The impeachment inquiry that never impeached

The Republican report concluded that “President Biden participated in a conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family.” Its findings said family members and associates received more than $27 million from foreign sources from 2014 onward, that shell companies obscured the payments, and that the White House and Justice Department obstructed the inquiry. [1]

Its strongest evidence was contact: Devon Archer’s account of the vice president joining dinners and roughly 20 speakerphone calls with Hunter’s partners, and Tony Bobulinski’s account of meeting him in 2017. Archer also said those conversations were casual. What Joe knew and the bank records have the details. [3]

The Democratic rebuttal said the evidence showed no wrongdoing by Joe and that no witness had testified to him taking an official act for his family’s business. Republicans did not bring articles of impeachment to a vote before Biden left office. [2][4]

Two things weakened it. In February 2024 the FBI informant behind the inquiry’s most explosive claim, that Burisma paid Joe and Hunter $5 million each, was charged with making it up, and he later pleaded guilty. And the majority could not get the votes to impeach. The Smirnov informant tells that story. [2][3]

What it left were criminal referrals. In June 2024 the chairmen referred Hunter for allegedly lying about his role at Rosemont Seneca Bohai and about the threatening WhatsApp message, and James for denying that Joe met Bobulinski. Neither was charged, and both were later pardoned. [1][4]