Democrat congressman acknowledges it’s ‘clear’ Hunter Biden broke the law: ‘Should be held accountable’

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

A Democratic congressman admitted that it's "clear" Hunter Biden broke the law during an interview on Friday.

Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes took a swipe at Republicans Friday night before acknowledging the first son’s legal troubles.

"Let me say something that you never heard a Republican member of Congress say in the four years of the Trump administration, which is that if Hunter Biden broke the law, he should be prosecuted," Himes said on MSNBC. "And it is clear that he broke the law with respect to taxes and possibly the ownership of a handgun. He should be held accountable for that."

Himes criticized Republicans for not speaking out against former President Donald Trump when he was indicted, but also acknowledged that Hunter Biden should be held accountable if he used his father’s influence to commit crimes.

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"If he traded on his father’s influence, he should be held accountable for that. And I’m emphasizing this because you never, ever heard a Republican say the same thing about Donald Trump or his family," Himes argued.

The Democratic congressman argued there was no evidence that President Biden colluded with his son on any crimes, but insinuated that any evidence should be taken seriously if it arises.

"Now, to the question about impeachment, there is today zero evidence, zero evidence that Joe Biden, the president of the United States, knew about what his son was doing. If, if he did know about it, if he participated in that, then that is a very different conversation," Himes added.

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Hunter, who is still under federal investigation, pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax on Wednesday. He was set to plead guilty as part of a deal, but the plea deal fell through.

The White House has stated that President Biden is supporting his son throughout the investigation.

"Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady — they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously said. "This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump."

Fox News Digital reached out to Himes' office for a statement, but has not heard back.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

‘Impeachment Week’

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

You’ve heard of "infrastructure week."

The past week wasn’t quite "impeachment week" for House Republicans.

But it came close.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., went further on impeachment for President Biden than he had before.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO HOW HUNTER BIDEN'S LEGAL WOES COULD ACCELERATE AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"This is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed," said McCarthy on Fox. "This President has also used something we have not seen since Richard Nixon used the weaponization of government to benefit his family and deny Congress the ability to have the oversight."

This suggests the House could prospectively launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden over alleged ties to his son’s business dealings.

"When more of this continues to unravel, it rises to the level of an impeachment inquiry where you would have the Congress have the power to get to all these answers," said McCarthy.

In addition, McCarthy has more than cracked the door on impeachment with President Biden and maybe even Attorney General Merrick Garland.

"I would move to an impeachment inquiry if I found that the Attorney General has not only lied to the Congress, the Senate, but to America," said McCarthy said earlier this month about Garland and how his office handled the Hunter Biden case.

But while McCarthy talks "impeachment inquiry," he’s not ready to launch an actual impeachment inquiry.

"Define what this is right now," I asked the Speaker on Tuesday.

"We’re no different from where we were yesterday," replied McCarthy. "We continue to find more information.

But just the Speaker saying "impeachment" alters the fundamental equation.

McCarthy’s impeachment language impresses the hard right.

"When he does speak to impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight," said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.

I asked Good if the Speaker mentioning this "shifted the ground?"

"I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift," said Good.

The House must vote to launch an official impeachment inquiry. As per usual, this is about the math. It’s unclear if the House has the votes to do that. Let alone impeach the President. Or Garland. Or anyone else.
House Republicans are struggling to settle on exactly who they want to impeach.

"It's all of the above," said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. "Look at the evidence that we have."

Sometimes mentioned as impeachment candidates: FBI Director Christopher Wray and U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss. Weiss handled the Hunter Biden prosecution. Another name: U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves.

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It can be hard to keep up.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., suggested that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the "low hanging fruit."

A senior House Republican leadership source tells Fox that potential impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is "the furthest along." Although that doesn’t mean that it’s that far along. It’s just that GOPers believe they have the strongest case against Mayorkas regarding the border.

Fox is told that this is something of a high-level "trial balloon." McCarthy wants to get a sense of what GOPers want to do. And most importantly, where the votes may lie for impeaching anyone.

Thus, the math.

A senior House GOP source says Republicans leaders will try to see "if there is one (impeachment) that could pass."

Keep in mind that House Republicans are only operating with a four seat majority. Threading the needle on anything as serious as impeachment is challenging.

"A lot of our members will make decisions on how well the argument is made," said a Republican leadership source.

The problem for the GOP is that there is a wide swath of Republican members in rock-ribbed conservative districts who would impeach Mr. Biden and many members of his cabinet "no matter what" said one GOP source. But actually executing a successful impeachment depends on the math.

There are 18 House Republicans who represent districts which President Biden carried in 2020. A vote to impeach any cabinet figure, let alone the President, could spell a political death sentence.

So, impeachment is out there – even if it isn’t.

This sounds familiar.

Rewind to late July 2019, following the House testimony of Special Counsel Robert Mueller about former President Trump.

Mueller didn’t exactly deliver the goods on Mr. Trump at what turned out to be an overhyped hearing.

So, Democrats began talking about impeachment – without acting on impeachment – as they entered the customary August Congressional recess.

In 2019, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., opposed impeachment for former President Trump – until she didn’t.

But, as we often write in this space around this time of year, beware the Ides of August.

In August 2019, Pelosi observed a sea change in her caucus. A number of moderate Democratic freshmen who represented swing districts altered their views on impeachment.

Political leaders must have their finger on the pulse of their Members. This is critical. Otherwise, they look like they are being led by their members – not leading themselves. After there were more revelations about former President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Pelosi shifted her position.

McCarthy isn’t quite there yet on impeaching anyone. But he must be mindful of where his members are – and stay in front of them. McCarthy’s statements the past two weeks were efforts to "get in front" of his members, should the votes to impeach present themselves and there is a bona fide shift in that direction.

However, Fox is told that McCarthy is internally worried about overusing impeachment and protecting the institution of the House.

But all members on his right heard was "impeachment." And that’s all the red meat they needed to take into the August recess.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., says he would vote yes on impeachment. But Comer points out a stark fact.

"The Senate’s never going to remove from office," said Comer.

Democrats delight in the GOP impeachment milieu.

"Every week we hear a new member of the Biden administration that extreme MAGA Republicans are determined to impeach," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. "The extreme MAGA Republican majority has nothing to show for their time in office but the peddling of conspiracy theories, facilitating hate against communities all across the country and figuring out who was going to be at the top of the list of their impeachment fantasies."

All of this could spell trouble if the GOP base expects too much.

"This is the danger, particularly for a Speaker, who has so far been trying to tamp down the impeachment expectations," said George Washington University professor Casey Burgat. "It seems like he's getting a lot of pushback within his individual conference to say, ‘hey, we have to escalate these investigations and impeachment is now on the table’ if it wasn't before."

So this will fester in August.

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House Republicans are planning more investigations over the next month. Burisma board member Devon Archer appears for a closed-door, transcribed interview on Monday. Burisma is the Ukrainian firm associated with Hunter Biden.

It wasn’t quite impeachment week. But some Republicans would like August to become impeachment month.

White House ignores Republicans demanding answers on Biden’s knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business dealings

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republicans have gotten a cold shoulder from the White House after demanding answers about President Biden's knowledge of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings.

In a July 20 letter to White House counsel Stuart Delery, four prominent Republicans in the House — GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo. — pressed for answers after the Biden administration shifted its messaging about the president's knowledge of Hunter Biden's business interests.

The lawmakers, expressing "concern over President Biden's involvement with Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings," said in the letter, which was first reported by the New York Post, the issue raises "national security and ethics concerns."

"President Biden and official White House spokespersons have said repeatedly that the President had no knowledge of his son’s business, nor did he discuss business with his son," the Republicans wrote.

ELISE STEFANIK BACKS BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: 'OH, ABSOLUTELY'

"However, on June 29, 2023, Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House Counsel’s office, released a statement saying, ‘As we have said many times before, the President was not in business with his son.’

"This statement deviates from previous White House statements and brings forward concerns that the President knew of his son’s foreign business deals."

The lawmakers also included in the letter a string of questions for the White House counsel's office and requested a response by July 27. That request, however, was ignored by the White House.

Two questions asked by the GOP lawmakers: "Is the White House now admitting President Biden knew of and was involved in Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings" and "What was President Biden's involvement in these foreign business dealings?"

The lawmakers also sought to find out whether the Justice Department has "an open investigation regarding the uncovered WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to a CEFC China Energy official."

"No matter how many times the White House desperately tries to cover up for Joe Biden, it is an indisputable fact that the White House has changed its position on Joe Biden’s knowledge of and involvement in Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings," Stefanik told The Post.

"The Biden administration’s continued stonewalling of House Republicans’ investigations into the Biden family influence peddling scheme and Joe Biden’s involvement will not deter us. We will leave no stone unturned and use every tool at our disposal to deliver accountability."

During an appearance on FOX Business Thursday, Stefanik made similar comments when she told a "Mornings with Maria" panel she would "absolutely" support the opening of an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

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Asked whether she would support a potential impeachment inquiry, Stefanik responded, "Oh, absolutely. I'm in conversations with Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy and all of our members. The important thing to know about an impeachment inquiry is that it ensures that the House is at the apex of its power and oversight responsibility. It means that our subpoenas have the most power possible when it comes to litigating this out in court because we know getting the facts is not going to be easy.

"We know this White House, this Department of Justice, they are trying to cover up for Hunter Biden and, ultimately, Joe Biden. What is important that you mentioned at the beginning of your statement is the White House is trying to quietly change its language. First it said that Joe Biden never spoke to his son about Hunter's business dealings. They have now changed that language to now saying Joe Biden has never been in business with Hunter Biden's business operations. That is a significant change. …

"It is only because of House Republicans that we've discovered the dozens of LLCs, which is illegal money laundering, the fact that nearly 20 Biden family members have profited illegally."

McCarthy said this week that Republican lawmakers in the House may consider an impeachment inquiry of Biden over claims of financial misconduct.

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

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

Speaking to Fox News Digital about the subject earlier this week, McCarthy said his party will, for now, continue seeking information related to the Biden family finances unless that information began being withheld.

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

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

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

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

GOP splits on spending, abortion derail House vote, some Republicans warn of ‘catastrophic’ cuts

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Disputes among House Republicans over spending cuts and abortion policy forced House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to scrap a vote planned for this week on one of 12 major funding bills for the next fiscal year.

The agriculture spending bill was expected to hit the House floor late this week, but lawmakers instead went home without any vote – a sign that Republicans may struggle to find agreement in their own party on these issues.

On the question of spending, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have been pushing for a total of $1.47 trillion in discretionary spending next year, while House GOP leaders set out a total of $1.58 trillion and have proposed funding bills based on that higher level.

When the agriculture spending bill came up this week, it became clear that conservative lawmakers couldn't support that specific bill or the broader GOP leadership plan. The decision to delay the vote sparked anger from rural Republicans, who said the party shouldn't be looking to cut any more from the agriculture bill.

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"I just have very serious concerns of when you absolutely gut an [agriculture] appropriations bill, I mean, it has catastrophic effects on the safety of our food, cuts USDA inspectors, [affects] the export market – cutting important programs" said Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, who represents a heavily Republican rural district.

"It’s also catastrophic for our animal disease control – right now we’re trying stop . . . African Swine Fever, and when you gut this bill, you no longer have the funds to protect our animals here in the U.S.," he said.

Feenstra was careful not to directly blame the Freedom Caucus or its allies to Fox News Digital, but warned, "Whoever wants to take a big whack at this" that they were affecting "the breadbasket of the world."

Abortion policy was another point of division in the GOP this week. The agriculture bill included language that would curb access to mail-order abortion pills, a provision that conservatives said would be needed to secure their vote.

But the inclusion of that language is a problem for other Republicans.

"Some in the Freedom Caucus wanted significantly more spending cuts than were agreed upon. And so that is a big factor in this, as well as some of the language related to abortion that many of us expressed concerns about. And so those are coming forward," said freshman Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who last year took a seat held by a Democrat.

HOUSE, SENATE HEADED FOR SPENDING SHOWDOWN AFTER SENATE PUSHES FOR $13.7 BILLION EXPANSION

Freedom Caucus members defended their positions that upended the GOP schedule this week.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said it’s "certainly not true" that the cuts they are calling for would derail valuable programs. "Let me clarify, [agriculture] is, other than the military [and veterans bill], is the one with the very least amount of cuts," Good said.

Good also repeated the Freedom Caucus demand that they need to see what all 12 spending bills look like before they can start supporting them on the House floor.

"We want to know how all the bills fit together, how the whole puzzle fits together before we go down the road with, you know, some bills, and we don't know we've got the cuts in place for the remaining bills," he said. "And as it applies to [agriculture] specifically, we want to maintain all the conservative policy that's been in there."

Freedom Caucus Policy Chair Chip Roy, R-Texas, agreed that a full view of the spending picture is needed before anything else happens. When asked to respond to the comments from rural Republicans, Roy said, "Get in a room, and figure out how to get the cuts we need across the board."

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"We need to stop spending money we don’t have, we need to cut the bureaucracy. You want more money in ag? Go take it from [Health and Human Services]. If you want more money in HHS, go take it from [Department of Homeland Security]. I mean, that’s the way you do your budget at home," Roy said.

On the abortion pill provision currently in the bill, Roy said, "It’s definitely a problem if that’s not taken care of."

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., also challenged the notion that cuts the Freedom Caucus was seeking could be harmful, and suggested that specific reductions were suggested to House GOP leaders.

"The idea that there's no waste or bloat in the bureaucracy is ludicrous . . . in the [agriculture] bill, we have found some of it, quite a lot of it, actually," Cline told Fox News Digital. "We identified for leadership exactly where those areas are, and hopefully we can find a consensus that gets us across the finish line."

With Friday’s canceled vote, House lawmakers now have from Sept. 12 until Sept. 30 to pass the remaining 11 of 12 spending bills or some other form of appropriations for the next fiscal year, or risk a partial government shutdown. Earlier in the week, the House managed to pass a bill funding veterans and military construction, which reflects the broad GOP consensus for higher spending levels for veterans.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., the leader of the Main Street Caucus and a top ally of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, downplayed the GOP discord and expressed confidence that the House GOP could come together in time.

"This is a pretty conservative Republican conference. Most of us ran explicitly, because we wanted to, in a meaningful way, address that $32 trillion debt. And we're not going to be able to get that done without some decisions that are going to pinch some pretty important programs," he said.

"Now, exactly what those reductions look like, and to exactly what programs, we're still working that out. But I would tell you, we're making progress. It's not going quickly in any given day. But every day, I feel a little bit better about our chances to get there."

Biden suggests Republicans will impeach him because inflation is down

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden on Friday suggested that Republicans will impeach him because inflation has come down so much that his opponents can no longer attack the Biden economy.

The president made those remarks in Auburn, Maine, where he delivered a stump speech arguing that "Bidenomics" is strengthening the middle class, creating jobs and bringing inflation down.

"In fact, we have the lowest rate of inflation among the world's major economies," Biden said. "While there's more work to do, earlier this week the Washington Post suggested that Republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for, now that inflation is coming down.

"Maybe they'll decide to impeach me because it's coming down, I don't know," Biden said. "I love that one. Anyway, that's another story."

DOOR MAY BE OPEN TO IMPEACHING BIDEN FOR MISDEEDS COMMITTED PRIOR TO PRESIDENCY: LEGAL EXPERTS

House Republicans have floated launching an impeachment inquiry against Biden amid newly surfaced allegations that suggest his involvement in the business dealings his son, Hunter. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has led House Oversight Committee investigations into the Biden family's allegedly corrupt business dealings for months, seeking evidence that Biden used his former office of vice president as leverage to enrich the family.

The president has fallen directly at the center of that investigation in recent weeks as an unclassified FBI document — an FD-1023 form — was released, containing allegations that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden "coerced" the CEO of Burisma Holdings to pay them millions of dollars in exchange for their help in getting the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company fired.

That FD-1023 form is part of an ongoing federal investigation, law enforcement sources told Fox News Digital.

Biden's comments in Maine point to his strategy for a potential impeachment inquiry — to delegitimize the investigations as a last-ditch political effort by Republicans, who he will claim have run out of substantive issues to discuss ahead of the next election.

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Biden's case for re-election in 2024 rests on recent low unemployment numbers and GDP growth that he argues are the direct result of his policies. "Bidenomics" is the president's catch-all term for increased government spending, higher taxes on the wealthy and subsidies for the clean energy industry he claims will stimulate growth and create jobs. Bolstered by a strong economic report that showed GDP growth beat expectations and rose 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023, the president took credit for an improving economy.

"Yesterday, we learned the economy grew faster than expected last quarter. And this morning, we saw data showing that last month the annual rate of inflation continued to decline," Biden said Thursday. "So, inflation is now at its lowest point in two years, and wages are up after being adjusted for inflation."

The president boasted that 13 million new jobs have been created since he assumed office, including 800,000 new manufacturing jobs. He noted that unemployment has been below 4% for the longest stretch in over 50 years, and declared that all jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic have now been recovered with higher pay and more job satisfaction.

"I'm not here to declare victory on the economy. We have more work to do. We have a plan for turning things around," Biden said. "Bidenomics is just another way of saying restoring the American dream."

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While recent economic indicators suggest the economy is improving, and fears of an imminent recession are fading, public opinion polling continues to indicate that Americans are giving Biden little credit. The president’s approval ratings on the economy remain deeply underwater in most surveys.

A Fox News national poll conducted last month indicated that most voters were unhappy with how things are going in the country and continued to rate economic conditions negatively. In addition, few voters believe they are gaining financial ground, according to the survey.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Door may be open to impeaching Biden for misdeeds committed prior to presidency: legal experts

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republicans have floated launching an impeachment inquiry against President Biden amid newly surfaced allegations that suggest his involvement in the business dealings his son, Hunter. But can congressional lawmakers initiate the use of that constitutional tool for alleged treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors that transpired before holding the office of the presidency?

"The answer is clear," Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz told Fox News Digital. "No one knows."

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Article II, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution states: "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

But it doesn’t specify whether those alleged actions need to take place during the time the official holds the office.

"The crucial impeachment language in the Constitution is not limited to ‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors’ committed while ‘in office,’" senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation Hans A. von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital. "That language is not there."

Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy noted that "impeachment is a political process, not a legal one."

"When you ask lawyers these questions, what they tend to try to suggest is this is controlled by legal rules and, therefore, they propose that the abuse of power that rises to the level of ‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors’ has to occur when the person is president – it has to be an abuse of presidential power," McCarthy said. "The fact of the matter, though, is that impeachment is not controlled by legal rules but political rules."

Quoting then-House Minority Leader Gerald Ford in 1970, McCarthy said, "An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."

"The Constitution specifically assigns to Congress the determination of whether impeachable offenses were found, and, under separation of powers, the court stays out of it," McCarthy continued. "Politically speaking, it is whatever Congress says it is."

Former Whitewater prosecutor Robert Ray agreed that "the answer to the question is ultimately up to the House to decide . . . the rule being – to paraphrase former President Ford – an impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives says it is."

But Ray said he personally believes the abuse has to take place when a president is in office.

Republicans currently hold the majority in the House of Representatives. The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has been investigating the Biden family’s allegedly corrupt foreign business dealings for months and whether President Biden, while serving as vice president or after, had been involved.

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The president has fallen directly at the center of that investigation in recent weeks as an unclassified FBI document – an FD-1023 form – was released, containing allegations that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden "coerced" the CEO of Burisma Holdings to pay them millions of dollars in exchange for their help in getting the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company fired.

That FD-1023 form is part of an ongoing federal investigation, law enforcement sources told Fox News Digital.

Since then, Republican leaders have suggested the possibility of an impeachment inquiry, saying the American people "have a right to know" if the criminal bribery scheme allegations are true and whether Biden was tangled up in his son’s business dealings.

As for the criminal bribery allegations, McCarthy told Fox News Digital that the framers of the Constitution were "most animated" by "maladministration" but also by "the possibility that a president could be controlled by foreign powers."

"The founders were concerned if a foreign power had corrupted the president," McCarthy said. "It just seems to me that the possibility that a president could be purchased, or a person who occupies the office of the presidency could be purchased, by a corrupt foreign government is not limited to his time in power."

McCarthy added, "If I bribe you with $10 million three years before you’re president, I still own you when you’re president."

He said there is "nothing in the U.S. Constitution that says a high crime and misdemeanor has to be an abuse of power by the incumbent."

But Ray and Laurence Tribe, professor of constitutional law emeritus at Harvard University, interpret that the alleged abuse should take place while the president is in office.

"It has to be an abuse of office – there is just no question about that much," Tribe said, adding that impeachment is "about abuse of power" and warned that, in the future, we are "bound to have presidents who use the presidency for personal benefits rather than benefits of the people."

Tribe told Fox News Digital that an official "can be impeached for treason, bribery or other high crimes, but it always meant abuses of office."

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

"And you can’t abuse an office you don’t hold," he told Fox News Digital.

"If we fire this gun too often when it has too many blanks in it, I think we will lose the only tool we have to hold presidents in account while they are in office," Tribe told Fox News Digital, referring to the frequent use of impeachment.

"This isn’t even a close case," he continued. "There are a lot of close cases in history, but talking about allegations of family misdeeds where the evidence of alleged misdeeds just hasn’t turned up and where it is before someone became president is crazy."

Tribe said the discussion "discredits the impeachment process."

"And when we really need it, it’s not going to make sense," he said. "It’s like the boy who cried wolf."

Tribe said the impeachments of former President Donald Trump were "the heartland of what impeachment is all about – about abuse of power."

The House voted to impeach Trump in December 2019 on two counts, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, related to his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he pressed Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine – specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. The president’s request came after millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen, which Democrats and some witnesses have cited as a quid pro quo arrangement.

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Hunter Biden at the time was, and still is, under federal criminal investigation for his tax affairs, prompted by suspicious foreign transactions.

The Senate voted for Trump's acquittal in February 2020.

Later, the House of Representatives impeached Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, making him the first and only president to be impeached, and ultimately acquitted, twice in history.

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Tribe, though, warned Republicans of their slim majority in the House, and he suggested that threats of impeachment are being used as "some kind of game."

"You indict our guy, we impeach your guy," Tribe said, referring to DOJ indictments of Trump. "The stakes are pretty serious."

He added, "The democracy isn’t going to preserve itself if we take all the tools to protect it and play with them like they are some kind of video game."

Chris Christie calls Hunter Biden probe a ‘charade,’ calls for special counsel

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

GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie is calling for a special counsel to be appointed to oversee investigations into the dealings of the Biden family one day after a plea deal for Hunter Biden spectacularly collapsed.

"The attorney general has to appoint a special counsel tomorrow," Christie said on "Making Money with Charles Payne." "Get this out of the hands of the Joe Biden Justice Department. Put it in the hands of a special counsel. That's what should have happened right at the beginning, in my opinion. And it absolutely needs to happen now."

"This is a charade. Get rid of US Attorney Weiss & appoint a special counsel who will investigate with competence and independence," the former New Jersey governor said on Twitter.

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Christie spoke after a plea deal, in which Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and therefore avoid jail time on a felony gun charge, fell apart on Tuesday.

The judge refused to accept the deal as prosecutors revealed that the president’s son is still under federal investigation. The judge raised constitutional concerns about the diversion deal, in which Biden could be charged with the gun charge if he breached the deal.

Christie, himself a former prosecutor, agreed with the judge’s view of the deal.

JONATHAN TURLEY SKEWERS DOJ AFTER HUNTER BIDEN PLEA DEAL FALLS APART: 'A PROBLEM OF THEIR OWN MAKING'

"I looked at that plea deal and it made no sense. Give somebody two misdemeanor tax counts, dismiss a gun charge, and give them immunity. For what? And I think that's exactly what the judge said, that this makes no sense," he said.

"No one could explain it, then the government backs off and says 'Well he's not really immune for other stuff.’ The defense says, ‘wait a second, I thought we were’ and we're off to the races."

Christie said a special counsel, if appointed, would have the authority of the attorney general to investigate as they see fit.

BIDEN’S NARRATIVE ON NEVER DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS WITH HUNTER CONTINUES TO CRUMBLE

"So the authority is incredibly broad, and he doesn't need, or she doesn't need the approval of anybody to bring the charges, as we're seeing with the Special Counsel Jack Smith, on the Trump stuff," he said. "There should be exactly the same thing."

He also warned that if Biden were involved in his son's business dealings, it could open a lane for an impeachment inquiry of the president.

"And what's this mean for President Biden? More and more investigation into Hunter's business dealings, which there should be. And if [POTUS] has any connection to them and that can be proven, then an impeachment inquiry probably would be appropriate," he said.

The White House, meanwhile, has continued to say it respects the independence of the DOJ and that there has been no interference from the president on behalf of his son.

"Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady — they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday. "This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump."

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Possible 3rd Trump indictment looms after grand jury convenes in Jan. 6 probe

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

The federal grand jury investigating election interference convened Tuesday in Washington D.C., spurring speculation that a possible federal indictment related to the investigation into Jan. 6 against former President Trump may be imminent, Fox News has learned.

Sources told Fox News that the grand jury left the federal courthouse for the day just after 2:00pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Trump's legal team met with Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team in Washington D.C. last week. Sources told Fox News that Trump's legal team was not given any specific timing about a possible indictment, but that they heard nothing suggesting an indictment would not happen at some point.

After the meeting ended last Thursday, the former president posted on his Truth Social account:

"My attorneys had a productive meeting with the DOJ this morning, explaining in detail that I did nothing wrong, was advised by many lawyers, and that an Indictment of me would only further destroy our Country," Trump wrote. "No indication of notice was given during the meeting — Do not trust the Fake News on anything!"

Trump, who is leading the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, announced last week that he had received a target letter from the Justice Department, which also asked that he report to the federal grand jury. Trump said he anticipated "an arrest and indictment."

TRUMP SAYS HE IS DOJ JAN. 6 GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION TARGET

"They’re in a rush because they want to interfere. It’s interference with the election — it’s election interference," Trump said during a town hall on Fox News with Sean Hannity last week. "Never been done like this in the history of our country, and it is a disgrace what’s happening to our country — whether it is the borders or the elections or kinds of things like this, where the DOJ has become a weapon for the Democrats."

He added: "An absolute weapon."

Smith has been investigating whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021.

TRUMP PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO 37 FEDERAL FELONY CHARGES IN CLASSIFIED RECORDS CASE

On Jan. 6, 2021, pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol during a joint session of Congress that was working to certify the Electoral College results in favor of President Biden.

The House of Representatives drafted articles of impeachment against Trump and ultimately voted to impeach him on a charge of inciting an insurrection for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — making him the first and only president in history to be impeached, and ultimately acquitted, twice.

The Senate voted to acquit, but had Trump been convicted, the Senate would have moved to bar the 45th president from holding federal office ever again, preventing a 2024 White House run.

TRUMP SAYS DOJ IN AN ‘ABSOLUTE WEAPON’ FOR DEMOCRATS; SLAMS SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBE AS ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’

Trump was indicted in June on charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records after his presidency. Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.

That indictment was the first time in U.S. history that a former president had faced federal criminal charges.

Trump lawyers met with special counsel ahead of possible indictment out of Jan. 6 probe

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

Lawyers for former President Trump met with Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team in Washington D.C. Thursday in anticipation of a possible federal indictment related to the investigation into Jan. 6, Fox News has learned.

The meeting took place on the same day that the federal grand jury was expected to meet at a federal courthouse in Washington, spurring speculation an indictment may be imminent.

Trump, who is leading the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, announced last week that he received a target letter from the Justice Department, which also asked that he report to the federal grand jury. Trump said he anticipated "an arrest and indictment."

TRUMP SAYS HE IS DOJ JAN. 6 GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION TARGET

He added: "An absolute weapon."

TRUMP PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO 37 FEDERAL FELONY CHARGES IN CLASSIFIED RECORDS CASE

On Jan. 6, 2021, pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol during a joint session of Congress that was working to certify the Electoral College results in favor of President Biden.

The Senate voted to acquit, but had Trump been convicted, the Senate would have moved to bar the 45th president from holding federal office ever again, preventing a 2024 White House run.

TRUMP SAYS DOJ IN AN ‘ABSOLUTE WEAPON’ FOR DEMOCRATS; SLAMS SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBE AS ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’

That indictment was the first time in U.S. history that a former president had faced federal criminal charges.

Dems dismiss FBI memo claiming Biden benefited from Hunter’s business: ‘Unsubstantiated accusations’

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

House Democrats are dismissing the allegations made against President Biden by an FBI informant, and accuse the president’s critics of promoting "unsubstantiated accusations" that he benefited from his son’s overseas business dealings.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, released an FBI document that suggests Biden, as vice president, was party to bribery and corruption when his son Hunter Biden sat on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. The claims are unverified, and Democrats this week dismissed them even as Republicans say the matter could rise to the level of impeachment.

"So far all this is, is an unsubstantiated accusation. Obviously, it's our responsibility, the responsibility of law enforcement, to take a look at everything deeply and make sure there's nothing to it. But I'm very confident that they're gonna find that this is an empty accusation," Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., told Fox News Digital.

Beyer pointed out that he was not defending Hunter Biden, who was under a years-long federal tax investigation having to do with his overseas business. But Beyer said tying the president to it seemed "silly."

JONATHAN TURLEY SKEWERS DOJ AFTER HUNTER BIDEN PLEA DEAL FALLS APART: 'A PROBLEM OF THEIR OWN MAKING'

"It's very difficult to believe that Joe Biden, having given his entire life to public service, would have any interest in that at all. I'm not defending Hunter or the things that he did, you know, the evasion of taxes and the like, but, you know, we all have kids off the reservation sometimes," he said.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., called Republican efforts to investigate the Bidens "embarrassing."

BIDEN’S NARRATIVE ON NEVER DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS WITH HUNTER CONTINUES TO CRUMBLE

"There is zero evidence that Republicans have shown that President Biden has done anything wrong," Swalwell said. "If you don’t have anything else, time to wrap it up."

"They're trying to make ‘fetch’ happen here. It's kind of embarrassing," he added of the GOP effort. "I feel bad for them, but they have not been able to deliver on anything they've promised. They're kind of like that… Cleveland Browns team that just kept losing and losing and losing. And we're all wondering like, are you guys gonna put a W on the board?"

A Midwestern Democrat, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, did not see the memo but conceded that evidence of wrongdoing should be investigated. He said he doubted there was such evidence against Biden.

"I don't care if it's President Biden, former President Trump, any president of any party. If they commit wrongdoing or corruption, we have every reason to pursue them. I have not seen anything that indicates that President Biden comes even close to having done so," Phillips said. "And if that is, becomes the truth, I think Democrats and Republicans have an obligation to pursue it, plain and simple."

WHO IS DAVID WEISS? HUNTER BIDEN PROSECUTOR COMES UNDER MICROSCOPE AFTER CONTROVERSIAL PLEA DEAL

He said Biden was "a man of principle and good character."

Asked about the congressional investigations Republicans have led into the matter, Phillips said, "I think so far they're a little bit laughable, so far, again, because I'm not seeing enough smoke to think there's even fire. And should that change, I'll be objective, like I hope all my colleagues will be."

Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., a former prosecutor, told Fox News Digital of the claims that Biden profited off of his son’s business, "You make allegations like that you better have the evidence to back it up."

But he shrugged off any opinions on the Republicans’ Biden investigations.

"If that's what they want to spend their time doing, that's their prerogative, obviously, the majority. I'm here to legislate and get things done and for the people in [California’s] 19th Congressional District, and I look forward to continuing to do that with or without the Republicans," Panetta said.