Speaker McCarthy pressed on potential impeachment proceedings after release of alleged Hunter Biden message
Kevin McCarthy says impeachment inquiry into AG Merrick Garland could be pursued
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Monday on "Fox & Friends" that impeachment proceedings could target Attorney General Merrick Garland if an IRS whistleblower's allegations about the Hunter Biden investigation are proven to be true. Garland has come under scrutiny after the release of a purported WhatsApp message from 2017 between Hunter Biden and a Chinese businessman mentioning Joe Biden and demanding payment.
KEVIN MCCARTHY: If it comes true, what the IRS whistleblower is saying, we're going to start impeachment inquiries on the attorney general. …
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It more than looks suspicious. It's more than looking fishy. The family created companies when he was the VP. You get a 1023 saying people had to pay them to get influence. We now see foreign governments have paid. If you create a company, why wouldn't you have an office? Why wouldn't you create something? Why do you get paid by shell companies? … Then they go down to pay family members that never work into it. None of it smells right and none of it is right.
President Biden has snapped at reporters who have asked him about alleged corruption involving him and his son, Hunter Biden. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley Jr., who oversaw the agency's investigation into Hunter Biden, claims the agency obtained a message from WhatsApp dated July 30, 2017, from Hunter Biden to Henry Zhao, CEO of Harvest Fund Management, where the president's son claimed that he was with his father in an attempt to pressure Zhao to fulfill a commitment.
"I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight," Hunter Biden allegedly wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Christopher Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the claims are very misleading.
"Biased and politically-motivated, selective leaks have plagued this matter for years. They are not only irresponsible, they are illegal. A close examination of the document released publicly yesterday by a very biased individual raises serious questions over whether it is what he claims it to be. It is dangerously misleading to make any conclusions or inferences based on this document," Clark said. "The DOJ investigation covered a period which was a time of turmoil and addiction for my client."
Clark also said that "[a]ny verifiable words or actions of my client in the midst of a horrible addiction are solely his own and have no connection to anyone in his family."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"An extensive, five-year long investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded this week, which resulted in my client taking responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments, as well as a firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement. As his attorney through this entire matter, I can say that any suggestion the investigation was not thorough, or cut corners, or cut my client any slack, is preposterous and deeply irresponsible," he added.
In response to the whistleblower allegations, Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House Counsel's Office, told Fox News that the president wasn't involved with his son in business.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Adam Sabes, Jacqui Heinrich, Brianna Herlihy and Jon Street contributed to this report.