House Republicans launched the first formal impeachment hearing Thursday against President Joe Biden, with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) explaining that the American people “expect this committee to investigate public corruption” and that they will look into the Biden family’s lucrative business dealings and “examine the value of an impeachment inquiry.”
On that note, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (R-NY) came out of the gates claiming her Republican colleagues used a “fabricated image.”
“The committee has shown the Bidens alone brought in over $15 million in their foreign influence peddling. Over $24 million if you account for their associate’s earnings from the schemes,” Comey said. “We have established in the first phase of this investigation where this money has come from: Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, it didn’t come from selling anything legitimate. It largely went unreported to the IRS. It was funneled through shell companies and third parties to hide the Biden’s fingerprints.”
The Democratic Party response centered around two talking points, the first being to claim the GOP has “no evidence” in their quest to determine if evidence exists to warrant impeachment. The other strategy was to distract from the proceedings with a focus on the looming government shutdown.
Sitting next to a computer screen showing a clock ticking down until Saturday night’s federal funding deadline, AOC stated: “Earlier today, one of our colleagues, the gentleman from Florida, presented up on the screen something that appeared to be a screenshot of a text message containing or insinuating an explosive allegation. That screenshot of what appeared to be a text message was a fabricated image.”
AOC: That screenshot of what appeared to be a text message was a fabricated image. It was a fabricated image, I don’t know where it came from, I don’t know if it was staff of the committee, pic.twitter.com/Hv6s9oii3a
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 28, 2023
“I don’t know where it came from,” she said. “I don’t know if it was the staff of the committee, but it was not the direct screenshot from that phone.”
“What was brought out from that fabricated image excluded critical context that changed the underlying meaning and allegation that was presented up on that screen,” the self-avowed socialist lawmaker added.
The image she spoke of was presented by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and featured a text of the president’s brother, Jim Biden, telling Hunter Biden: “I can work with your father alone !! We as usual just need several months of his help for this to work.”
The text was reportedly about Hunter Biden needing his father’s help to pay alimony — this coming at the time he was going through a divorce from his first wife and heavy into crack.
“This is an embarrassment to the time and people of this country, and I would ask that the chair and I would ask that this Committee elevate to the promise of our duties here and comport ourselves with the consistency and practice that is required of our seats and our duty and … our oath to our responsibilities here,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
It appears that the party that conducted two sham impeachments of Donald Trump has suddenly found its integrity.
As for AOC’s theatrics, she asked three witnesses, including George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, a carefully crafted question that says more about the inquisitor than any answer given.
She asked, “In your testimony today, are you presenting any first-hand witness account of crimes committed by the president of the United States?
AOC: Mr. Turley, simple question for you. In your testimony today, are you presenting any first-hand witness account of crimes committed by the president of the United States?
Turley: No, I’m not. pic.twitter.com/nuevF8Nn7N
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 28, 2023
It’s as if the Democrat expects the evidence needed to impeach Biden will be someone sitting in his bedroom with him as he stuffs his ill-gotten cash in his sock draw — then again, given the state of journalism today, that would likely not be sufficient.