Category: fox-news/politics/house-of-representatives/republicans

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 defends private deposition of Hunter Biden, vows to release transcript and hold public hearing

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told Fox News Digital that he will release the transcript of Hunter Biden's deposition later this month and will schedule a public hearing for the president's son after he testifies behind closed doors as part of the "most transparent major congressional investigation in history."

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

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

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

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.

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

"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."

HUNTER BIDEN AGREES TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TESTIMONY

"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 said that "This has been the most transparent major congressional investigation in history." 

Comer said that each time the committee investigators find new evidence, they "present it" to the public.

"We have done four bank memorandums," he said. "We have had countless press conferences."

"We want Hunter Biden to have a public hearing — but he will be deposed first," Comer continued. "That is how every investigation in history — whether a congressional investigation or a criminal investigation by law enforcement agencies — they always begin with a deposition." 

Comer slammed his Democratic colleagues for a double standard.

"We will have the public hearing, but the Democrats are trying to create a narrative that depositions are bad," he said. "All they did were depositions in the January 6 investigation, and when they did hold the public hearings, they showed films of the depositions they did."

The top Democrat on the Oversight Committee called Comer’s denial of Hunter Biden’s request for a public hearing an "epic humiliation" and said their hesitancy to let the president's son give public testimony is "a frank confession that they are simply not interested in the facts and have no confidence in their own case or the ability of their own Members to pursue it."

"Let me get this straight," Raskin said. "After wailing and moaning for ten months about Hunter Biden and alluding to some vast unproven family conspiracy, after sending Hunter Biden a subpoena to appear and testify, Chairman Comer and the Oversight Republicans now reject his offer to appear before the full Committee and the eyes of the world and to answer any questions that they pose?"

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

But former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who served as the House Oversight Committee chairman and led several high-profile investigations, including the congressional probe of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, said it is "normal and customary for a serious investigation to do a transcribed interview or deposition before a public hearing."

"The good news is, they get to do both," Chaffetz, a Fox News contributor, told Fox News Digital. "A deposition is a different format — the content is complex and deep, and we did that routinely, and it is the proper way to do an investigation."

Chaffetz added that the Bidens "don’t get to dictate how the House of Representatives does their investigations." 

Chaffetz explained that in a deposition, questions are asked by professional staff — not lawmakers.

"You can get a better, more thorough investigation done during the deposition, which should be the goal of everybody," Chaffetz said.

Chaffetz told Fox News Digital he thinks Hunter Biden’s team knows a public hearing "is much easier than doing a transcribed interview."

"You can be coached up how to filibuster a five-minute set of questions from a member of Congress, so, I think they don't want the thoroughness and they don’t want the explicit facts to come out," Chaffetz explained. "That’s just a guess—but Abbe Lowell is an exceptional, talented attorney—a transcribed interview with Hunter Biden will go on for hours, if not for a day or two, so the exposure is lessened by having only public testimony."

He added: "But if you’re James Comer and want to get to the details of the facts, you want to do both."

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." 

But Democrats, Chaffetz said, are in a "precarious position because they set the standards."

"And now that they have to live with them, they don’t want to do that," he said.

Chaffetz said the deposition for Hunter Biden is "not an optional event."

"You typically would take the main witness last, and that’s Hunter Biden," Chaffetz said. "Hunter Biden needs to show up and I can’t think of a single excuse that would justify his non-attendance."

Meanwhile, Comer told Fox News Digital that his months-long investigation into the Biden family business dealings is "a credible, serious investigation of public corruption at the highest levels."

"We bring out more evidence almost on a daily basis that shows this family was involved in serious crimes ranging from money laundering to being an unregistered foreign agent to securities fraud," Comer told Fox News Digital. "And along the way, we have proven that Joe Biden knew and communicated with all of these shady characters that were involved in wiring his family millions of dollars."

House GOP discussing vote to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry

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House Republicans are expected to huddle behind closed doors Friday morning to discuss holding a vote formalizing an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, Fox News Digital has learned.

Three sources familiar with discussions said GOP leaders are strongly considering a House-wide vote to approve an investigation into Biden. 

The Friday morning meeting is expected to see chairmen of the three committees probing Biden and his family — Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. — to make their case to the House GOP Conference. 

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

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. 

GOP leaders believe that holding a House-wide vote on formalizing the impeachment inquiry would make it harder for the Biden administration to resist House Republicans’ subpoenas and requests for information, one source explained.

And moderate Republicans have indicated they see enough need to investigate Biden to support Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., holding a vote on an inquiry.

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

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., whose district is anchored in Miami, told Fox News Digital, "There's plenty of smoke coming out of the White House which justifies an impeachment inquiry."

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., whose district was narrowly won by Biden in 2020, is also supportive of opening a formal impeachment inquiry. 

"Since the administration has started stonewalling in the last couple of weeks, we need the impeachment inquiry to compel them to provide information. Ultimately, this is what voters need to know come next November, and the inquiry will get information," Bacon told Fox News Digital.

The vote would just affirm House GOP support for investigating Biden and would not in itself see the president impeached.

A Republican lawmaker told Fox News Digital they believe there is enough support for such a measure to pass. 

A second GOP lawmaker stressed that no decision has been made and that the formal impeachment inquiry vote was still in a "discussion" phase. 

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

At their weekly press conference on Wednesday, GOP leaders along with Comer, Jordan and Smith laid out their case for investigating the president and his family, accusing them of profiting off of his time as vice president.

"This impeachment inquiry, led by the chairmen here today, James Comer, Jim Jordan and Jason Smith, continues to provide the American people the answers they both demand and deserve. They have found over $10 million from China, Russia, Ukraine and Romania funneled through a corrupt influence-peddling scheme to line the pockets of the Biden crime family," GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said.

Biden and his allies have denied any wrongdoing. The White House panned the inquiry as a "baseless fishing expedition" in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

"This is yet another sad attempt by extreme House Republicans to try to distract from their own chaos and dysfunction, including whether to expel their own member and how they are yet again on a path to shut down the government," White House spokesman Ian Sams said.

"Their baseless fishing expedition targeting the President has been going on for an entire year and, over and over again, their allegations of wrongdoing by President Biden have been thoroughly debunked. House Republicans have already proven this is an illegitimate exercise not rooted in facts and the truth but only in a political desire to smear the President with lies, and the American people see right through it."

The speaker's office did not return a request for comment.

Pennsylvania Rep. Craig Williams enters 2024 race for attorney general

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A state lawmaker who is helping lead the effort to impeach Philadelphia's elected prosecutor on Tuesday became the newest candidate for Pennsylvania attorney general, an office that played a critical role in court defending Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the presidential battleground.

Rep. Craig Williams, a Republican who represents part of suburban Philadelphia, has said for months that he planned to run for the state's top law enforcement office in 2024.

Williams, a former federal prosecutor and former U.S. Marine Corps pilot and prosecutor, is the third Republican to declare his candidacy.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS FILE APPEAL REGARDING THE LEGALITY OF THE PA LEGISLATURE'S IMPEACHMENT OF LARRY KRASNER

COURT REJECTS PENNSYLVANIA TOWNSHIP'S BAN OF 'THIN BLUE LINE' FLAG AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

In an announcement video, Williams says, "I'm running for attorney general because I know how to deal with violence. ... I fought the bad guys on the battlefield and I beat them in the courtroom."

Democrats are facing a five-way primary for an office that will be open after next year.

Williams is a second-term member of the state House who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2008, losing by 20 percentage points to then-U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak. He spent about a decade as a lawyer for Philadelphia-area electric and gas utility Peco Energy Co., an Exelon Corp. subsidiary, before running for the Legislature.

As a freshman lawmaker, he became one of two House Republicans tapped to lead the impeachment of Philadelphia's progressive district attorney, Larry Krasner. The process is tied up in court, with Krasner challenging it as a political impeachment based on policy disagreements, not credible evidence of wrongdoing in office.

Williams, 58, born in Alabama, got his law degree at the University of Florida.

The attorney general's office has a budget of about $140 million annually and plays a prominent role in arresting drug traffickers, fighting gun trafficking, defending state laws in court and protecting consumers from predatory practices.

The office also defended the integrity of Pennsylvania’s 2020 presidential election against repeated attempts to overturn it in state and federal courts by Donald Trump’s campaign and Republican allies.

The two other Republicans who have announced their candidacies are York County District Attorney Dave Sunday and former federal prosecutor Katayoun Copeland.

The Democrats running are Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, state Rep. Jared Solomon of Philadelphia, former state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former federal prosecutor Joe Kahn and Keir Bradford-Grey, the former head of Philadelphia’s and Montgomery County’s public defense lawyers.

No Republican has been elected attorney general since 2008.

Candidates must file paperwork by Feb. 13 to appear on the April 23 primary ballot.

The current officeholder, Michelle Henry, is filling the last two years of Gov. Josh Shapiro 's second term as attorney general and doesn't plan to run for the office. Shapiro nominated Henry, his top deputy, in January when he was sworn in as governor.

Sen Marshall endorses Trump for president, calls for end to ‘political primary charade’

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., endorsed former President Trump in the 2024 presidential race on Monday, calling for an end to the "political primary charade."

Marshall, an ally of Trump since the former president's one term in office, said he is endorsing Trump to bolster the priorities of farmers, restore border security and slash inflation rates caused by the Biden administration.

"Since the day Joe Biden stepped foot in the Oval Office, this White House declared war on American agriculture and American energy independence in pursuit of their Green New Deal agenda and electric vehicle mandates," Marshall said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Joe Biden declared war on American sovereignty by opening our borders, ceding control to the cartels, allowing nearly 10 million illegal aliens into our country, and permitting lethal fentanyl to pour into our communities," he continued.

TRUMP GAINS MORE SUPPORT FROM TEXAS REPUBLICANS

Marshall blamed Biden’s "absent leadership" and said he abandoned the country’s "Christian values and undermined our constitutional rights."

"Our farmers and ranchers feed the world, and Kansans deserve a President who understands that, and a leader who values the energy Americans produce. That is why I’m endorsing President Donald Trump. While others may try to imitate him, only President Trump will put our country back on track on day one," he said.

"Along with the onslaught of strangling regulations, Joe Biden declared war on our economy by unleashing a level of federal spending never seen in modern history, causing the highest inflation and interest rates that we’ve seen in decades," he said.

He added, "It’s time for the GOP to unite behind President Trump. Let’s end the political primary charade and focus on retiring Joe Biden."

RAMASWAMY CLASHES WITH CNN ANCHOR PRESSING HIM ON TRUMP'S 'VERMIN' COMMENTS: 'GIVE ME A BREAK!'

Marshall was a vocal critic against the Democrat-led impeachment hearing in 2021 following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and voted to acquit Trump in February. At the time, he said "both sides of the aisle are guilty of heated rhetoric," regarding Jan. 6. 

"But, equally guilty are the House Managers and the Democrats for their hypocrisy, and President Trump’s defense team painted that picture clearly," he said in February 2021.

The senator also supported Trump’s efforts to tighten election integrity after the contested 2020 general election. 

TRUMP VS. BIDEN: A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE IN HOW THE MEDIA TREAT EACH CAMPAIGN

Marshall joins a group of a dozen Republicans in the upper chamber who have already endorsed Trump. 

Meanwhile, Trump has the support of nearly 80 Republicans in the House. On Sunday, Trump also received the backing of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Trump leads the GOP nomination race with the backing of a record 62% of Republican primary voters in a new Fox News survey published last week. That translates to a roughly 50-point gap between Trump and Ron DeSantis (14%), and Nikki Haley (11%). Vivek Ramaswamy (7%), Chris Christie (3%), and Asa Hutchinson (1%) trail even further. 

NY Rep. George Santos, who flipped blue seat, says he won’t run for re-election in wake of ethics report

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Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election in the wake of a House ethics report. 

"If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the ‘Ethics committee’, they would have not released this biased report. The Committee went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my legal team about me not being forthcoming (My legal bills suggest otherwise)," Santos wrote on X. "It is a disgusting politicized smear that shows the depths of how low our federal government has sunk. Everyone who participated in this grave miscarriage of Justice should all be ashamed of themselves. We the People desperately need an Article V Constitutional Convention."

"I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed. I will however NOT be seeking re-election for a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time," he wrote. "Public service life was never a goal or a dream, but I stepped up to the occasion when I felt my country needed it most. I will 100% continue to maintain my commitment to my conservative values in my remaining time in Congress."

Chairman of the House Ethics Committee, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., plans to file a motion to expel Santos on Friday during session, Guest's personal office told Fox News Digital Thursday.

HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE HEAD TO MOVE TO EXPEL GEORGE SANTOS AFTER RELEASE OF DAMNING REPORT

The ethics committee released a damning report that accused Santos of having "used campaign funds for personal purposes" and "engaged in fraudulent conduct," among other allegations. Guest filing the resolution tees up an expected vote on whether to boot Santos from the House sometime after lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break on Nov. 28.

In the 56-page report, the bipartisan subcommittee unanimously agreed that Santos "knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House."

FORMER SANTOS CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT

That includes $50,000 in campaign donations that were wired to Santos' personal account on Oct. 21, 2022 and allegedly used to, among other things, "pay down personal credit card bills and other debt; make a $4,127.80 purchase at Hermes; and for smaller purchases at OnlyFans; Sephora; and for meals and for parking."

On Thursday, Santos also said, "We are quickly approaching $34 trillion dollars in debt, the government is continuously on the verge of a shutdown, our southern border is wide open, our current President is the head of an influence peddling crime family, and all this Congress wants to do is attack their political enemies with tit for tat unconstitutional censures, impeachments, expulsions and ethics investigations. THE TIME IS NOW FOR THE STATES TO RISE UP AND COMMENCE AN ARTICLE V CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION!"

"I’ve come to expect vitriol like this from political opposition but not from the hallowed halls of public service," he wrote. "I will remain steadfast in fighting for my rights and for defending my name in the face of adversity. I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves."

Santos, who flipped a Democratic House seat on Long Island red in the 2022 midterm elections, was thereafter exposed as having lied on his resume, namely over his Jewish heritage, business experience on Wall Street and as having attended college. He has long refused calls from his own Republican Party to resign, even after federal prosecutors charged him in multiple fraud schemes. Last month, federal prosecutors announced a superseding indictment accusing Santos of stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorization, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign. 

Fox News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report.

Speaker Johnson calls for ‘key witnesses’ to testify under oath in Biden impeachment inquiry

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EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested that the impeachment inquiry of President Biden would be moving into the next "appropriate step," which includes gathering key witness testimony.

Johnson got an update on the impeachment inquiry earlier on Wednesday from the three House GOP committee chairmen who are leading the probe: Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo.

"At this stage, our impeachment inquiry has already shown the corrupt conduct of the president’s family and that he and White House officials have repeatedly lied about his knowledge and involvement in his family’s business activities," Johnson told Fox News Digital afterward.

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

"It has also exposed the tens of millions of dollars from foreign adversaries being paid to shell companies controlled by the president’s son, brother and their business associates," he added.

Johnson said the impeachment inquiry is moving ahead with his support.

"Now, the appropriate step is to place key witnesses under oath and question them under the penalty of perjury to fill gaps in the record," Johnson said.

HOUSE GOP TO PRESENT EVIDENCE AGAINST BIDEN IN FIRST IMPEACHMENT HEARING

"I commend the good work of Chairmen Comer, Jordan and Smith. As we move forward toward an inflection point in this critical investigation, they have my full and unwavering support."

House Republicans have accused Biden and his family of bribery and influence peddling, including with foreign actors. The president’s allies have dismissed the allegations as political attacks.

Last week, Comer subpoenaed both the president's son and brother, Hunter Biden and James Biden, as well as several associates, including the gallery owner who hosted Hunter's foray into the professional art world, Georges Bergès.

Johnson, who was a constitutional lawyer before being elected to Congress, has taken a careful and meticulous approach to the possibility of impeaching the president.

COMER SUBPOENAS PERSONAL, BUSINESS BANK RECORDS FOR HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN AS PART OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

He’s made no secret of his own opinions, including as a member of the Judiciary Committee before becoming speaker, but Johnson has urged Republicans to follow due process to build a case.

Johnson said at a press conference this month that House Republicans were "coming to a point of decision" on impeachment "very soon."

"We have to follow due process, and we have to follow the law," he said. "That means following our obligation on the Constitution and doing appropriate investigations in the right way at the right pace, so that the evidence comes in and we follow the evidence where it leads."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Johnson's Wednesday statement.

Mayorkas impeachment flop marks latest blow to GOP efforts to tackle border crisis

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A defeat for House Republicans in their efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Monday marks the latest blow to Republicans in Congress as they seek to move forward with solutions to the ongoing crisis at the southern border.

Eight Republicans joined with House Democrats in voting to table a motion that would have impeached Secretary Mayorkas, a move that Republicans have been teasing since they took the House in early 2023.

While it does not necessarily mark the end of impeachment efforts against Mayorkas — an investigation is still ongoing into his conduct in the House Homeland Security Committee — it is a significant defeat for Republicans in the House.

DEMOCRATS BLOCK EFFORT TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS WITH REPUBLICAN SUPPORT 

The Department of Homeland Security responded by urging Republicans to stop "wasting time and to do its job by funding the government, reforming our broken immigration system, reauthorizing vital tools for DHS and passing the administration’s supplemental request to properly resource the department’s critical work to stop fentanyl and further secure our borders.

"Secretary Mayorkas continues to be laser-focused on the safety and security of our nation. This baseless attack is completely without merit and a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities," the statement added.

The defeat comes after Republicans upset conservatives and border hawks earlier this year when they tried and failed to attach H.R. 2 — the House Republicans’ signature border security and asylum overhaul legislation — to a continuing resolution to keep the federal government open. 

Instead, the House ended up passing a "clean" continuing resolution, which in turn led to the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. On Tuesday evening, the House passed another continuing resolution to avoid a pre-holiday season shutdown. That too did not contain policy riders, including those related to border security.

In the upper chamber, Senate Republicans last week introduced a series of border security proposals to be included as part of negotiations over the White House’s supplemental aid request. That package is expected to contain funding for Israel, Ukraine and the border. 

WHITE HOUSE, SENATE DEMS REJECT GOP BORDER SECURITY PROPOSALS: ‘TOTAL NON-STARTER’ 

However, the initial Republican proposals were immediately rejected by Senate Democrats as a "non-starter," while the White House also dismissed the proposals. Immigration hawks, meanwhile, were critical that the proposals missed out on some parts of H.R. 2.

"If Republicans want to have a serious conversation about reforms that will improve our immigration system, we are open to a discussion. We disagree with many of the policies contained in the new Senate Republican border proposal," a White House spokesperson said.

However, negotiations are still ongoing as a bipartisan Senate group discusses potential provisions that could be included in a supplemental aid package with support for Ukraine. But it remains to be seen what such a package will look like. Legislation would need to pass both the GOP-controlled House and prevent a Senate filibuster in the Democrat-controlled chamber.

In the House, some conservative Republicans have been sounding the alarm and criticizing their own caucus’ work so far, including the failure to pass border security legislation. 

"We promised the American people we would stand athwart this administration, cut spending, secure the border. We've delivered on none of that so far," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" Tuesday.

Roy also warned that, in terms of upcoming negotiations, he would not be receptive if lawmakers "try and sell me something and call it border security if it's not."

"Don't come to me with some nonsense with Ukraine and border security that doesn't actually secure the border, or we're going to have to call BS on that," he said.

Immigration hawks have also told Republicans they should keep the border at the top of their priority list.

"The border crisis is only getting worse, and Republicans' resolve to fix it cannot fade as budget negotiations continue," Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital. 

"In the matter of just a few days, the House has let Mayorkas skate on impeachment while the Senate works on a proposal to undermine H.R. 2, which is the only serious solution to the crisis we face. A border disaster of this magnitude must not fall to the back burner in favor of politics and wrong priorities."

The border crisis continues. Numbers published by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Tuesday show there were more than 249,000 migrant encounters in October, down only slightly from the monthly record set in September, when there were more than 269,000 encounters.

Republicans have continued to blame the policies of the Biden administration for the crisis, while the administration has called for more funding and policy changes to fix what it says is a "broken" system.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

These 8 Republicans voted against Rep Greene’s Mayorkas impeachment push: ‘Not a high crime or misdemeanor’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Democrats, with the help of a eight Republicans, voted down an effort led by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in the House of Representatives to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a straight up or down vote.

The eight Republicans who joined Democrats in the 209-201 vote killing the effort included Reps. Ken Buck, R-Colo., Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., John Duarte, R-Calif., Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio. 

Additionally, 11 Democrats and 12 Republicans did not vote on the measure.

Greene voiced her displeasure in a video posted on X, saying that the eight Republicans voted to "protect" Mayorkas from impeachment, which she called, "unbelievable."

HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP REPORT ACCUSES MAYORKAS OF CEDING BORDER CONTROL TO CARTELS

"We had eight Republicans vote with the Democrats to send my articles of impeachment back to committee where articles of impeachment go to die," Greene said. 

Rep. McClintock's office directed Fox News Digital to a press release explaining that the "grounds for impeachment are explicitly laid out in the Constitution" and that the allegations against Mayorkas do not meet the threshold even though Mayorkas is "the worst cabinet secretary in American history."

"Yes, Alejandro Mayorkas must be held accountable for his egregious failures – there’s no doubt about that. By giving the Judiciary Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Jordan, the opportunity to conduct a full-scale impeachment inquiry the right way, House Republicans are fulfilling the commitments we made to the American people and rising to a level that Democrats could never do," Rep. Foxx said in a press release after her vote.

"Secretary Mayorkas has not committed an impeachable offense," Rep. Buck told CNN on Monday night. "I disagree strongly with how he’s handling the border, I think the border is porous, I think it’s a threat to this country, but it’s not a high crime or misdemeanor, it’s not treason, it’s not bribery, it’s not the crimes or issues our founders set forth in the Constitution." 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rep. Turner denied that Republicans voted to "kill" an impeachment and that the motion was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security for proper fact finding.

"No one voted to kill an impeachment inquiry – there is currently an ongoing investigation into Secretary Mayorkas in the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resolution was referred to the ongoing Homeland Security Committee’s investigation under Chairman Mark Green," Turner said. "When his investigation is complete, he can at any time refer fully documented Articles of Impeachment to the House, which will pass overwhelmingly."

Rep. Issa released a statement saying that Mayorkas "deserves to face an impeachment trial" and posted on social media that he "can't wait to testify."

"We didn’t kill a Mayorkas impeachment," Issa told Fox News Digital. "We voted to start impeachment hearings the entire country will watch. If we impeach Mayorkas today, Senate Democrats will feel free to reject it today. We want hearings where Democrats are forced go on the record and finally have to defend Biden’s historic border disaster. That’s the last thing they want."

Greene introduced the resolution to impeach Mayorkas on Thursday, which would have forced a vote on impeachment without a hearing or a committee markup. If voted on and passed, it would have sent his impeachment straight to the Senate for trial.

JOSH HAWLEY CALLS OUT MAYORKAS FOR HAVING 'NO ANSWERS' ON DHS EMPLOYEE PRAISING HAMAS: 'TOTALLY INEXCUSABLE'

The Department of Homeland Security responded to the vote with a statement accusing Congress of "wasting time," and calling on it to "do its job by funding the government, reforming our broken immigration system, reauthorizing vital tools for DHS, and passing the Administration’s supplemental request to properly resource the Department’s critical work to stop fentanyl and further secure our borders."

Mayorkas has faced intense scrutiny from Republicans over his record, which includes presiding over record levels of illegal immigration that includes more than 600,000 "gotaways" at the southern border in fiscal year 2023 and over 900,000 illegal immigrants released into the interior of the United States by the Border Patrol in FY 2023.

"The fact is he's just not living up to his oath," GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito told Fox News Digital in June. "Not only is he failing the administration, he is failing the American people. And that's my biggest concern." 

Fox News Digital’s Brandon Gillespie and Chad Pergram contributed to this report