# "House to start an impeachment inquiry into President Biden" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 12, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995 "2023-09-12T16:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/161 "2023-09-17T21:04:17Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > The fact that they weren’t necessarily widespread knowledge when he was elected is certainly a good reason to suggest that the voters weren’t well-informed when electing him, but they still don’t relate to his activity as President. I agree with most of what you posted, but this caught my eye. WHY wasn’t this information known before the election? Because there was a full-court press to hide it. Remember the Hunter Biden Laptop? A lot of this information was there, and it was hidden from the American people. You could get banned on social media for mentioning it. I got viciously pitted here for suggesting it might be real, even while admitting where could be disinformation ‘salted’ in it. It turns out I was too skeptical, It appears to be completely real, and the information on it is currently being used to prosecute Hunter on the gun charge. As for not relating to his activity as president: How do you know? How do you know that his sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan or other seemingly bizarre moves he’s made as president weren’t due to money he took in anticipation of being President? If someone shows a willingness to trade political power for money, I don’t care when that became known. Such a person cannot be leader of the free world. Impeachment is a political process, not a criminal one. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/162 "2023-09-17T21:04:56Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > That’s why for the most part, I don’t really care that this investigation is happening, and from what I hear from others firmly in the Democrat camp, they don’t care much either. Neither do I. I welcome the investigation, in the sense that I don’t think it’s inappropriate at all. I just don’t trust the Republicans to handle it properly. My expectation is that they won’t find anything of substance, just more things to base innuendo off of. Which is annoying, but you can’t expect more. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > If you were paying attention, at least nine Biden family members have received payments from overseas interests through a web of shell companies. Since you’re trying to rebut my comment that the Biden Crime Family is just one person, because only one person has attempted to plead guilty to crimes, can you tell me how many of them have been convicted of crimes due to those payments or at least tried to reach plea deals after being charged? Otherwise your “gotcha” is pretty laughable. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Can anyone give me a rational fiduciary explanation for why Halle Biden should be receiving money from a Romanian Oligarch through multiple bank transfers and LLC’s? I’m sure that it can explained to the same extent that you can explain how it’s clearly a crime. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/163 "2023-09-17T21:07:50Z")
I think (know?) you’re Canadian, Sam, but the American justice system is predicated on the presumption of innocence. I could claim that you’re a serial killer with a trove of bodies buried in the woods near your house. I could then ask you to prove me wrong. But that’s not how this stuff works. And the laptop? The resulting firearm charge? You have to be kidding, right? Former US Attorney, Rudy Giuliani (along with, apparently, countless others), had the laptop contents since at least October 2020, but – as is customary for Giuliani – provided nothing. No evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Joe Biden. And Giuliani – before his amazing fall from grace – was a Federal Prosecutor with no allegiance to the truth. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/164 "2023-09-17T21:08:59Z")
Not a shred, not even a scintilla, if evidence of any wrongdoing by Joe Biden. Nothing at all. That’s what the facts are. Investigate away. It doesn’t matter if they don’t find anything, and they still haven’t found anything. Not even the slightest, smallest piece of evidence. Money in a relative’s bank account isn’t evidence of wrongdoing. None of this is evidence. If they had something, we’d know about it. That all they have is crap like this shows that they’re getting desperate. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/165 "2023-09-17T21:09:25Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Remember the Hunter Biden Laptop? The one with no chain of evidence? The one on which evidence could have been altered, deleted or added? The one that even after all that did not show any evidence of Joe Biden have done anything wrong? _No, I don’t remember it at all._ 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/166 "2023-09-17T21:10:22Z")
[it’s coming pretty rapid-fire, now] If the House GOP had actual evidence of a crime – particularly by Joe Biden – they would submit a criminal referral [1] TO the DOJ. Has the House GOP done that yet? [1] \*"Although there is no established or accepted definition, a congressional criminal referral is a non-binding communication to the DOJ, made either by a congressional committee or by individual Members of Congress, that specifically articulates evidence supporting the possible commission of a crime and asks the DOJ to either conduct further investigation or otherwise pursue the matter. While congressional criminal referrals often involve offenses against Congress (for example, lying to Congress or obstructing a congressional investigation), a committee can make a referral whenever an investigation has uncovered evidence of possible criminal wrongdoing. [and – to preempt the inevitable] So, if the House GOP believes that the Biden DOJ is corrupt, then the best chance they have to prove it is to make the criminal referral to the DOJ. Then, if and when the DOJ does nothing, the House GOP goes on every single media outlet in the free world and screams it. Unless, of course, they’ve simply got nothing, and are using the old, tired “DEEP STATE” and “Corrupt Biden DoJ” nonsense as always. So … since the House GOP is NOT making a criminal referral … which do you think is more likely? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/167 "2023-09-17T21:13:58Z")
The Biden laptop again? Wow is that pathetic. Hunter sending and receiving unverified emails (none of which actually included a shred of evidence of any wrongdoing by Joe), Hunter having looked at porn, Hunter having done drugs - none of that is news. The existence of a laptop isn’t news. It’s really sad that you come back to this again and again when it was an entirely made up “news” event. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/168 "2023-09-17T21:14:32Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I’m sure that it can explained to the same extent that you can explain how it’s clearly a crime. To be convicted of bribery does not require the money to go to the one being charged. If it goes to family members it is charged the same way. This change in the law took place during the Obama administration. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/169 "2023-09-17T21:16:40Z")
And there’s not a shred of evidence that Joe Biden was involved in any bribery scheme. Come back when there’s actual evidence. Right now the Republicans have nothing at all. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/170 "2023-09-17T21:17:21Z")
Stating an element of a given law \<\> somebody having broken that law. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/171 "2023-09-17T21:19:21Z")
What evidence is there that this was bribery? You are inferring criminality where no evidence of such has been presented. Hunter Biden made money from the Chinese. Where is the illegality? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/172 "2023-09-17T21:22:51Z")
Nobody is disputing that, No one is saying that Joe is absolutely guilty. What they are saying is that there is more than enough evidence to open an investigation. Do you disagree with that? Otherwise you are arguing a straw man. It’s entirely possible (from my perspective) is that webs of LLCs are standard procedure for Washington politicians. I’m perfectly willing to be educated on that. But I’m having a really hard time understanding why money is being transferred from Chinese energy companies and Romanian oligarchs is making it into the bank accounts of Jor Biden’s children and grandchildren through a maze of shell companies. And again, “If Joe Biden wasn’t personally paid it doesn’t matter” is a stupid talking point. I had to take corruption training many times in my career, and one of the most common forms of corruption is gifts given to family members, because it’s harder to track. But the law is clear that a bribe is something that materially benefits you, and benefiting your family is part of that. If I made a sweetheart deal with a company on the promise that they’d put my kid through school, I’d be charged with a crime if caught, or at the very least fired with prejudice. We keep hearing that Joe is a loving father who wants to take care of his family. In that case, payments to his family can be considered bribes. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/173 "2023-09-17T21:23:54Z")
These aren’t facts. You’re spreading bullshit. The House committee is lying - they take bullshit, lies, rumor, and innuendo and rephrase them as facts. Look into the actual data they supposedly summarize - the facts don’t come close to matching their summaries. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/174 "2023-09-17T21:32:14Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Nobody is disputing that, No one is saying that Joe is absolutely guilty. What they are saying is that there is more than enough evidence to open an investigation. Do you disagree with that? Since – again – there is absolutely none, I guess I do disagree with that. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > But I’m having a really hard time understanding why money is being transferred from Chinese energy companies and Romanian oligarchs is making it into the bank accounts of Jor Biden’s children and grandchildren through a maze of shell companies. I’ll repeat: > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > This is equivalent to Irreducible Complexity: the human eye is So Infinitely Complex that it proves the existence of a Supreme Creator. It isn’t evidence of Joe Biden having committed a crime. It _also_ isn’t evidence because (tautology alert) there isn’t any evidence of Joe Biden having committed a crime. I don’t care about the investigation. If there IS probable cause for Joe Biden having committed a crime, I’d want to know about it, and would want him charged. I just get painfully tired of the GOP lying to the American people. But I’ve said all of this already – and quite recently – upthread. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/175 "2023-09-17T21:32:37Z")
Some examples of Comer and his committee’s lies: > **[We Fact-Checked Republicans’ “Biden Corruption” Timeline. And It’s Bad.](https://newrepublic.com/article/175141/fact-check-republicans-biden-corruption-timeline-errors)** > > The timeline is the entire basis of Republicans’ claims against Joe Biden. But a closer look reveals it’s riddled with errors. > **[Analysis | The casual falsehoods of the GOP’s impeachment inquiry leader](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/14/comer-biden-impeachment-inquiry/)** > > Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) offered a litany of unproven or false claims in an interview this week. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/176 "2023-09-17T21:38:53Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > It’s entirely possible (from my perspective) is that webs of LLCs are standard procedure for Washington politicians. I’m perfectly willing to be educated on that. But I’m having a really hard time understanding why money is being transferred from Chinese energy companies and Romanian oligarchs is making it into the bank accounts of Jor Biden’s children and grandchildren through a maze of shell companies. Be sure not to make the mistake in thinking that Biden’s children are the only ones this happens to. This sort of thing happens to the people in the sphere of anyone rich, famous, or with a lot of power. People who want access to that sphere will try to cozy up to the people around the person with power. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are funneling money to the person in the middle. Rather, they know that if they get in close with someone close to that person, they will be able to make connections to other people on that level. For instance, someone who wants their movie to do will will hire the children of an A-lister to be in their movie. It’s not necessarily that they are trying to get access to the A-lister, but they know that by hiring their kiddo, they will get a lot of spillover publicity and access to the pool of A-listers that the kid knows. The same thing happens with wealthy people. And the same thing happens with politicians. The children of any politician will be offered a stunning amount of top level internships, jobs, seats on corporate boards, etc. It would be unusual if it didn’t happen to the Bidens as well. It may be sleazy, but it’s a universal sleaze rather than a Biden-specific sleaze. Look at the children of the politicians you admire and you’ll certainly see much of the same thing that the Biden children are involved with. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/177 "2023-09-17T21:38:58Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > How do you know that his sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan or other seemingly bizarre moves he’s made as president weren’t due to money he took in anticipation of being President? OK, I stopped reading after this. There’s no point in engaging with you. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/178 "2023-09-17T21:39:29Z")
More Comer/committee lies: > **[Analysis | How Republicans overhype the findings of their Hunter Biden probe](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/17/how-republicans-overhype-findings-their-hunter-biden-probe/)** > > Rep. James Comer’s rhetoric does not track with the reports issued by House Committee Oversight staff. > [@](#): > > Comer often suggests that the Biden family used these so-called shell companies to launder money; in his telling, such companies served no legitimate function. But that claim is undercut by the list of 21 companies that appear in the second staff memo. > > Virtually all of the companies (many of which now are defunct) had legitimate business interests. Others had clearly identified business investments. Digging through the records, we find only three whose business purpose remains vague; one ( **Rosemont Seneca Global Risk Services, LLC** ) may not even be related to Hunter Biden, according to an email found in Hunter Biden’s laptop. The memos do not list any payments that flowed through these three companies. Sam, please don’t repeat these “shell company” lies. It’s total bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/179 "2023-09-17T21:42:33Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Since you’re trying to rebut my comment that the Biden Crime Family is just one person, because only one person has attempted to plead guilty to crimes, can you tell me how many of them have been convicted of crimes due to those payments or at least tried to reach plea deals after being charged? Otherwise your “gotcha” is pretty laughable. You do know that indictments come after the investigation, right? No one has pleaded guilty to any of the tax info/influence peddling, because no indictments have been laid down, because there is an open investigation. How is this hard? > [@Atamasama](#): > > I’m sure that it can explained to the same extent that you can explain how it’s clearly a crime. I have been very clear that we don’t know if there are any crimes yet, because all this is being provided as evidence sufficient to open an investigation. Yo7 aren’t really reading what I’m posting, have you? Did you bother to click on any of the links I provided? I posted here because I got tired of waiting for someone to post the obvious, easily found answer to “Where are the bank records? I haven’t seen any evidence!” I mean, it’s pretty hard to see the evidence if you keep your eyes shut. > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > I think (know?) you’re Canadian, Sam, but the American justice system is predicated on the presumption of innocence. > > I could claim that you’re a serial killer with a trove of bodies buried in the woods near your house. I could then ask you to prove me wrong. > > But that’s not how this stuff works. Thanks for the basic lesson in law. It’s a good thing I never said he was guilty. I posted thr evidence that the house has that warrants an INVESTIGTION to establish guilt or innocense. I’m sure you kmow enough law to understand the difference between evidence needed to start an investigation and the evidence needed to convict someone of a crime. But here’s another legal lesson: Impeachment is not a criminal proceeding, it’s a political one. The house can impeach a politician for almost anything. The only people they have to answer to are the voters, and ultimately the Senate if they want the i,peach,ent to have teeth. Also, this is not an impeachment, it’s an impeachment inquiry to determine if impeach,ent is the proper course of action. > [@](#): > > And the laptop? The resulting firearm charge? You have to be kidding, right? Why would I be kidding? Do you still think the laptop was fake? > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Not a shred, not even a scintilla, if evidence of any wrongdoing by Joe Biden. Nothing at all. That’s what the facts are. Other than three IRS whistleblowers, two former business partners testifying under oath that Joe Biden was what they were selling, a ream of bank records showing suspicious transactions, timelines where people seem to get favors from the government after money flows to the Biden family, apparently multiple open investigations by the IRS into suspicious monet transfers along with 170 suspicious activity reports, reams of money being transferred to the Biden family through shell corporations… None of this is proof. But it’s way, WAY beyond ‘not even a scintilla of evidence’. That claim is downright silly. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995/180 "2023-09-17T21:43:24Z")
From the [same article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/17/how-republicans-overhype-findings-their-hunter-biden-probe/) as above, on the supposed $20 million in foreign payments: > [@](#): > > That works out to be about $23 million in total payments from foreign sources. Of that, nearly $7.5 million can be fairly attributed as going to “Bidens,” but virtually all of it went to Hunter Biden. No money has been traced to Joe Biden. Hunter made some money from foreign sources (which is legal, of course, barring criminal activity). No evidence that Joe had anything to do with it. Sam, please don’t spread these lies from Comer and his lying committee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-to-start-an-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-biden/989995.md?page=10)