House Judiciary Committee Republicans are increasingly supporting an impeachment inquiry into Attorney General Merrick Garland, driven by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s threat of impeachment proceedings if allegations from IRS whistleblowers regarding the politicization of the Justice Department’s Hunter Biden tax probe prove to be true.
According to the whistleblowers, the DOJ interfered with United States Attorney David Weiss’s attempts to bring stronger charges against Hunter Biden in two separate cases. They also claim that Garland rejected a request for a special counsel, which would have created some separation between the DOJ and President Joe Biden.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley maintains that his allegations can be corroborated by individuals with firsthand knowledge of his communication with Weiss. Shapley’s attorney asserts that it is up to the Justice Department to address the evidence.
Garland denies any political interference in the investigation of Hunter Biden, stating that Weiss had the authority to charge him. However, Garland himself admitted in March that he was the authority to authorize potential charges against Hunter Biden, even in a separate jurisdiction.
McCarthy’s threat of impeachment proceedings has garnered support from several Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee. They argue that Congress cannot ignore the apparent culture of corruption within the Justice Department and believe that the possibility of impeachment should be considered.
Representative Darrell Issa emphasizes the need to address the alleged corruption, including the targeting of parents, and asserts that impeachment should not be dismissed as an option. Representative Harriet Hageman supports McCarthy and expresses a desire to question Garland in Judiciary Committee hearings, emphasizing the existence of a two-tiered system of justice.
Representatives Andy Biggs and Troy Nehls also express their support for impeachment proceedings, as do their senior staff members. Chip Roy raises questions of “impeachability” and stresses the Judiciary Committee’s responsibility to investigate the matter thoroughly.
McCarthy, in an interview on Fox and Friends, reiterates his commitment to launching impeachment inquiries against Garland if the allegations made by the IRS whistleblowers are substantiated. He states that if the allegations are true, proceedings will begin by July 6, emphasizing the discrepancy between Garland’s and Weiss’s statements.
