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.
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From left to right: Republican representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, Elise Stefanik of New York and Jason Smith of Missouri. Center: Hunter Biden (Kevin Dietsch, Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post, Al Drago/Bloomberg, Ting Shen/Bloomberg, Paul Morigi via Getty Images)
“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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Kevin McCarthy said this week Republican lawmakers in the House may consider an impeachment inquiry of Biden over claims of financial misconduct. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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.
Hunter Biden, son of President Biden, leaves the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Del., July 26, 2023. (Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
“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.
