Speaker Johnson Says Biden Impeachment Has His Full Support as Inquiry Moves to Next Stage

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 26, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has announced his full support for an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, revealing that the investigation would be moving to the next steps in the process.

The impeachment inquiry was opened by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Republicans in the House of Representatives on Sept. 12, where the GOP holds a slim majority. The goal was to investigate the possible involvement of President Biden in the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden, during his time as vice president, which critics argue would be an abuse of power in office.

According to a report in The Hill, Mr. Johnson revealed in a statement that the three committee chairs overseeing the impeachment probe, Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Jason Smith (R-Mo.) had given him a Nov. 15 update.

Mr. Johnson says the impeachment investigation will now move to the next steps, which include presenting critical witness testimony supporting the allegations.

“Now, the appropriate step is to place key witnesses under oath and question them under the penalty of perjury, to fill gaps in the record,” he said.

“I commend the good work of Chairmen Comer, Jordan, and Smith. As we move forward toward an inflection point in this critical investigation, they have my full and unwavering support.”

Mr. Johnson claims the impeachment inquiry has shown that President Biden acted inappropriately during business dealings with his family. Earlier this month, fresh allegations surfaced that President Biden was involved in a pay-to-play bribery scheme.

President Joe Biden speaks at a proclamation signing ceremony in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House in Washington on July 25, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Mr. Comer and his committee claimed to have uncovered two direct payments that President Biden received from his brother, which they say may implicate the President in an influence-peddling operation. However, President Biden, who has repeatedly denied any involvement in his family members’ business affairs, has said that the payments were reimbursement for a personal loan.

“At this stage, our impeachment inquiry has already shown the corrupt conduct of the President’s family, and that he and White House officials have repeatedly lied about his knowledge and involvement in his family’s business activities,” Mr. Johnson said.

“It has also exposed the tens of millions of dollars from foreign adversaries being paid to shell companies controlled by the President’s son, brother, and their business associates,” he added.

Mr. Johnson has previously stressed that the scope and timeline of the investigation should be based on the evidence rather than a partisan political agenda—an approach he says differs from the Democrats in their impeachments of former President Donald Trump. In each case, the Senate acquitted former President Trump on all counts.

In the past, only two other presidents had been impeached. President Andrew Johnson in 1868 on high crimes and misdemeanors, and Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in 1998. Both were acquitted when neither case received the required two-thirds majority vote to convict and remove them from office.

The White House has repeatedly denied that President Biden has acted inappropriately or been improperly involved with any of his family’s foreign businesses. President Biden has also denied any wrongdoing on multiple occasions. The Epoch Times has contacted the White House for further comment but did not hear back by time of publication.