House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden

House Republicans will move forward with an impeachment inquiry against President Biden, McCarthy said Tuesday

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday said House Republicans have "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct" that will serve as the basis of an impeachment inquiry. 

"Today, I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe," McCarthy announced in a statement at the Capitol Tuesday. "This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public." 

The speaker said House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., will lead the inquiry in coordination with House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. 

He listed allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" made against Biden by several GOP-led committees who have been investigating the president. 

MCCARTHY TO GREEN LIGHT BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY THIS WEEK

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, attends the 21st G7 Speakers' Meeting in Tokyo on September 8, 2023. (KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)

"Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family's foreign business dealings. Eyewitnesses have testified that the president joined on multiple phone calls and had multiple interactions, dinners resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his sons and his son's business partners," McCarthy said.

"We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various Shell companies. The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family. Another business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by U.S. banks. Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family. Biden used his official office to coordinate with Hunter Biden's business partners about Hunter's role in Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company," he continued. 

"Finally, despite these serious allegations, it appears that the president's family has been offered special treatment by Biden's own administration. Treatment that not otherwise would have received if they were not related to the president," McCarthy said. "These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they want further investigation by the House of Representatives."

MCCARTHY ‘DANGLING' BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY TO DELAY RECKONING OVER SPENDING, SOME CONSERVATIVES SAY

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Earlier, Fox News Digital confirmed that McCarthy will tell House Republicans today that beginning an impeachment inquiry against Biden is the "logical next step" for their investigations. An inquiry is the first step of the impeachment process, where evidence is gathered for the articles, or charges, of impeachment against an official. 

The House GOP conference plans to hold a meeting on Thursday morning for key committee chairs to lay out their latest findings and the status of the investigations into the Biden family. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., are expected to lead Thursday's meeting. 

This special conference meeting on Thursday is in addition to Wednesday morning’s regularly scheduled weekly GOP meeting where leadership typically lays out priorities for the week. Thursday's scheduled meeting was first reported by Punchbowl News. 

In a statement responding to reports about the impending inquiry, White House spokesman for oversight and investigations Ian Sams blasted the effort as politically motivated. He accused McCarthy of advancing an impeachment probe to placate hardliners in the GOP conference. 

"McCarthy is being told by [Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.] to do impeachment, or else she’ll shut down the government," Sams said. "Opening impeachment despite zero evidence of wrongdoing by POTUS is simply red meat for the extreme right wing, so they can keep baselessly attacking him."