Report on Biden Completed – Lacking Evidence

The Republicans in Washington have released their long report on Joe Biden, which they hope will lead to an impeachment process. But the road ahead is long, and will likely not lead anywhere. Not least because the report lacks evidence of committed crimes.

» Updated:

» Published:

Report on Biden Completed – Lacking Evidence
Photo: Susan Walsh/AP/TT

Share this article

Over 300 pages about President Joe Biden, his family, and alleged unlawful conduct landed on Monday in Washington.

Just hours before the Democratic Convention begins in Chicago, Republicans hope their report on the sitting president will bring Biden down.

However, despite nearly a year of investigations, hearings, and evidence gathering, the report contains no concrete evidence that the president has committed any crime, according to American media.

Urging to Read

House Speaker Mike Johnson is, however, convinced that the investigation is damaging enough to Biden and the Democrats and urges, according to The Washington Post, "all Americans to read the report".

The impeachment process primarily concerns corruption allegations related to son Hunter Biden's activities abroad.

Republicans claim that the Biden family has received approximately 280 million kronor from private individuals in, among others, Russia and China, and that it is "unthinkable" that Joe Biden did not understand that it was incompatible with his role. He is also accused of having exploited his political positions to help his son make deals in Ukraine.

Unclear about Voting

It is highly unclear whether the report will lead to the next step, a vote on impeaching Biden.

Partly, Republicans have, according to AP, no popular support for further proceedings, and partly, the major opponent is now Kamala Harris, who is to be formally nominated as presidential candidate this week.

Moreover, the party has only a very small majority in the House of Representatives, and even if Biden were to be impeached in that chamber, the Democrats have a majority in the Senate, where he is likely to be acquitted.

In June, 54-year-old Hunter Biden was convicted of gun crimes in the state of Delaware after lying about his drug use when buying a pistol. This case is not related to the impeachment process.

The impeachment procedure is described in the US Constitution. The House of Representatives decides on impeachment, while the Senate acts as a court.

When it comes to the president, he or she can be removed from office by Congress if convicted in the impeachment trial of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors".

No president in the USA has been removed through impeachment. Donald Trump (2019–2020, 2021), Bill Clinton (1998), and Andrew Johnson (1868) were formally charged by the House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate.

Andrew Johnson was impeached after he dismissed the US Secretary of War, which at the time was a crime against a newly enacted law.

Bill Clinton was impeached after the so-called Lewinsky affair, where he lied about his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky, who worked as an assistant in the White House.

In Trump's first impeachment trial, he was accused of pressuring Ukraine's government to gain personal political advantage.

Donald Trump's second impeachment trial concerned "incitement to insurrection". It referred to his false claims about fraud in the 2020 presidential election and the speech Trump gave shortly before his supporters stormed Congress on January 6, 2021.

Trump is the only one in the USA who has been impeached twice and the only president who has been impeached after leaving the White House.

Regarding Richard Nixon's fall in 1974, after the Watergate scandal, the impeachment process had begun, but he resigned before the charges could be voted on.

Sources: The US Constitution, History.com, The New York Times

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Trump's Historic Second State Visit to Windsor Castle

Trump's Historic Second State Visit to Windsor Castle

Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Urges US Action

Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Urges US Action

IDF Expands Cooperation with Gaza Militias Amid Control Concerns

IDF Expands Cooperation with Gaza Militias Amid Control Concerns

Thousands Protest Trump Visit in London Urging Government to Show Backbone

Thousands Protest Trump Visit in London Urging Government to Show Backbone

50 Sudanese Refugees Die in Libya Boat Fire

50 Sudanese Refugees Die in Libya Boat Fire

Lebanon Military Seizes 64 Million Captagon Tablets in Major Raid

Lebanon Military Seizes 64 Million Captagon Tablets in Major Raid

Gaza Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 65,000

Gaza Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 65,000

EU Eases Proposed Cider Juice Content Regulations

EU Eases Proposed Cider Juice Content Regulations

Spain Arrests 19 for Torture and Murder on Migrant Boat

Spain Arrests 19 for Torture and Murder on Migrant Boat

EU Proposes Sanctions on Israel's Ministers and Trade Over Gaza

EU Proposes Sanctions on Israel's Ministers and Trade Over Gaza

Denmark Plans to Invest in Long-Range Precision Weapons

Denmark Plans to Invest in Long-Range Precision Weapons

Suspected Shooter's Texts Reveal Concerns Over Weapon and Father

Suspected Shooter's Texts Reveal Concerns Over Weapon and Father

Germany Warns Iran Over Lack of Action to Avoid UN Sanctions

Germany Warns Iran Over Lack of Action to Avoid UN Sanctions

EU Delays Climate Goals Submission Amid Member Disagreements

EU Delays Climate Goals Submission Amid Member Disagreements

Aleksey Navalny Poisoned, Widow Claims Based on New Tests

Aleksey Navalny Poisoned, Widow Claims Based on New Tests

1,600 Tourists Evacuated from Machu Picchu Amid Protests

1,600 Tourists Evacuated from Machu Picchu Amid Protests

Main Suspect in Madeleine McCann Case Released from Prison

Main Suspect in Madeleine McCann Case Released from Prison

Ukraine Reports Over 130,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in War

Ukraine Reports Over 130,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in War

Trump Welcomed by King Charles at Windsor Castle During UK State Visit

Trump Welcomed by King Charles at Windsor Castle During UK State Visit

New Escape Route Opens for Fleeing Gaza City Residents Amid Bombing

New Escape Route Opens for Fleeing Gaza City Residents Amid Bombing