home," he added.

According to a 2004 report from the Associated Press, lightning struck the Bidens’ home and started a "small fire that was contained to the kitchen." The report said firefighters got the blaze under control in 20 minutes and that they were able to keep the flames from spreading beyond the kitchen.

Despite those details, Biden once told the story in a way that included the house burning down with Jill still in it.

WHITE HOUSE SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

Speaking on a New Hampshire bridge in 2021 about his bipartisan infrastructure plan, Biden said, "Without this bridge, as I said earlier, it’s a 10-mile detour just to get to the other side. And I know, having had a house burn down with my wife in it — she got out safely, God willing — that having a significant portion of it burn, I can tell: 10 minutes makes a hell of a difference."

Biden told the story again in August following the deadly Maui wildfires in an attempt to relate to the surviving victims who lost their homes and, in some cases, family members.

"I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, of what it was like to lose a home," Biden said. "Years ago, now, 15 years, I was in Washington doing ‘Meet the press’… Lightning struck at home on a little lake outside the home, not a lake a big pond. It hit the wire and came up underneath our home, into the…air condition ducts.

KEY MCCONNELL ALLY MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE RACE THAT COULD FLIP SENATE RED

"To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my '67 Corvette and my cat," he added.

He was later blasted by critics for making the comparison, with some calling it "disgusting," and "self-centered."

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Jessica Chasmar and Greg Whener contributed to this report.

WH spurns Biden family ‘conspiracy theories’ ahead of likely impeachment inquiry vote, Hunter Biden deposition

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The White House refused to answer questions on Monday regarding what it claimed were "conspiracy theories" of corruption within the Biden family.

The refusal came as deputy press secretary Andrew Bates spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One ahead of a likely House vote this week to launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden and the possible appearance of his son, Hunter, for a deposition before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday.

"I am not going to weigh in on that process except to say that President Biden is laser focused on the issues that matter most to American families," Bates said. "You see him today getting ready to deliver for firefighters in Philadelphia. Like I mentioned, we're making an historic announcement in advanced manufacturing to keep bringing jobs back from overseas."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

"He's focused on what matters to American families, not Marjorie Taylor Greene's conspiracy theories about his own family," he added, referencing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a supporter of impeaching Biden and member of the GOP often targeted by Democrats for political attacks.

House Republicans hope to hold the formal vote on whether to officially launch the inquiry this week, but are facing opposition from Democrats and some members within their own party. However, GOP opposition to the inquiry has been shrinking as those members representing districts Biden won in 2020 have begun to back the move.

This includes Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who told Politico he was switching from opposing the inquiry to supporting it because of the increased likelihood Biden would cooperate.

DEAN PHILLIPS CALLS BIDEN POSSIBLY ‘UNELECTABLE’ IN 2024 AFTER GOP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"The president is saying he isn’t going to provide information until we get an inquiry, so I went from a no to a yes," he told the outlet.

Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has spearheaded the sprawling investigation into Biden, which has focused on Hunter, his various foreign business dealings, and the money he got from them. The committee hosted an impeachment inquiry hearing in September as part of that probe.

The White House has repeatedly said that Biden did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of his son's business dealings.

KEY MCCONNELL ALLY MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE RACE THAT COULD FLIP SENATE RED

Additionally, the Oversight and Judiciary Committees posted an official notice last week for Hunter’s closed-door deposition on Wednesday, despite the president’s son so far refusing to comply with the subpoena to testify behind closed doors.

Hunter's attorney notified Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, last week that the president's son would only appear for testimony before the committee in a public setting.

Comer and Jordan subsequently threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress if he does not appear for his deposition.

Fox News Thomas Catenacci, Brooke Singman and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

House Oversight Democrat quietly meeting with GOP lawmakers in effort to quash impeachment inquiry: Sources

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has been informally meeting with Republicans behind closed doors in an effort to persuade them to abandon the impeachment effort against President Biden, as GOP lawmakers prepare to vote to formalize the inquiry, Fox News Digital has learned.

Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has been quietly discussing impeachment with House Republicans with whom he has close relationships, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the conversations told Fox News Digital.

CONGRESS AIMS TO HOLD VOTE TO INITIATE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Sources said Raskin has been meeting with "right-wing to more moderate members" in an effort to counter GOP arguments, investigative steps, and evidence collected throughout the investigation.

Those sources told Fox News Digital that some Republicans, in recent days, have been "especially receptive to seeing the Administration’s record of cooperation with investigators."

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital has obtained "fact sheets" House Oversight Democrats plan to share with both Democrats and Republicans to support their efforts to quash the impeachment inquiry.

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS ASSOCIATE TONY BOBULINSKI DEMANDS BIDEN 'STOP LYING' ABOUT 2017 MEETING

"These fact sheets are a hat in hand, fact-based appeal to House Republicans," a senior House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital. "Republicans may not be getting all of the facts from Mr. Comer, so we are making sure that they have the full picture as they decide whether to endorse this impeachment effort."

One memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, is focused on obstruction in an effort to defend the Biden administration, as well as banks and private citizens, for providing "extraordinary cooperation" with the committee’s investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings and whether President Biden, himself, was involved.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES TO HAND OVER 62,000 BIDEN RECORDS TO HOUSE GOP, INCLUDING EMAILS USING ALIASES

Another memo defends the firing of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin. Joe Biden, as vice president, boasted that he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.

Shokin, at the time, was investigating Burisma Holdings — a Ukrainian natural gas firm where Hunter Biden sat on the board and collected highly-lucrative monthly payments.

But Democrats on the committee echoed past statements from the White House and the president, that Shokin’s firing was actually the "culmination of a years-long effort by a bipartisan, international coalition to address and root out corruption in Ukraine."

EXCLUSIVE: JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY PAID $5M BY BURISMA EXECUTIVE AS PART OF A BRIBERY SCHEME, ACCORDING TO FBI DOCUMENT

Republicans, as part of the impeachment inquiry, have been investigating an FBI-generated FD-1023 form, which alleged a bribery scheme between Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky.

That FD-1023 — a confidential human source (CHS) reporting document — reflects the FBI's interview with a "highly credible" confidential source who detailed multiple meetings and conversations he or she had with a top executive of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings over the course of several years starting in 2015.

The document includes allegations from Zlochevsky that he was "coerced" into paying Joe Biden and Hunter Biden millions of dollars to get Shokin fired.

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

That document has been passed to Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018. When tapped as special counsel in August, Attorney General Merrick Garland expanded Weiss's scope to include any other issues that have come up, or may come up, related to that investigation.

But House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital it is "ironic Democrats continue to say there is no evidence and then at every turn seek to prevent the Oversight Committee from gathering evidence."

"Despite Democrats' best efforts, the House Oversight Committee has produced evidence revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden last name," Comer told Fox News Digital. "We will continue to follow the facts and hold this president accountable for his corruption."

Meanwhile, the Democrats also prepared a memo focused on the funds Joe Biden received from his brother, James Biden, in 2017 and 2018. Both checks, one for $200,000 and one for $40,000, were both labeled as a "loan repayment" in the memo section.

JOE BIDEN RECEIVED $40K IN 'LAUNDERED CHINA MONEY' FROM BROTHER IN 2017, COMER SAYS

Democrats stress that Joe Biden, as a private citizen, did, in fact, make "short-term, interest-free loans to his brother, James, who later repaid him."

But House Oversight Republicans are demanding documentation from the White House to prove that there were, in fact, loans, to be repaid.

Republicans have also pointed to the timing of those payments to Biden—specifically the 2018 $40,000 check—as it came just days after James Biden was wired funds from Hunter Biden, after he received a $5 million wire from a Chinese energy company. Republicans say this is an example of how Joe Biden benefited from his family’s foreign business dealings.

BIDEN WAS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH HUNTER’S BUSINESS PARTNERS USING EMAIL ALIAS AS VP

Hunter Biden received a $5 million wire from the Chinese company in August 2018 to his bank account, Hudson West III.

Hunter Biden then transferred $400,000 to his Owasco PC account. Funds were then transferred to a business account belonging to James Biden and later transferred to a personal account belonging to James Biden and Sara Biden.

Comer claims they used those funds to then cut a check to Joe Biden for $40,000. That check was labeled as a "loan repayment."

DOJ DEVIATED FROM 'STANDARD PROCESSES,' GAVE HUNTER BIDEN 'SPECIAL TREATMENT' IN PROBE, HOUSE GOP REPORT SAYS

President Biden has maintained that he was never in business with his son, and never discussed his son's foreign business dealings.

Fox News Digital first reported last week metadata revealing that Biden communicated with his son and his son's business partner Eric Schwerin hundreds of times using an email alias while serving as vice president. Schwerin, though, at the time, served as Biden's bookkeeper.

Biden, last week, from the White House, said: "I did not, they’re lies. It’s a bunch of lies."

Raskin's efforts come ahead of a House Rules Committee meeting Tuesday, where lawmakers will consider a resolution to formalize the impeachment inquiry framework against President Biden.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., are leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden.