House Committees Hear from Key Witnesses
Testimonies given to the House Ways & Means Committee shed new light on the business dealings of the Biden family. Witnesses have testified regarding Joe Biden’s use of email aliases and private email addresses to communicate with his son Hunter Biden and his business associates. The majority of these communications took place while Biden was serving as vice president.
Architect of the Biden Family’s Shell Companies Testifies
Jeffrey Schwerin, described as “the architect of the Biden family’s shell companies,” testified before the House Oversight Committee. He stated that he was not aware of any transactions related to business conducted by any Biden family member in the then-Vice President’s bank account. The White House has also cited Schwerin’s statement as evidence that Biden was not involved in his family’s business dealings.
Increased Communication During VP’s Trips to Ukraine
Data presented by the committee reveals that Joe Biden and Schwerin exchanged a significant number of emails during the vice president’s visits to Ukraine. Notably, this increase in communication occurred around the time when Hunter Biden joined the board of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings.
Controversial Figures to Testify
In addition to Schwerin’s testimony, the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees are also expected to hear from Joey Langston. Langston, who has hosted fundraisers for Joe Biden and donated thousands of dollars to his political campaigns, has a controversial past. He pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a judge and was sentenced to federal prison. The committees have obtained bank records showing payments made to the Biden family by Langston’s company, raising questions about the nature and purpose of these payments.
Republicans Seek Clarity on Biden’s Actions
House Republicans hope that the testimonies can provide information on whether Joe Biden took any official action or affected government policy in exchange for payments to himself or his family. They are particularly interested in exploring concerns about potential Chinese involvement and any impact it may have had on official acts performed by President Biden or U.S. foreign policy.
Democrats Push Back on Impeachment Inquiry
House Democrats have criticized the impeachment inquiry, arguing that witness testimony has not supported Republicans’ claims of wrongdoing by Joe Biden. They are calling for an end to the inquiry.