Category: fox-news/politics

Speaker McCarthy met with Hakeem Jeffries and vowed to play nice after Pelosi called him a ‘moron’

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was so offended by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling him a "moron" that he met with her successor, Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to make a mutual vow that they would play nice.

Pelosi was dismissive of McCarthy's leadership during his time at the head of the Republican minority, but his relationship with Jeffries has been notably more respectful. The pair are up front with their disagreements, but have not yet resorted to name-calling.

"We’ll continue to agree to disagree without being disagreeable with each other and find common ground when possible, therefore continuing to work together," Jeffries told Punchbowl News on Wednesday. "It remains a positive, forward-looking, communicative relationship."

"I have a great deal of respect for him," McCarthy said of his counterpart. "We’re going to disagree on different issues. I believe based on the information that we have now, the Congress just needs to get more answers. That’s what we’re going about doing," he added, referring to a presidential impeachment inquiry.

'THE VIEW' CO-HOST UPSET BY BIDEN'S AGE 'NARRATIVE': 'HE AIN'T DYING ANYTIME SOON'

"I have worked hard to make sure we have respect for one another. Even when we have, like any relationship, a difference of opinion, I’m going to explain my position to him. He has been very honest and direct with me when he has disagreed, which has been many times. I respect his position. I know what happens today, tomorrow it can be something else," he told Punchbowl.

WAPO COLUMNIST ARGUED BIDEN ‘TOO OLD’ TO RUN AGAIN, SHOULD HAVE STOPPED HUNTER'S ‘ATTEMPTS TO IMPRESS CLIENTS’

Pelosi, who has just announced plans for re-election, hasn't let off the gas on McCarthy, however. She described McCarthy as having an "incredibly shrinking speakership" during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Sunday.

Pelosi first got on McCarthy's bad side in 2021, in an incident that came when McCarthy slammed a House mask mandate as not following the science.

PEOPLE BORN THE SAME DAY AS BIDEN DEFEND PRESIDENT AMID AGE CONCERNS: '80 IS THE NEW 60'

"Make no mistake – The threat of bringing masks back is not a decision based on science, but a decision conjured up by liberal government officials who want to continue to live in a perpetual pandemic state," McCarthy said at the time.

Asked to react to McCarthy's comment at a filmed public event, Pelosi responded: "He's such a moron."

McCarthy and Jeffries' respectful relationship is likely to be tested in the coming months as Republicans get underway with their impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Jeffries has already called the effort "illegitimate."

Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

House GOP fires back at ‘smear merchant’ Dem operative targeting families of lawmakers investigating Bidens

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FIRST ON FOX: A longtime Democratic operative and activist says he will be investigating the families of Republican lawmakers in response to the move by the GOP to investigate President Biden and son Hunter’s overseas business dealings, sparking backlash from a pair of House Republicans.

"Gloves are off, families are on," David Brock, Democratic activist and president of Facts First USA, recently told Puck News. "We’ve been looking into how the children of those same members may have benefited from their parents’ position. We’re not shy about going after the members."

Brock, a longtime Clinton ally who founded Media Matters for America and American Bridge 21st Century, announced in November he was leaving the left-wing groups after nearly two decades to launch Facts First USA to help President Biden fight Republicans in the new Congress.

"This work has been ongoing, and we will soon have more to share publicly about a key member of Republican leadership whose family has gotten multiple jobs from their Congressional donors," a spokesperson for Facts First USA told Fox News Digital. 

HUNTER BIDEN SEEN SNEAKING FROM BUSINESS WHILE VACATIONING WITH DAD IN LAKE TAHOE AMID INVESTIGATIONS

"If people want to investigate the Biden family, then what's good for the goose is good for gander. But no one should feel intimidated if they aren't doing anything improper."

Brock, who got his start as a conservative freelance reporter before switching to the Democratic Party in the mid-1990s, was once described by former Center for American Progress president Neera Tanden, who is currently a top Biden aide, of being "bats--- crazy." 

He's been a prominent face in Democratic circles for nearly two decades. The New York Times reported in November that Brock's progressive groups "play important roles in the Democratic Party’s ecosystem."

BIDEN'S NIECE UPDATED HUNTER'S COMPANY ON CHINESE SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND DURING STINT AT TREASURY: EMAILS

GOP Congressman Darrell Issa, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital the move from Brock reeks of desperation. 

"Nothing says desperation like threatening to sic a smear merchant on innocent families," Issa said. "This is all you need to know about how worried Democrats and the White House are about having to answer for Joe Biden’s culture of corruption." 

Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, told Fox News Digital that Republicans will not be intimidated by "radical outside groups."

"The far left and their radical outside allies are desperately trying to cover up and distract from Joe Biden's illegal corruption," Stefanik said. 

"They know they cannot pressure House Republicans into stopping our investigation into President Biden, so they are now attempting to intimidate Republicans into stopping our investigations by targeting our families with opposition research attacks from dark money groups. House Republicans will not be intimidated by these radical outside groups."

That alleged culture of corruption led to an announcement this week that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is directing House committees to launch an official impeachment inquiry against Biden looking at ties between the president and son Hunter’s overseas business dealings.

"Over the past several months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct — a culture of corruption," McCarthy posted on social media Tuesday.

Democrats have insisted that the impeachment inquiry is politically motivated, and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday Republicans have "no evidence, none, that [Biden] did anything wrong."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report

McCarthy blasts White House memo to news outlets urging ‘scrutiny’ of impeachment inquiry

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Wednesday slammed the White House for "telling the press what to say" with a memo that urged stricter "scrutiny" of House Republicans' impeachment inquiry. 

White House spokesperson Ian Sams wrote a letter to major news organizations Tuesday calling for the media "to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies." The letter came a day after McCarthy directed House Republicans to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

"It’s really concerning to me that the president, the White House is telling the press what to say. I think the press should be wanting to know the answers to, ‘Did the president know when he went to dinner with his son that he would get a Porsche?’" McCarthy told reporters Wednesday.

"Did he know when the son was selling the brand?" he continued. "That when he was talking and using an email address? That wasn’t his own name? So people couldn’t find it?

WHITE HOUSE SENDS LETTER TO MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS DEMANDING ‘SCRUTINY’ OF REPUBLICANS AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"Did he know when he was talking about the president of Ukraine, was that in referring to his son serving on the Burisma board with the prosecutor coming after them?"

McCarthy referenced several findings from the GOP-led investigations into the Biden family, including that Kazakhstani oligarch Kenes Rakishev wired $142,000 to Hunter Biden in April 2014 so he could buy a sports car. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who is leading the impeachment inquiry, has alleged that payments the Bidens received through various foreign connections and shell companies were given for no services other than "access to the Biden network, including Joe Biden himself." 

The White House has denied any wrongdoing. Sams' letter to news outlets insisted Republicans have provided no evidence that the president has committed a crime.

"It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies," he wrote. "When even House Republicans are admitting that there is simply no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong, much less impeachable, that should set off alarm bells for news organizations." 

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY ANNOUNCES FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN

The letter continued: "For years, Republicans in Congress have tried to muddy the waters by attracting media coverage of their allegations, and as they choose to move forward with impeachment, it is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with the appropriate scrutiny. Covering impeachment as a process story — Republicans say X, but the White House says Y — is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable."

"House Republican leaders should be held accountable for the fact that they are lurching toward impeachment over allegations that are not only unfounded but, in virtually all cases, have been actively disproven — including by witnesses and documents in their own investigations, as well as years-old congressional probes and even the former President’s first impeachment inquiry," Sams added, and included a 14-page appendix he said addressed seven "key lies" the impeachment effort was based upon.

The letter was sent to some of the country's largest media organizations, including Fox News, CNN, The New York Times and others.

McCarthy on Tuesday said Republican congressional probes have uncovered allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" against Biden that need further investigation.

WHITE HOUSE CALLED OUT FOR LETTER TO MEDIA URGING ‘SCRUTINY’ ON BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

"Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family's foreign business dealings. Eyewitnesses have testified that the president joined on multiple phone calls and had multiple interactions, dinners resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his sons and his son's business partners," McCarthy said.

"We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various shell companies. The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family," he continued. "Another business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by U.S. banks. Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family. Biden used his official office to coordinate with Hunter Biden's business partners about Hunter's role in Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company."

House Oversight Chairman Comer said Wednesday the first impeachment inquiry hearing taking up these matters will happen later this month. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Senate GOP rallies behind McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden: ‘Web of corruption’

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Several Senate Republicans are uniting in support of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's move to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Biden despite a growing number of skeptical GOP leaders in the upper chamber.

The inquiry will determine whether there are grounds to bring formal charges (articles of impeachment) against Biden over allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption," McCarthy said Tuesday.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday on his "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast that he's been "calling for the House to open impeachment inquiries for months."

"I think the evidence long ago cleared that threshold, but they finally done it," he said.

"Joe Biden's confession on tape is direct evidence that he committed one of the critical elements of bribery," Cruz later said. "Now, we don't yet have direct evidence of every element of the crime, but we have direct evidence of one of the most critical aspects of the crime, which is the quote that Joe Biden has admitted and that is unequivocally direct evidence, and it's pretty damn compelling."

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY ANNOUNCES FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN

Meanwhile, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he didn’t think "we would be down this road" if the Biden administration was "being open and transparent with everybody to begin with."

"There was a lot of information that was requested by the committee that has jurisdiction, from the Ways and Means [Committee] to Judiciary to Oversight," he said. "And the fact is, is they were slow-balling or just refusing to share the information."

If enough evidence is compiled and articles of impeachment are sent over to the upper chamber, Mullin said, "Then it's our job to put him on trial and, if so, convict him."

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said the House has "done an excellent job trying to uncover the tangled web of corruption that we've seen coming out of the Biden administration and specifically the Biden family."

"Clearly, there are facts that need further investigation," he said. "The House is headed in the right direction."

Also on Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters that he would probably be a "yes" vote on impeaching the president, The Messenger reported.

IRS WHISTLEBLOWER NOTES MEMORIALIZE DOJ'S ALLEGED REJECTION OF SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN HUNTER BIDEN CASE

"If I had any legitimate questions, and I think there are questions about the narrative, yeah, I would," he said.

"I've been involved in every impeachment in this country but one," Graham said.

Although Graham supports an inquiry, he said that "we need to have structure here" in response to McCarthy evading a floor vote before launching the inquiry. McCarthy said former Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created that precedent when she sidestepped a vote to impeach former President Donald Trump for the second time in 2021.

Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., also said in a statement Tuesday that "serious allegations" have been elevated about Biden's "involvement with his son’s overseas business dealings that can’t be ignored."

"We need to get to the full truth, and an impeachment inquiry is the right way to do that," he said.

Conversely, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has not indicated his support of the inquiry. He told reporters Tuesday when asked about the House's effort: "I don't think Speaker McCarthy needs any advice from the Senate on how to run the House."

White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams slammed the effort as "extreme politics."

COMER DEMANDS STATE DEPT EXPLAIN 'SUDDEN' DECISIONS LEADING TO FIRING OF UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR PROBING BURISMA

"House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they've turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own GOP members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped (sic) because he doesn't have support. Extreme politics at its worst," Sams wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The House is probing Biden’s foreign business ties with his son, Hunter, in Ukraine and China. Republicans hope to unearth bribery negotiations that suggest Biden leveraged his position as then-vice president under former President Barack Obama for personal gain.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will lead the inquiry alongside House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

Should the House vote to impeach Biden, the Senate would serve as a tribunal where senators would review evidence, listen to witnesses and cast votes for the acquittal or conviction of the impeached official.

GOP legislators may face an uphill battle as the Democrat-controlled Senate is unlikely to convict Biden. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday called the decision to launch an impeachment inquiry "absurd."

AOC lists fiancé as ‘spouse’ on disclosures despite not legally being married

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., listed her fiancé as a "spouse" on multiple disclosure forms filed with the House Ethics Committee despite the couple having not officially been married. 

The "Squad" member indicated her fiancé, Riley Roberts, as her "spouse" on several disclosure forms concerning overseas travel between 2022 and 2023. 

The forms, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, were filed with the House Ethics Committee which explicitly defines a spouse as "someone to whom you are legally married." 

Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Press Secretary Lauren Hitt told the Beacon that Roberts and Ocasio-Cortez are "not legally married," but that "House Ethics has commonly recognized the term spouse to extend to long-term partners." 

HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO HOLD FIRST BIDEN IMPEACHMENT HEARING THIS MONTH

Roberts would be compelled to disclose his financial records were he to be Ocasio-Cortez’s legally recognized spouse. 

Ocasio-Cortez announced her engagement to her longtime partner in May 2022. The pair met at a coffee shop while they were both students at Boston University. 

Earlier this year, the House Office of Congressional Ethics said it found "substantial reason to believe" that Ocasio-Cortez improperly accepted gifts in the form of tickets during her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala. 

A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics states that Ocasio-Cortez was accused of accepting "impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021" which may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law. 

Last month, the congresswoman demanded that the Department of Justice target Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas over his relationship with a Republican megadonor and others she claims he benefited from financially. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Ethics Committee for comment. 

Romney uses Biden’s own words against him, calls for president to join him in retirement: ‘Time to transition’

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Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, used President Biden's own words against him on Wednesday while calling on him to drop his 2024 bid for re-election and join him in retirement at the end of his term.

Romney's challenge to Biden comes just hours after the first-term senator officially announced he would not be seeking a second term, citing his own advanced age as his main reason for the decision.

"President Biden, when he was running, said he was a transitional figure to the next generation. Well, time to transition," Romney said when asked by a reporter if his decision not to run for re-election because of his age should also apply to Biden, 80, and former President Donald Trump, 77.

WATCH: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE RANTS AGAINST BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, SNAPS AT REPORTER IN TESTY MOMENT

Romney's comments were in reference to Biden calling himself a "transition candidate" during his 2020 campaign for the presidency, something he later meant he would be someone who would help pave the way for a new generation of Democratic leadership.

"I think it would be a great thing if both President Biden and former President Trump were to stand aside and let their respective party pick someone in the next generation … I think both parties would be far better served if they were going to be represented by people other than those of us from the baby boom generation," he added.

Concern over Biden's age amid his re-election has continued to grow, even from within his own party. A recent Associated Press-NORC poll found 69% of Democrats think Biden is too old to run again.

WATCH: SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN GIVES ODD, ANIMATED REACTION TO NEWS OF BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Romney's inclusion of Trump in his concern about the age of the two presidential front-runners joins that of Trump's closest rival in the Republican primary, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said during a recent interview on CBS that the former president's age was "a legitimate concern" for voters going into 2024.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

House Oversight to hold first Biden impeachment hearing this month

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Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., previewed the next steps for the House impeachment inquiry into President Biden Wednesday, announcing plans to hold a hearing this month. 

Comer spoke at the weekly House GOP leadership news conference Wednesday, telling reporters House investigators will seek additional emails dating back to the Obama era, when Biden served as vice president, and witness testimony from people who allege the Biden family made millions of dollars in corrupt business deals with foreign nationals. 

"We plan on having a hearing in September that will kind of evaluate some of the things that we believe have happened from the Biden family that are in violation with our law," Comer said at the weekly House GOP leadership news conference. 

Comer's spokesman said specifics on the time and location of the hearing would be forthcoming. 

TUBERVILLE SAYS HOUSE GOP MUST ‘NOT WASTE TIME’ WITH BIDEN IMPEACHMENT

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday directed Comer to lead the inquiry in coordination with House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. 

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY ANNOUNCES FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN

The effort to impeach Biden follows months of GOP-led investigations into the Biden family's foreign business dealings. Republicans have accused the president's son, Hunter Biden, of selling access to his father's influence in exchange for payments, some of which were allegedly reserved for Joe Biden.

The White House has denied any wrongdoing and called the GOP accusations baseless and politically motivated.

Comer defended the GOP impeachment drive Wednesday and claimed Republicans have shown that Biden lied repeatedly about his involvement with his son Hunter's business arrangements.

"I just want to kind of go back to where we were in January when we started this investigation," Comer said. "The narrative was that the laptop, [Hunter Biden's] laptop was Russian disinformation. Hunter Biden was a legitimate business guy, just like Jared Kushner. 

MCCARTHY ‘DANGLING' BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY TO DELAY RECKONING OVER SPENDING, SOME CONSERVATIVES SAY

"No Biden ever took from China because that's what Joe Biden said. No money ever changed hands while Joe Biden was vice president, and I actually believe that. Joe knew nothing about his son's dealings. And Joe never met with or spoke with any of the foreign nationals who had wired the family money. All of those things have been proven wrong because of the Republican majority and our investigation." 

As House Republicans move forward with impeachment, several of their Senate counterparts have voiced skepticism about the effort. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said House Republicans must "not waste time" and deliver an "ironclad" case to impeach President Biden for the effort to succeed in the Senate. 

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said last week she does not believe there is enough evidence to impeach Biden. Senators Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., similarly questioned whether their House counterparts have alleged high crimes or misdemeanors against Biden specifically, Axios reported.

WATCH: Karine Jean-Pierre launches rant over Biden impeachment inquiry, snaps at reporter in testy moment

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went off Wednesday when asked repeatedly about the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, even snapping at a reporter who tried to push back against her claim that the president "didn't do anything wrong."

The exchange occurred during the daily White House press briefing after Jean-Pierre was asked how confident she was that there would be no evidence incriminating Biden in his son Hunter's foreign business dealings, his alleged involvement in which has been the centerpiece of House Republicans' investigation into the family's finances.

"Any specifics to the inquiry, certainly — I want to say this at the top … I'm going to refer you to my colleagues at the counsel's office," Jean-Pierre responded, something she noted throughout the briefing when asked questions related to the inquiry.

DESANTIS SAYS TRUMP'S AGE, LIKE BIDEN'S, ‘LEGITIMATE CONCERN’ IN 2024 ELECTION

She attempted to deflect, referencing Biden's upcoming speech on "Bidenomics," and arguing it was part of the "real issues" the American people truly wanted to hear about, rather than Republicans' investigations.

"They have spent all year investigating the president. That's what they've spent all year doing and have turned up with no evidence, none, that he did anything wrong. I mean, that is what we've heard over and over again from their almost year-long investigation. And that's because the president didn't do anything wrong," she said.

New York Post reporter Steve Nelson attempted to push back against Jean-Pierre's claim, prompting her to snap at him.

WATCH: SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN GIVES ODD, ANIMATED REACTION TO NEWS OF BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"Even House Republicans have said the evidence does not exist. House Republicans have said that to my friend in the back who just yelled at, which is incredibly inappropriate," she said, appearing frustrated. 

"But House Republicans have said that there doesn't — there doesn't — it doesn't exist. Their own investigations have actually debunked their ridiculous attacks. And the only reason Speaker McCarthy is doing this — is doing this political stunt — and we have seen it, you all have reported, is because Marjorie Taylor Greene has said — she threatened to shut down the government," she said. 

Jean-Pierre went on, listing the Republicans she said were threatening House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's speakership, and calling the impeachment inquiry "baseless."

DEMS EMBROILED IN SCANDAL FOR SUPPORTING MASSIVE SPENDING BILL THAT GAVE LARGE SUMS TO THEIR OWN PRIVATE ORGS

McCarthy announced the formal impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, stating at a press conference that House Republicans had "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct."

He listed allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" made against Biden by several GOP-led committees who have been investigating the president and his family's foreign business dealings.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Garland to testify at House Judiciary Committee amid probe into DOJ’s alleged politicization

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Attorney General Merrick Garland will testify next week before the House Judiciary Committee amid allegations that the federal investigation into President Biden’s son has been influenced by politics.

The committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, announced the hearing, titled "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice," will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 a.m.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND RECORDS FROM HUNTER BIDEN ATTORNEYS RELATED TO COLLAPSED 'SWEETHEART' PLEA DEAL

"The hearing, ‘Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice,’ will examine how the Justice Department has become politicized and weaponized under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland," the committee’s announcement states.

The House Judiciary Committee has been investigating the alleged politicization of the Justice Department throughout the Biden administration.

Most recently, IRS whistleblowers came to Congress to testify that prosecutorial decisions made throughout the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden have been influenced by politics.

Those whistleblowers claimed David Weiss, who served as U.S. attorney for Delaware and led the investigation, requested special counsel authority and charging authority but was denied by the main Justice Department.

Amid pressure, Garland appointed Weiss special counsel in August with jurisdiction over the Hunter Biden investigation and any other issues that have come up, or may come up, related to that probe.

The hearing comes amid a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 

Romney announces he won’t seek re-election in 2024, bashes Trump and Biden

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Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on Wednesday announced that he is not seeking re-election in 2024 in a statement bashing both President Biden and former President Donald Trump while calling for "a new generation of leaders."

"I have spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-eighties. Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in," Romney said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

"We face critical challenges — mounting national debt, climate change, and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China. Neither President Biden nor former President Trump are leading their party to confront them," Romney said.

"On the deficits and debt, both men refuse to address entitlements even though they represent two thirds of federal spending. Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax and President Biden offers feel-good solutions that will make no difference to the global climate," he added.

With respect to China, Romney said, "President Biden underinvests in the military and President Trump underinvests in our alliances. Political motivations too often impede the solutions that these challenges demand. The next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership."

"While I’m not running for re-election, I’m not retiring from the fight. I’ll be your United States Senator until January 2025. I will keep working on these and other issues and I will advance our state’s numerous priorities. I look forward to working with you and with folks across our state and nation in that endeavor," he said.

"It is a profound honor to serve Utah and the nation, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so."

It comes as questions have swirled over his political future. Romney, who was the GOP's presidential candidate in 2012, has faced blowback from his own party over his vocal criticism of Trump. Romney had voted to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials. 

He was first elected to the Senate from Utah in 2018, winning the GOP primary in landslide.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

But his willingness to reach across the aisle and criticize other national Republicans has caused friction with the Utah GOP. Last month, more than 60 GOP Utah state lawmakers endorsed Utah state House Speaker Brad Wilson to mount a primary challenge against Romney. 

Wilson had formed a Senate exploratory committee in April but has not yet made a formal entrance into the race.