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Biden was in direct contact with Hunter’s business partners using email alias as VP

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FIRST ON FOX: As vice president, Joe Biden used email aliases and private email addresses to communicate with son Hunter Biden and Hunter's business associates hundreds of times, new records released by the House Ways & Means Committee revealed.

The committee obtained metadata from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler that reveals Joe Biden used alias email accounts 327 times during a nine-year period — 2010 to 2019 — to correspond with his son, Hunter, and one of Hunter's key business associates, Eric Schwerin, among others.

The majority of the email traffic took place while Biden was vice president.

The committee says 54 of the emails were "exclusively" between Joe Biden and Schwerin, who the committee describes as "the architect of the Biden family’s shell companies."

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

The email aliases used were "robinware456," "JRBware" and "RobertLPeters."

Earlier this year, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., revealed the existence of Biden's email aliases. 

After Comer's release of those aliases, Fox News Digital learned the whistleblowers, who are still employed as IRS investigators, ran a search for the Biden email aliases in email exchanges with Hunter Biden and Eric Schwerin. That search led to the revelation of the 327 exchanges. 

HUNTER BIDEN PAID JOE BIDEN FROM ACCOUNT FOR BIZ THAT RECEIVED PAYMENTS FROM CHINA: COMER

A source told Fox News Digital the whistleblowers could only access metadata for these exchanges. The source said accessing the content of the emails would require a search warrant. 

The whistleblowers turned over the results of the search to the committee after a closed-door meeting Tuesday, and the committee released the information Tuesday.

The data shows direct emails between Schwerin and Vice President Biden increased during times when the vice president traveled to Ukraine.

The committee said the data shows Joe Biden and Schwerin exchanged five emails in June 2014 before the vice president’s trip to Ukraine that month.

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

After that trip and before Biden’s November 2014 trip back to Ukraine, he and Schwerin emailed 27 times.

Hunter Biden joined the board of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings in April 2014. 

Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings during the same period Hunter Biden held a highly lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month.

At the time, the vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.

Biden allies maintain the vice president pushed for Shokin's firing due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption and say his firing was the policy position of the U.S. and international community. 

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

"Vice President Biden appears to have treated Air Force Two like a corporate jet, traveling to Ukraine and Mexico to advance Hunter Biden’s business interests," Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith said. "Evidence from today’s documents show right around the time of international trips like those to Ukraine, Joe Biden was emailing his son and his son’s business partner from private email accounts using aliases while vice president."

Smith, R-Mo., is leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden alongside House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.

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."

WITNESS SAYS JOE BIDEN TALKED TO HUNTER’S BUSINESS ASSOCIATES; GOP SEES SMOKING GUN, DEMS DOWNPLAY

The White House has blasted the House impeachment inquiry against the president as baseless, maintaining the president was never in business with his son and never spoke to his son about his business dealings. 

The Justice Department and individual DOJ officials have denied whistleblower allegations that suggest politics played a role in prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden probe.

Hunter Biden has been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee and is expected to appear for a deposition Dec. 13. House Republicans have promised to release the transcript of Hunter Biden's deposition and have vowed to schedule a public hearing so the president's son can testify publicly before the American people as his attorney requested. 

DOJ deviated from ‘standard processes,’ gave Hunter Biden ‘special treatment’ in probe, House GOP report says

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House Republicans said the Justice Department deviated from "standard processes" and gave Hunter Biden "special treatment" in its years-long federal investigation into him.

The House GOP's findings are laid out in an interim staff report released Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee, House Ways & Means Committee, and the House Oversight Committee.

IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS TO TESTIFY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AMID BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The chairmen of those panels – Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Jason Smith R-Mo., and James Comer, R-Ky. – are leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 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."

The investigation began after two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, came forward this spring and told Congress that the Justice Department "had impeded, delayed, and obstructed the criminal investigation of the President’s son, Hunter Biden."

WEISS SAYS HE 'WASN'T GRANTED' SPECIAL ATTORNEY AUTHORITY IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE DESPITE REQUEST: TRANSCRIPT

"The whistleblowers, who came forward only after IRS leadership failed to address their concerns, noted several deviations by Justice Department officials ‘from the normal process that provided preferential treatment, in this case to Hunter Biden,’" the report states.

The report points to Shapley and Ziegler’s claims that the Justice Department "allowed the statute of limitations on certain charges against Hunter Biden to lapse, prohibited line investigators from referring to or asking about President Biden during witness interviews, withheld evidence from line investigators, excluded the investigative team from meetings with defense counsel, and tipped off defense counsel about pending search warrants."

CONGRESS AIMS TO HOLD VOTE TO INITIATE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

As part of the investigation, the committees have heard testimony from nearly a dozen DOJ officials, including Special Counsel David Weiss, who is leading the Hunter Biden probe, and have obtained "hundreds of pages of documents." 

"The testimony and documents received by the committees to date corroborates many of the allegations made by IRS whistleblowers," the report states.

The committees found that the Justice Department and FBI "afforded special treatment" to Hunter Biden. The report cites witness testimony, which revealed that there was a "delicate approach used" during the Hunter Biden case. Those officials described the probe as "sensitive" or "significant."

"Evidence shows Department officials slow-walked the investigation, informed defense counsel of future investigative actions, prevented line investigators from taking otherwise ordinary investigative steps, and even allowed the statute of limitations to expire on the most serious potential charges," the report states. "These unusual – and oftentimes in the view of witnesses, unprecedented – tactics conflicted with standard operating procedures and ultimately had the effect of benefiting Hunter Biden."

The report also points to testimony which revealed Weiss, when serving as just U.S. attorney for Delaware, "did not have ‘ultimate authority’ over the Hunter Biden case." Weiss did testify during a transcribed interview that he was initially denied when requesting special prosecutor status. Attorney General Merrick Garland, in August 2023, appointed him as special counsel.

The report states that there is "no question that without the brave IRS whistleblowers, it is likely that the Biden Justice Department would have never acted on Hunter Biden’s misconduct."

"When forced to act, the Biden Justice Department worked closely with Hunter Biden’s counsel to craft an unprecedented plea deal that was so biased in the direction of Hunter Biden it fell apart in open court," the report states. "When a federal judge rejected the Department’s attempt to push through a sweetheart plea deal and quietly end the five-year investigation of Hunter Biden, Attorney General Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel and refused to answer questions about the case on the basis of the existence of an ‘ongoing investigation.’"

The report adds: "Using the ‘ongoing investigation’ as a veil to shield its misconduct, the Biden Justice Department unilaterally limited the scope of witness testimony and document productions to Congress, severely curtailing the Committees’ ability to gather information."

HUNTER BIDEN PAID JOE BIDEN FROM ACCOUNT FOR BIZ THAT RECEIVED PAYMENTS FROM CHINA: COMER

House Republicans said in their report that even amid these "troubling findings," there is "more information that the Justice Department is keeping from the Committees."

"The Justice Department has still not fully complied with requests for relevant documents, and it has impeded the Committees’ investigation by baselessly preventing two Tax Division officials – Senior Litigation Counsel Mark Daly and Trial Attorney Jack Morgan – from testifying, despite subpoenas compelling their testimony," the report states. "These documents and this testimony are necessary for the Committees to complete our inquiry."

The report says the Justice Department’s "blatant disregard for the Committees’ constitutionally prescribed oversight responsibilities is yet another stain that the Biden Administration has placed on the Justice Department’s once-venerated reputation."

MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATOR WARNED OF HUNTER BIDEN'S 'UNUSUAL,' 'ERRATIC' PAYMENTS FROM CHINA IN 2018

House Republicans admitted that their investigation is "far from complete," but vowed to "continue to gather evidence to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden for consideration by the full House of Representatives."

The White House has blasted the House impeachment inquiry against the president as baseless.

The Justice Department, and individual DOJ officials, have denied whistleblower allegations that suggest politics played a role in prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden probe.

Hunter Biden has been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee and is expected to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13. House Republicans have promised to release the transcript of Hunter Biden's deposition and have vowed to schedule a public hearing so the president's son can testify publicly before the American people, as his attorney requested. 

IRS whistleblowers to testify behind closed doors amid Biden impeachment inquiry

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The IRS whistleblowers who allege the federal investigation into Hunter Biden has been influenced by politics are testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee behind closed doors Tuesday.

Gary Shapley, who led the IRS’ portion of the Hunter Biden probe, and Joseph Ziegler, a 13-year special agent within the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division, will sit for a closed-door hearing during the committee’s executive session Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

IRS OFFICIAL SAYS HE WAS FRUSTRATED DOJ DID NOT BRING CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN FOR 2014, 2015 TAX YEARS

The whistleblowers are set to discuss information "protected under Internal Revenue Code Section 6103," according to the committee, meaning the information is related to confidentiality of tax returns.

Shapley and Ziegler have alleged political influence surrounding prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden investigation, which began in 2018.

Shapley has said that decisions "at every stage" of the probe were made that "had the effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation."

And Ziegler has said that Hunter Biden "should have been charged with a tax felony, and not only the tax misdemeanor charge" and that communications and text messages reviewed by investigators "may be a contradiction to what President Biden was saying about not being involved in Hunter’s overseas business dealings."

Ziegler also alleged that federal investigators "did not follow the ordinary process, slow-walked the investigation, and put in place unnecessary approvals and roadblocks from effectively and efficiently investigating the case," including prosecutors blocking certain questioning and interviewing of Hunter Biden’s adult children.

COMER, JORDAN DEMAND HUNTER BIDEN APPEAR FOR DEPOSITION, SAY HE WILL NOT RECEIVE 'SPECIAL TREATMENT'

Shapley also said U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, who was leading the investigation, requested special counsel authority but was denied and said that he did not have "ultimate authority" in the probe to pursue charges against the president's son.

Weiss was tapped as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in August.

Weiss, during his interview before the House Judiciary Committee last month, admitted he initially "wasn’t granted" special attorney authority in his Hunter Biden investigation by the Justice Department despite requesting that status, but he told investigators he did not interpret that decision as a "denial in any way, shape or form," according to a transcript of his testimony reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The closed session at Ways and Means is set to take place a week before Assistant U.S. attorney Lesley Wolf is set to be deposed by the House Judiciary Committee after being subpoenaed last month.

Her deposition, set for Dec. 14, comes after Shapley alleged Wolf sought to block investigators from asking questions related to President Biden throughout the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden.

Specifically, Shapley alleged Wolf worked to "limit" questioning related to President Biden and apparent references to Biden as "dad" or "the big guy."

Wolf allegedly said there was "no specific criminality to that line of questioning" relating to President Biden, which Shapley said "upset the FBI."

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

In October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and "agreed that probable cause had been achieved," Shapley testified. However, Shapley said Wolf ultimately would not allow a physical search warrant on the president’s son.

Shapley said Wolf determined there was "enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze."

Wolf allegedly said that "optics were a driving factor in the decision on whether to execute a search warrant," Shapley said, adding that Wolf agreed that "a lot of evidence in our investigation would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden, but said there is no way we will get that approved."

Wolf also allegedly tipped off Hunter Biden’s legal team ahead of a planned search of his storage unit, Shapley said.

MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATOR WARNED OF HUNTER BIDEN'S 'UNUSUAL,' 'ERRATIC' PAYMENTS FROM CHINA IN 2018

The whistleblowers’ testimony at Ways and Means and Wolf’s deposition at Judiciary comes as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., are leading the investigation as the House gathers evidence and considers whether to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden.

The committees are investigating the alleged politicization of the federal probe into Hunter Biden. They are also investigating the Biden family’s foreign business dealings and whether the president was involved or benefited directly from those ventures.

President Biden has repeatedly denied having any involvement in his son’s business dealings.

Hunter Biden has been charged with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty in October.

Weiss' investigation is ongoing.

Hunter Biden was subpoenaed to appear for a deposition at the House Oversight Committee on Dec. 13.

House could have articles of impeachment against Biden ready in first half of 2024

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The House of Representatives could be faced with a decision on whether to impeach President Biden in the first half of next year, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, suggested on Monday.

"We want to talk with those last several witnesses, but we want to make that happen as quickly as possible. We think we can do that relatively quick," Jordan said when asked by Fox News Digital about a timeline for drafting articles of impeachment.

"That'll be a key focus when we come back. We hope to get a couple done here in December, and then a couple more in January and make a decision as a body if we move forward with actual articles."

It comes as House GOP leaders are strongly considering holding a vote to formalize the ongoing impeachment inquiry into the president.

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

Jordan, along with Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is investigating whether Biden and his family profited off of his time as vice president. A cornerstone of Jordan's probe is Biden's push to firde a former Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma, an energy company for which his son Hunter Biden served on the board of.

During a sit-down with reporters to discuss the investigation, Jordan would not directly answer whether he would seek comments from the president himself.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 'SOON'

"We want to talk to the people who were directly in business with Hunter Biden," Jordan said, listing off various business associates of the president’s son like Tony Bobulinsky and Eric Schwerin, as well as the president’s brother James Biden and Kevin Morris, a Los Angeles lawyer who reportedly lent millions of dollars to Hunter. 

The Judiciary Committee is expected to hear from Lesley Wolf, a prosecutor who was involved in the Justice Department’s criminal probe of Hunter Biden, in a closed-door deposition later this month.

Jordan did tell reporters that he expects a decision "one way or another" on whether to impeach Biden happening before mid-2024, an election year.

HOUSE GOP DISCUSSING VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"Oh yeah, I think there'll be a decision one way or the other before that," he said when asked by Fox News Digital about getting articles of impeachment together in the first six months of next year. "I think plenty of time before that."

Jordan then distanced himself from concerns over whether it would be perceived as a repeat of Democrats’ first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in early 2020.

"I don't think about the politics of it…I've said all along, we're an impeachment inquiry. We will look at the facts, the evidence, follow the Constitution. And if articles are warranted, then we will take that step," Jordan said. "It shouldn't be driven by politics…we're going to look at the facts, and I think the facts are pretty compelling."

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

House committees leading impeachment inquiry to hear key testimony this month as probe reaches critical phase

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The House committees leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden are expected to grill top witnesses behind closed doors this month as the investigation reaches a critical phase.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf is up first this month. She is expected to answer questions during a deposition that begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subpoenaed Wolf last month amid whistleblower allegations that she sought to block investigators from asking questions related to President Biden throughout the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden.

Jordan, over the summer, initially asked Wolf to appear for a voluntary transcribed interview as part of the committee’s oversight investigation into the DOJ’s handling of the Hunter Biden probe, but she denied that request.

JOHNSON SAYS VOTE ON BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY IS 'NECESSARY STEP' AFTER WH 'STONEWALLED' GOP INVESTIGATIONS

IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley alleged that Wolf worked to "limit" questioning related to President Biden and apparent references to Biden as "dad" or "the big guy."

Wolf allegedly said there was "no specific criminality to that line of questioning" relating to President Biden, which Shapley said "upset the FBI."

In October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and "agreed that probable cause had been achieved," Shapley testified. However, Shapley said Wolf ultimately would not allow a physical search warrant on the president’s son.

WEISS SAYS HE 'WASN'T GRANTED' SPECIAL ATTORNEY AUTHORITY IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE DESPITE REQUEST: TRANSCRIPT

Shapley said Wolf determined there was "enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze."

Wolf allegedly said "optics were a driving factor in the decision on whether to execute a search warrant," Shapley said, adding that Wolf agreed that "a lot of evidence in our investigation would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden but said there is no way we will get that approved."

Wolf also allegedly tipped off Hunter Biden’s legal team ahead of a planned search of his storage unit.

Jordan, who is co-leading the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden, is focusing on depositions and transcribed interviews of witnesses related to whether politics improperly influenced prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden investigation.

The Judiciary Committee has heard from top prosecutors involved in the probe, including now-Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been leading the investigation into Hunter Biden since its inception in 2018.

Weiss, during his interview before the committee last month, admitted he "wasn’t granted" special attorney authority in his Hunter Biden investigation by the Justice Department despite requesting that status, but he told investigators he did not interpret that decision as a "denial in any way, shape or form," according to a transcript of his testimony reviewed by Fox News Digital.

That response confirmed Shapley’s recollection that Weiss requested special counsel authority but was denied, that he did not have "ultimate authority" in the probe to pursue charges against the president's son.

Weiss said he followed steps requested by the DOJ, asking U.S. attorneys in separate districts if they would like to partner with him in the prosecution.

Both U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada testified during their voluntary transcribed interviews before the House Judiciary Committee that they declined to partner with Weiss – also confirming Shapley’s allegations.

The House Judiciary Committee is expecting additional witnesses for transcribed interviews before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., will hold a public executive session on Tuesday that is to feature testimony from IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. They are expected to defend their claims related to the Hunter Biden investigation in a public setting.

DOJ ORDERED HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS TO 'REMOVE ANY REFERENCE' TO JOE BIDEN IN FARA PROBE WARRANT: HOUSE GOP

Fox News Digital has also learned that Smith will be releasing additional information related to his investigation on Tuesday. 

And the House Oversight Committee is expecting Hunter Biden for his closed-door deposition next week on Dec. 13. Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed Hunter Biden last month.

The president’s son’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said Hunter Biden would appear for the deposition but instead requested a public hearing to answer questions before the American people.

Comer said a deposition has to come first in order for the committee to continue its fact-finding efforts, but he told Fox News Digital he would release Hunter Biden's deposition transcript and will schedule a public hearing for the president’s son.

MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATOR WARNED OF HUNTER BIDEN'S 'UNUSUAL,' 'ERRATIC' PAYMENTS FROM CHINA IN 2018

Comer also subpoenaed the president’s brother, James Biden. It is unclear when his deposition will take place.

Comer has requested sit-down transcribed interviews with a number of Biden family members and Hunter Biden business associates, like Rob Walker.

Separately from the Hunter Biden-related investigative steps, Comer has also subpoenaed former White House counsel Dana Remus to appear for a deposition and answer questions related to President Biden’s alleged improper retention of classified materials. Comer requested several other officials for interviews on the matter in an effort to determine whether the classified materials he held contained information related to the foreign countries with which his family was engaged in business.

Johnson says vote on Biden impeachment inquiry is ‘necessary step’ after WH ‘stonewalled’ GOP investigations

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is looking to move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry vote against President Biden, saying that it is a "necessary step" as the White House continues to stonewall investigations by House Republicans into alleged wrongdoing by the Biden family.

Johnson's remarks came during a Saturday appearance on "Fox & Friends Weekend," where he, along with House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., spoke to several topics and were asked about plans to bring forth a vote on impeachment.

"It's become a necessary step," he said. "Elise and I both served on the impeachment defense team of Donald Trump twice when the Democrats used it for brazen, partisan political purposes. We decried that use of it. This is very different. Remember, we are the rule of law team. We have to do it very methodically."

"Our three committees of jurisdiction — judiciary, oversight, ways and means — have been doing an extraordinary job following the evidence where it leads," he continued. "But now we're being stonewalled by the White House, because they're preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward, a former White House counsel, the national archives . . . the White House has withheld thousands of pages of evidence."

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 'SOON'

Reaffirming his belief in moving forward with the process, Johnson said a "formal impeachment inquiry vote on the floor will allow [Republicans] to take it to the next necessary step."

"I think it's something we have to do at this juncture," he added.

Johnson's comments came after multiple Republicans said Friday that a vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry of President Biden is likely to come before the House of Representatives breaks for the December recess.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he expected his committee to get the legislation "sometime next week," which will likely tee up a House-wide vote shortly thereafter.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said that he anticipates a House-wide vote "before we will break" on December 15.

"I think that every Republican should be convinced about voting for the impeachment inquiry, there’s plenty of smoke there," Gimenez said.

The Republicans spoke after a closed-door House GOP Conference meeting where the three chairmen investigating Biden and his family — Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. — reiterating their case for lawmakers.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said that the meeting had been held "to see where the votes are and make sure everybody’s communicated with, people have had their chance to understand what an impeachment inquiry is versus impeachment."

HOUSE GOP DISCUSSING VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"It’s important we get it done as soon as possible so that we can move forward with this investigation," Hern said.

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said a vote would likely come "soon" and contrasted the push to formalize Republicans’ impeachment inquiry with how House Democrats handled former President Donald Trump, moving forward with the impeachment process without a House-wide vote.

"We’re actually trying to do it the right way," Murphy said.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden in September, but the White House has dismissed the probe as illegitimate without a formal vote on the matter.

The administration’s resistance to cooperating with House investigators’ subpoenas has inspired even Republicans in districts won by Biden in 2020 to support formalizing the inquiry.

Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital, "This is what the administration has asked for."

"The administration made it very clear, they weren't going to actually work with our constitutional authority, unless we did the vote. Fine," Schweikert said.

Oversight Democrats sent out a five-page memo Friday morning rebutting Republicans’ claims, citing a "mountain of evidence" they said clears Biden of any wrongdoing.

"Rather than accept these facts, Republicans have resorted to cherry-picking and distorting facts in order to justify continuing this sham investigation aimed at satisfying the demands for retribution of President Trump who was twice indicted and now faces 91 felony counts," the memo read.

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

House Republicans anticipate vote to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry ‘soon’

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A vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry of President Biden is likely to come before the House of Representatives breaks for the December recess, multiple Republicans said Friday.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he expected his committee to get the legislation "sometime next week," which will likely tee up a House-wide vote shortly thereafter.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said he anticipates a House-wide vote "before we will break" on December 15.

"I think that every Republican should be convinced about voting for the impeachment inquiry, there’s plenty of smoke there," Gimenez said.

WEISS SAYS HE 'WASN'T GRANTED' SPECIAL ATTORNEY AUTHORITY IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE DESPITE REQUEST: TRANSCRIPT

They spoke after a closed-door House GOP Conference meeting where the three chairmen investigating Biden and his family – Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. – reiterating their case for lawmakers.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said the meeting was held "to see where the votes are and make sure everybody’s communicated with, people have had their chance to understand what an impeachment inquiry is versus impeachment."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT SUBPOENAS HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN, ROB WALKER FOR TESTIMONY AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"It’s important we get it done as soon as possible so that we can move forward with this investigation," Hern said. 

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said a vote would likely come "soon" and contrasted the push to formalize Republicans’ impeachment inquiry with how House Democrats handled former President Trump, moving forward with the impeachment process without a House-wide vote.

"We’re actually trying to do it the right way," Murphy said.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden in September, but the White House has dismissed the probe as illegitimate without a formal vote on the matter. 

The administration’s resistance to cooperating with House investigators’ subpoenas has inspired even Republicans in districts won by Biden in 2020 to support formalizing the inquiry.

SPEAKER JOHNSON: BIDEN ENGAGING IN ‘COVER-UP’ OF ROLE IN HUNTER BUSINESS DEALINGS, IMPEACHMENT PROBE CONTINUES

Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital, "This is what the administration has asked for."

"The administration made it very clear, they weren't going to actually work with our constitutional authority, unless we did the vote. Fine," Schweikert said. 

Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., said he would "very, very, firmly support" authorizing an impeachment inquiry.

"I believe we have an unregistered foreign agent as our President of the United States and I believe the evidence is in place already to establish that," he said.

Asked when he believed a House-wide vote could occur, Duarte said, "I think, if we have the votes, it would be by the end of the year."

Oversight Democrats sent out a 5-page memo Friday morning rebutting Republicans’ claims, citing a "mountain of evidence" they said clears Biden of any wrongdoing.

"Rather than accept these facts, Republicans have resorted to cherry-picking and distorting facts in order to justify continuing this sham investigation aimed at satisfying the demands for retribution of President Trump who was twice indicted and now faces 91 felony counts," the memo read.

Comer, Jordan demand Hunter Biden appear for deposition, say he will not receive ‘special treatment’

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FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan demanded Hunter Biden appear for his deposition later this month as part of their effort to determine whether the House of Representatives will draft articles of impeachment against President Biden.

The lawmakers also stressed to Hunter Biden's attorney that the president's son will receive no "special treatment."

Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed Hunter Biden for a deposition earlier this month. The deposition is set for Dec. 13.

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

But Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell offered the president’s son for a public hearing instead, where he would answer questions and offer his testimony directly before the American people.

In a letter to Lowell on Friday, Comer and Jordan said Hunter Biden’s testimony "will occur initially in a deposition setting, as has been the consistent price of Committees of the majorities—as well as these Committees during this inquiry."

"We also appreciate your confirmation that Mr. Biden is willing to testify at a public hearing," they wrote. "We look forward to his testimony in a hearing at the appropriate time."

Comer and Jordan, who are leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden along with Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., explained that the committees require Hunter Biden’s testimony "to inform potential legislative reform relating to federal ethics and financial disclosure laws."

"In addition, the Committees are investigating whether sufficient grounds exist to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden based on evidence received to date showing that President Biden was aware of at least some of his family’s business ventures and sought to influence potential business deals that financially benefited his family," they wrote.

Comer and Jordan also said that Lowell has suggested that there is "no evidence to support a finding" that Hunter Biden’s business dealings "implicate the official actions of his father."

TOP OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT SLAMS GOP FOR KEEPING HUNTER BIDEN HEARING OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW

"This is contrary to the facts already established through the investigation," they wrote. "As we have detailed in the memorandum explaining the scope of the impeachment inquiry, witnesses have testified not only that Mr. Biden sold the Biden ‘brand.’ But also how Mr. Biden placed his father on speaker phone twenty times with business associates and how he introduced his father in-person during business meetings with foreign business partners." 

Comer and Jordan also pointed to the FBI FD-1023 form in which an FBI confidential human source "detailed a bribery scheme in which President Biden allegedly participated with his son." 

"Despite your bluster, the evidence remains undisputed," they wrote, adding that Lowell is just working to "discredit the allegations against Mr. Biden, distort the truth, and attack the integrity of witnesses against Mr. Biden." 

They added: "Your attempts to now bully and intimidate the committees will not stand."

Regarding Lowell’s request for Hunter Biden to testify at a public hearing, Comer and Jordan said that is an effort to "avoid sitting for a deposition" and said it "amounts to a demand that he receive special treatment from the committees." 

"Mr. Biden will not succeed in attempting to dictate to the Committees how they conduct their investigation," they wrote. "The subpoenas Mr. Biden has received compel him to appear before the Committees for a deposition; they are not mere suggestions open to Mr. Biden’s interpretation or preference." 

Comer and Jordan noted that Justice Department, FBI and IRS officials have all testified in transcribed interview and deposition settings, as well as Hunter Biden’s business associate Devon Archer.

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

They also noted that other Biden business associates are "also cooperating with our subpoenas and not demanding a public hearing first."

"Mr. Biden seems to believe that he should be treated differently than other witnesses before the committees," they wrote. "Nonetheless, if it helps to alleviate your stated concerns, you should be aware that, consistent with House and Committee rules and practice, we intend to videotape the deposition and release the deposition transcript soon after its completion." 

Comer and Jordan added: "The committees’ investigation will proceed apace without interference or obstruction." 

Comer and Jordan gave Lowell until Dec. 4 to confirm Hunter Biden’s attendance at his deposition, scheduled for Dec. 13.

Lowell, earlier this week, accused Comer and Republicans of using "closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public."

"We therefore propose opening the door," Lowell wrote. "If, as you claim, your efforts are important and involve issues that Americans should know about, then let light shine on the proceedings." 

Democrats have blasted Comer and House Republicans amid their impeachment inquiry against President Biden for not taking Lowell up on the offer, saying their denial proves that the case against the first son is weak.

MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATOR WARNED OF HUNTER BIDEN'S 'UNUSUAL,' 'ERRATIC' PAYMENTS FROM CHINA IN 2018

But Comer dismissed those claims in an interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday.

"Democrats always create a false narrative ahead of potential peril," Comer told Fox News Digital, using Hunter Biden’s laptop as an example of Democrats peddling the inaccurate narrative that the laptop was a product of Russian disinformation.

"We have always planned on deposing the key witness in this entire investigation — that’s the president's son," Comer said.

Comer told Fox News Digital that his committee has "accumulated tens of thousands of pages of documents."

"We have hundreds of questions that we have to ask Hunter Biden," Comer said, noting that a public hearing is not an efficient setting to get answers to all questions. "If you have a public hearing, we may get to 35, 40 questions with five minutes each way. In a deposition, we can easily get 400-plus questions in."

Comer stressed that the deposition of Hunter Biden "will be transparent."

"We will release the transcripts," he said. "We always do unless they contain classified information." 

Comer added: "This has been the most transparent major congressional investigation in history." 

Money laundering investigator warned of Hunter Biden’s ‘unusual,’ ‘erratic’ payments from China in 2018

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: A bank investigator responsible for detecting and combating money laundering warned in 2018 of "unusual" and "erratic" activity related to more than a dozen wire transfers of large sums of money to accounts belonging to Hunter Biden.

In an email released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, a Bank Secrecy Act manager raised concerns that the payments did not appear to correspond to "any services rendered," as well as Chinese efforts to target children of politicians. The investigator suggested the bank re-evaluate its relationship with the client.

The payments from China ultimately funded a $40,000 check to Joe Biden from his brother that had been labeled loan repayment, according to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. Comer is co-leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden and has been investigating the Biden family’s business dealings for months.

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

The email is from a Bank Secrecy Act manager to an assistant vice president and branch manager of a financial institution. The names of the investigator, the vice president and the bank have been redacted in the email, dated June 26, 2018.

"We have been monitoring the subject customer due to the PEP designation and observations on the account activity as well as recent negative news indicate this entity to be high risk," the investigator writes in the email. 

A "PEP designation" is short for a "Politically Exposed Person," meaning the individual, through their prominent position or relationships, could be more susceptible to being involved in bribery or corruption, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions. 

"Since the initial funding of $5,000,000.00 from Northern International Capital Holdings (HK) Limited on 08/08/17 as a business loan, it was noted that there was no loan agreement document submitted," the investigator wrote in the email.

The investigator noted that the funds in the account had "primarily funded 16 wires ranging from $157,393.19 to $400,000.00," totaling more than $2.9 million to a redacted name and to "Owasco PC—Law Firm in D.C." Owasco was an entity controlled by Hunter Biden.

"These payments were indicated as management fees and reimbursements," the investigator notes.

SPEAKER JOHNSON: BIDEN ENGAGING IN ‘COVER-UP’ OF ROLE IN HUNTER BUSINESS DEALINGS, IMPEACHMENT PROBE CONTINUES

"We find it unusual that approximately 58% of the funds were transferred to the law firm in a few months and the frequency of payments appear erratic," the investigator notes. "It was also previously indicated that HUDSON WEST III LLC does not currently have any investment projects at this time, which raises further concerns as millions in fees are being paid but does not appear to have any services rendered by Owasco PC."

"Furthermore, there has been negative news regarding the beneficial owner of Owasco PC, Robert Hunter Biden (son of former U.S. Vice President- Joe Biden) regarding allegations by his ex-wife that there were financial concerns about his extravagant spending on his own interests (drugs, strip clubs, prostitutes, etc.) which may put his family in a deep financial hole," the investigator wrote.

The investigator also pointed to more "recent negative news indicate China targeting children of politicians and purchase of political influence through ‘sweetheart deals.’"

FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN ASSOCIATE TEXTS HINT AT PUSH TO ‘GET JOE INVOLVED,’ MAKE IT LOOK LIKE ‘TRULY FAMILY BUSINESS’

"Specifically, Hunter Biden’s $1.5 billion dollar deal with the Chinese-State to establish a private-equity firm in which they manage the funds over time and make huge fees," the investigator wrote. "The management company’s purpose is to invest in companies that benefit Chinese government."

The investigator added: "Thus, the activity on the account appears unusual with no current business purpose and along with the recent negative news…may require re-evaluation of [the bank's] relationship with the customer."

Last month, the Oversight Committee obtained bank records revealing that on Aug. 8, 2017, $5 million in funds were sent to Hudson West III, a joint-venture established by Hunter Biden and an associate of Chinese Communist Party-linked CEFC, Gongwen Dong.

The records revealed that on the same day, Aug. 8, 2017, Hudson West III sent $400,000 to Owasco, P.C. — as mentioned by the bank investigator in the new email.

HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE 'BIDENS ARE THE BEST,' HAVE 'CONNECTIONS'

On Aug. 14, 2017, Hunter Biden wired $150,000 to Lion Hall Group, a company owned by James Biden and his wife Sara Biden. By Aug. 28, 2017, Comer said Sara Biden withdrew $50,000 in cash from Lion Hall Group and later deposited it into her and James Biden’s personal checking account.

Days later, Sara Biden wrote a check to Joe Biden for $40,000. The memo line of the check stated "loan repayment."

The White House, upon discovery of the check, said the committee found that as a private citizen, the president loaned his brother James his own money when his brother needed it, and only discovered a record that he was repaid.

Comer, reacting to the new email Wednesday, said the money laundering expert’s concerns were raised "long before" his committee’s investigation.

EMAIL FROM BIDEN'S BROTHER NAMES HARRIS, SCHUMER AS PROSPECTS FOR CHINESE FIRM

"Long before our investigation into President Biden’s corruption, a bank money laundering investigator raised the exact concerns that we raised publicly about the Biden family business: ‘payments appear erratic,’ ‘does not appear to have any services rendered,’ ‘no current business purpose,’ and ‘China target[s] children of politicians and purchase of political influence through ‘sweetheart deals.’ Those are the words of a bank investigator who was just doing his job," Comer said. "The bank investigator was so concerned about Hunter Biden’s financial transactions with the Chinese company, he wanted to re-evaluate the bank’s relationship with the customer."

FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN IN 2017 SENT 'BEST WISHES' FROM 'ENTIRE BIDEN FAMILY' TO CHINA FIRM CHAIRMAN, REQUESTED $10M WIRE

Comer said that "even worse, we know that the sitting President of the United States knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family’s shady China dealings."

"Joe Biden showed up to his son’s CEFC meetings and benefited from the money wired from China," Comer said.

Comer went on to blast "the White House and their Corporate Media allies’ efforts to excuse and cover up this blatant corruption," calling the denials "appalling to the American people."

House Republicans roll out ‘one-stop shop’ Biden impeachment inquiry website

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are launching a "one-stop shop" website for all things related to the impeachment inquiry against President Biden on Wednesday so that the American people can "see the clear corruption that Joe Biden and his family have committed," Fox News Digital has learned. 

The website, GOP.gov/Bidenimpeachmentinquiry, will highlight the work of the committees leading the effort — the House committees on Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways & Means — and will include summaries of their findings to date, along with supporting "key evidence." A GOP aide told Fox News Digital that the website will be a "one-stop shop" for Americans. 

"House Republicans investigations have uncovered what I believe will be the greatest political corruption scandal of my lifetime. House Republicans will continue to follow the facts and uncover evidence of vast corruption committed by Joe Biden and his family," House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. "Here are the facts: Joe Biden directly financially benefited from his family's corrupt influence peddling scheme, the Biden family repeatedly attempted to sell access to Joe Biden to the highest bidder, including our foreign adversaries, Joe Biden has repeatedly lied to the American people about his involvement and knowledge of his family's corrupt influence peddling scheme." 

"Today, House Republicans are unveiling a website for the American people to provide them with transparency and allow them to see the clear corruption that Joe Biden and his family have committed," she said. 

HOUSE OVERSIGHT SUBPOENAS HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN, ROB WALKER FOR TESTIMONY AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The website includes the House Oversight Committee’s interactive timeline of the Biden family's alleged "influence peddling," dating back to President Biden’s time as vice president during the Obama administration. That timeline includes a breakdown of business dealings with China-linked companies, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine.

That timeline also has a feature dedicated to the federal criminal investigation into Hunter Biden. 

The website also includes a "photos" section, which features images of checks written to Joe Biden, photos of the president with his son’s business associates like Devon Archer and more. 

House Republicans also invite visitors of the website to sign up with their email addresses to "get the latest impeachment inquiry updates."

House Republicans also use the website to break down the impeachment inquiry "by the numbers." That section says that lawmakers have found at least $240,000 in direct payments to Biden and have issued 20 subpoenas. The committee, last month, subpoenaed Hunter Biden, the president's brother, James Biden, and requested transcribed interviews from a number of other Biden family members. 

"House Republicans are committed to delivering the transparency and accountability that the American people demand and deserve. Our investigation has unearthed evidence revealing how Joe Biden knew of, participated in, and benefited from his family’s corrupt business schemes," House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital. "House Republicans’ new website ensures this information is accessible to the American people."

Comer, in September, subpoenaed personal and business bank records belonging to both Hunter Biden and James Biden. Comer said those subpoenaed bank records revealed that President Biden himself received $40,000 in "laundered China money" from a bank account belonging to James Biden and Sara Biden. The $40,000 check had a memo line reading "loan repayment."

Subpoenaed financial records also revealed that Joe Biden received a "$200,000 direct payment" in 2018 in the form of a "personal check" from James Biden and Sara Biden. That check was also labeled "loan repayment."

WEISS SAYS HE 'WASN'T GRANTED' SPECIAL ATTORNEY AUTHORITY IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE DESPITE REQUEST: TRANSCRIPT

The White House has repeatedly blasted the impeachment inquiry as an "evidence-free" investigation.

Hunter Biden is set to appear for a deposition behind closed doors on Dec. 13, despite offers to testify publicly.

The committees have also heard testimony from DOJ officials involved in Special Counsel David Weiss' investigation into Hunter Biden. 

"President Biden and his administration have continually changed their stories about President Biden's involvement in his family's influence-peddling schemes and business deals," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital. "House Republicans are ready to deliver transparency and accountability to the American people."

SPEAKER JOHNSON: BIDEN ENGAGING IN ‘COVER-UP’ OF ROLE IN HUNTER BUSINESS DEALINGS, IMPEACHMENT PROBE CONTINUES

The impeachment inquiry is being led by Comer, Jordan and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. and began under the leadership of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Newly-minted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is fully behind the effort. 

Republicans are focused several avenues of investigation, including the Biden family's business dealings and whether the president was involved. The lawmakers are also investigating allegations of political misconduct and politics influencing prosecutorial decisions throughout the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden.