Washington: Joe Biden’s brother was questioned in Congress on Wednesday by Republican lawmakers leading an impeachment inquiry against the US president, who they say benefited from illegal trade.
House Republicans have accused Biden of engaging in corrupt business dealings with his younger brother James and son Hunter — who is also embroiled in his own separate legal troubles — during his time as vice president.
The investigation stretched into the 2024 election year despite producing no clear evidence of wrongdoing by the president, and Democrats dismissed the probe as a political stunt aimed at damaging the Biden campaign.
James Biden, 74, was questioned about previous financial transactions and loan repayments, which Republicans say implicate the Democratic president.
“I’ve had a 50-year career in various business ventures,” James Biden said, according to a copy of his opening statement reported by The Washington Post.
“Joe Biden never had any direct or indirect financial interest in these activities. None.”
Republicans have targeted the president’s son Hunter Biden, saying he used his father’s name when he was vice president under Barack Obama to enrich himself in foreign trade deals in Ukraine and China.
The 54-year-old also explored his personal legal issues – including federal gun charges and taxes – as well as drug addiction issues.
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The Republicans’ case against the president took another hit on Tuesday when court filings revealed that a key FBI informant — who was arrested last week on charges of lying to federal investigators — said he received false information about Hunter Biden from Russian intelligence associates.
Alexander Smirnov, 43, a dual citizen of the US and Israel, was arrested last week and charged with fabricating claims that Hunter Biden demanded multimillion-dollar bribes from the Ukrainian firm Burisma — on whose board he served at the time — to shield it from investigation when Biden was vice president.
House Republicans face the prospect that they might not be able to muster their slim majority for a possible impeachment vote.
If they prevail in the House, a subsequent trial would take place in the Democratic-led Senate, where he has little to no chance of conviction.
Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to whip up the impeachment trial as a political game ahead of November’s presidential election.
