House GOP Investigating Possible Criminal Referrals Involving Biden

House Republicans are considering taking steps to issue criminal referrals against President Joe Biden and his associates, amid doubts about there being enough votes to impeach him, even within their own party.

Lawmakers have been reaching out to the Department of Justice to request investigations into alleged specific crimes involving the president, his family, and inner circle. This effort aligns with former President Donald Trump’s pledge to pursue legal action against Biden if he wins the election in November, as reported by The New York Times.

Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., the author of the resolution that initiated the impeachment investigation, acknowledged the challenges in securing enough votes for impeachment. This strategy to pursue criminal charges would also avoid the House Republicans’ failed attempts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Armstrong highlighted potential charges related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, tied to Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. He also suggested investigating accusations of obstruction of justice.

House Republicans have scheduled another public hearing for the following week, focusing on Hunter Biden’s former business partners. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is demanding audio recordings of Biden’s interviews with special counsel Robert Hur regarding classified documents. He emphasized that criminal referrals remain on the table.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., emphasized the importance of holding the president accountable through criminal referrals if the Department of Justice does not take allegations seriously.

Despite these efforts, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., expressed skepticism about pursuing criminal referrals against a sitting president. He suggested focusing on Biden’s family members based on committee investigations, noting that much of the information discovered was already known.