House GOP pushes Hunter Biden probe despite thin majority; Dems still skeptical of Hunter case
The House Republican leadership is moving forward with a new effort to discredit Hunter Biden, despite evidence that his case against the former vice president is thin.
The effort began in earnest Thursday, when House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., sent out a letter to the six House committees investigating the Ukraine probe urging them to move expeditiously on Hunter Biden’s “whistleblower” complaint against Hunter, former Burisma chairman, and his brother.
“To review this complaint and the documentation submitted in its support within 30 days,” Ryan wrote in his letter, which was obtained by Yahoo News. “To determine whether the allegations of wrongdoing against Vice President Biden are true and to determine whether the Vice President has committed any wrongdoing.”
The letter, delivered to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Maxine Waters, D-Calif., all came after the House Intelligence Committee unanimously voted Tuesday to release the transcript of a July 25 call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and two top Ukrainian officials – Attorney General William Barr and Energy Minister Yuriy Yastrzhembsky.
The transcript was originally expected last month but had been held up by the White House. That move prompted Democrats to push for the release of the transcript from the intelligence committee, which was reluctant to make it public because it had been delayed for so many months.
Now it is Republicans’ turn to step up the pressure.
In Ryan’s letter to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., he wrote: “Based on the information that has been provided, we have serious concerns about whether Vice President Biden engaged in any wrongdoing in his dealings with Ukraine. In light of these concerns, we believe that the appropriate time for Congress to act is now.”
Aides for Ryan and other Republicans say the impeachment effort has gotten off to a slow start because it is not being taken seriously elsewhere in the GOP. The leadership believes it is imperative that Republicans take advantage of Democratic divisions and