McCarthy Threatens AG Garland With Impeachment If Whistleblower Allegations Are True

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) raised the prospect of impeaching Merrick Garland over the weekend after whistleblower testimony alleged the attorney general had interfered in a criminal investigation to protect the Biden family.

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) released whistleblower testimonies on Thursday that alleged Garland interfered with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ investigation into the president’s son, Hunter. The allegations made against Garland and the Department of Justice include denying a request for special counsel protection and blocking indictments against Hunter in Washington, D.C., and California.

“We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee,” McCarthy said on Twitter. “If the whistleblowers’ allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland’s weaponization of DOJ.”

We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee.

If the whistleblowers' allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into… https://t.co/Q3LLeJhW85

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) June 25, 2023

Ian Sams, spokesman for the White House counsel’s office, responded to McCarthy in a statement on Monday.

“Speaker McCarthy and the extreme House Republicans are proving they have no positive agenda to actually help the American people on the issues most important to them and their families,” he said. “Perhaps Congressional Republicans are desperate to distract from their own plan to give even more tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations and add more than $3 trillion to the deficit.”

.@IanSams46 on @SpeakerMcCarthy considering impeachment for AG Merrick Garland: “Perhaps Congressional Republicans are desperate to distract from their own plan to give even more tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations and add more than $3 trillion to the deficit…” pic.twitter.com/DYEMCTg3j8

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) June 26, 2023

Questioned over the whistleblower allegation on Friday, Garland denied them and said that Weiss was given full authority to bring whatever charges in any jurisdiction he chose. Garland also denied ever receiving a request to confer special counsel status on Weiss.

Garland said that, after Weiss was assigned the Hunter Biden case under former President Donald Trump, the Delaware U.S. attorney “would be permitted to continue his investigation and to make a decision to prosecute any way in which he wanted to and in any district in which he wanted to.” Garland also noted that Weiss has said the same in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) raised the prospect of impeaching the president if the whistleblower allegations are verified.

“If the facts show that there’s high crimes, misdemeanors, bribery, treason, whatever, if the facts show that there is the crime there that warrants impeachment, then our duty compels us,” Jordan stated.