A man responsible for widely circulated allegations of bribe money originating with leadership at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma for both Joe and Hunter Biden was recently indicted for allegedly lying to federal authorities. And adding rhetorical insult to injury, the defendant was allegedly also in contact with Russian intelligence.
Though it’s not been the exclusive focus, Republicans have run with the bribery allegation amid what’s become an impeachment inquiry targeting President Joe Biden. On Wednesday, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, demanded that impeachment probe leader Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) resign. Comer presently chairs the House Oversight Committee.
“James Comer must resign from Congress. For the last two years he has done the work of Russia’s intelligence services to falsely attack President Biden. There must be accountability,” Swalwell asserted.
Though some have stayed back from explicitly asserting its legitimacy, the promotion of the bribery allegation — even if the caveat it was an allegation was included — was extensive.
Members of the Oversight panel eventually got federal authorities to allow a viewing of the official document outlining the claims from the now indicted informant, allegations that Oversight member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) clearly took very seriously, publicly sharing a recounting of the then-private document’s contents. The materials were eventually released amid cooperation in the push between Republicans in the House and Senate. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has helped steer his legislative chamber’s Republican involvement.
Even Grassley admitted at one point the holes in what some Republicans were promoting. “We aren’t interested in whether or not the accusations against Vice President Biden are accurate or not,” Grassley insisted. “We’re responsible for making sure the FBI does its job, and that’s what we want to know.” The idea was pursuing/monitoring an investigation.
Republicans’ other interests amid the Biden impeachment probe have included involvement by the president’s son Hunter Biden in contemporary art, clearly running with the idea that Hunter’s creation and sale of art pieces may have somehow been a part of what they’ve deemed “influence peddling.”
