House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden has advanced to a stage in which witnesses should be placed under oath.
The speaker released a statement on Wednesday that said he had just received an update from Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), who is leading the endeavor, and the two others tasked with assisting him: Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO).
“At this stage, our impeachment inquiry has already shown the corrupt conduct of the president’s family and that he and White House officials have repeatedly lied about his knowledge and involvement in his family’s business activities,” Johnson said.
“It has also exposed the tens of millions of dollars from foreign adversaries being paid to shell companies controlled by the president’s son, brother and their business associates,” he added. “Now, the appropriate step is to place key witnesses under oath and question them under the penalty of perjury, to fill gaps in the record.”
Johnson concluded, “I commend the good work of Chairmen Comer, Jordan, and Smith. As we move forward toward an inflection point in this critical investigation, they have my full and unwavering support.”
The impeachment inquiry, which is looking into whether the Biden family’s business practices have fostered corruption in government, formally began in mid-September under then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Biden and his allies insist there is no wrongdoing by the president and claim the inquiry is tainted by politics.
Last week, Comer announced the start of a new wave of subpoenas and transcribed interview requests. Among the subpoena targets were Biden’s son Hunter Biden, the president’s brother James Biden, and Rob Walker, a former Biden family business associate. The subpoenas demanded a deposition from each individual at dates extending from the end of November to the middle of December.
Comer has said that he believes President Biden should be impeached, but emphasized, “That’s going to be left up to the speaker.” Jordan said during a Fox interview over the weekend that he expects the impeachment inquiry to stretch into next year when Biden is up for re-election.
Johnson recently told reporters he would not “predetermine” an outcome. “But I do believe that very soon we are coming to a point of decision on it,” Johnson said, adding that the impeachment inquiry phase is an “important step” in ensuring due process.