US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on Tuesday that he has directed House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, citing allegations of a “culture of corruption” discovered by House Republicans. This investigation reportedly stems from controversial foreign business dealings involving Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
In July, a bipartisan US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability questioned one of Hunter Biden’s former business associates, with the queries ranging from the president’s involvement in his son’s daily activities to Hunter’s well-documented struggles with addiction. According to Speaker McCarthy, evidence collected from these inquiries point to misleading conduct from the president regarding these overseas business interactions.
Throughout American history, impeachment has been pursued for three presidents: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump in 2019 and 2021. None of these leaders were convicted and removed from office by the Senate. Johnson’s impeachment was related to his violation of the Tenure of Office Act, Clinton’s impeachment involved perjury and obstruction of justice charges centered on the Monica Lewinsky affair, and Trump’s two impeachment proceedings were the result of charges for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress associated with pressing Ukraine to investigate political rivals. Both Clinton and Trump were acquitted of their respective charges by the Senate, while Johnson avoided removal by a single vote source.
The outcome of the announced impeachment inquiry into President Biden remains uncertain. Legal professionals will no doubt follow the developments closely. Full details of the announcement can be found in the original article here.