According to Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden will go wherever the money leads, even if that means subpoenaing the president.
On Wednesday, The Epoch Times asked if he would explore the possibility, Comer responded, “Anything’s possible, but right now, we’re following the money.”
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) requested the Republican who heads the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to work with the Republican heads of the Judiciary and Finance Committees in directing the impeachment probe.
For months, Comer and his committee have looked into the Bidens’ international business connections. The probe revealed at least $20 million in payments from foreign entities funneled through 20 shell companies to members of the Biden family and business associates.
The payments, which originated in places like Russia, China, Ukraine, and Romania, were also discovered to have begun during Biden’s tenure as vice president and, in some cases, corresponded with his trips to those countries.
Moreover, the FBI discovered that President Biden was allegedly paid $5 million to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company where Hunter Biden worked.
“We continue to find crucial information weekly. So as long as we’re finding new information, we’re going to keep investigating,” Comer said, adding that the next steps in the inquiry would be obtaining more bank records.
Comer also would not rule out issuing a subpoena to Hunter Biden, a focal point of the committee’s probe.
“Every option is on the table. We’re following the money and will go wherever that leads us.”
McCarthy formally announced the impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, citing the severe and compelling allegations that House Republicans had unearthed about President Biden’s actions.
“These allegations together paint a picture of a culture of corruption,” he said.
McCarthy also noted that the probe was the next logical step in granting the three committees the unrestricted authority to collect all the information and answers for the American people.
Comer acknowledged that the investigation may be seen as a continuation of the one he directed. Nevertheless, he stressed that one advantage was that it could move things along more quickly.
“If the Biden’s don’t comply with our subpoenas concerning their bank records, which I’ve said we’re following all along, then this will force the judge to rule quicker,” he said.
Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee’s group on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, additionally emphasized this advantage.
Issa told reporters that from this point forward, any subpoena issued by the three committees mentioned above will carry the same weight as an impeachment inquiry, typically deemed urgent by the court.
Furthermore, like other congressional inquiries, these subpoenas would not need a valid legislative purpose, a requirement that the Supreme Court has upheld.
Issa advised that the committees release their subpoenas or reissue them with an explanation that they are not being issued for legislative purposes and instead concern bribery and other severe crimes.
House Republican leaders stated at a press conference on Wednesday that the investigation was a positive step toward greater openness and accountability, but Democrats have been less enthusiastic.
President Biden has repeatedly stated he was unaware of or had no involvement with his family’s international business transactions.
Only four other U.S. Presidents have faced formal impeachment inquiries: Presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump. None were removed from office.