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Republicans make their case at Biden impeachment inquiry
House Republicans have branded the first day of their impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden a success, saying they justified their case.
But expert witnesses called by Republicans cautioned there was not yet enough proof for impeachment.
Thursday’s hearing was dominated by the business dealings of the president’s son, Hunter, who Republicans allege was selling access to his father.
The White House has called the inquiry a “political stunt”.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a formal impeachment inquiry in early September to look into allegations that Hunter Biden engaged in improper business dealings that benefited the president.The formal inquiry granted lawmakers greater legal authority to investigate possible misconduct, after months of Republican probes failed to unearth any concrete evidence.
At the first hearing in the inquiry, it was Hunter Biden – not the president – who took up most of the Republican’s oxygen. Republican James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the powerful Oversight Committee, said the panel would examine more than “two dozen pieces of evidence”, including emails and bank records, which he said would reveal Joe Biden’s “corruption and abuse of public office”.
“At least 10 times, Joe Biden lied to the American people that he never spoke to his family about their business dealings,” he said. “The American people demand accountability for this culture of corruption.”
Following the hearing, he announced subpoenas that will force Hunter Biden and President Biden’s brother, James, to release their personal and business bank records to the committee.
Failure to comply with the order, which Mr Comer called “the next step in the investigation”, could result in criminal charges. Mr Biden has previously said he “never” discussed business with his son.
Republicans on the committee, though, say Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer told them during a closed door hearing that Mr Biden had attended at least two dinners with his son’s business associates. But Mr Archer also testified that he had never heard business discussed during those encounters.
Chairman Comer and his colleagues also detailed a number of foreign payments to members of President Biden’s family, including millions of dollars to Hunter Biden – suggesting the family was involved in a “pay to play” scheme. One former business partner of Mr Biden had previously told House investigators the president’s son was selling the “illusion of access” to his father.
The investigation will focus on whether Mr Biden ever took any action to directly help his family members’ businesses, including meeting with their clients or influencing US government policy.
Democrats pushed back, saying there was no proof that Mr Biden had engaged in improper behaviour. “If Republicans had a smoking gun or even a dripping water pistol they would be presenting it today,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, the top-ranking Democrat on the committee. “But they’ve got nothing.”
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement on Thursday “once again Rep Comer peddles lies to support a premise – some wrongdoing by Hunter Biden or his family – that evaporates in thin air the moment facts come out”.
Thursday’s contentious hearing did not feature fact witnesses with direct knowledge about the Bidens. Instead, the panel heard from experts on tax law, criminal investigations and constitutional legal theory.
Two of the three conservative analysts called by Republicans to discuss Mr Biden’s alleged wrongdoing told lawmakers they did not believe there was enough evidence to warrant impeachment.
“I am not here today to even suggest that there was corruption, fraud or wrongdoing,” forensic accountant Bruce Dubinsky said. “More information needs to be gathered before I can make such an assessment.”
Meanwhile, law professor Jonathan Turley told the panel: “I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment”.
The sole expert witness called by the Democrats, Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina, told lawmakers he had not seen credible proof to warrant the probe.
Calling the inquiry a “sham” and an “embarrassment”, Democratic committee members sought to refocus the hearing on the looming shutdown and propped up a digital clock counting down to the Saturday deadline when the federal government will run out of money unless Congress reaches a budget deal.
“We’re 62 hours away from shutting down the government of the United States of America and Republicans are launching an impeachment drive, based on a long debunked and discredited lie,” Mr Raskin said.
The impeachment inquiry is expected to span weeks. It is too early to tell if congressional investigators will seek an impeachment vote in the full House of Representatives after holding hearings.
Separately, Hunter Biden has been criminally charged with three counts of lying when buying a firearm, after a proposed plea deal collapsed this past summer.
(BBC)
The Court of Appeal this [17] morning dismissed the writ petition filed by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, seeking an interim injunction to prevent the execution of the arrest order issued by the Matara Magistrate’s Court against him.
US President Donald Trump has signed an order to strip back federally funded news organisation Voice of America, accusing it of being “anti-Trump” and “radical”.
A White House statement said the order would “ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda”, and included quotes from politicians and right-wing media criticising the broadcaster.
VOA, still primarily a radio service, was set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda. It says it currently reaches hundreds of millions of people globally each week.
Mike Abramowitz, VOA’s director, said he and virtually his entire staff of 1,300 people had been put on paid leave.
Abramowitz said that the order left VOA unable to carry out its “vital mission… especially critical today, when America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States”.
The National Press Club, a leading representative group for US journalists, said the order “undermines America’s long-standing commitment to a free and independent press”.
It added: “If an entire newsroom can be sidelined overnight, what does that say about the state of press freedom?
“An entire institution is being dismantled piece by piece. This isn’t just a staffing decision – it’s a fundamental shift that endangers the future of independent journalism at VOA.”
The president’s order targets VOA’s parent company US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also funds non-profit entities such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, which were originally set up to counter communism.
It tells managers to “reduce performance… to the minimum presence and function required by law”.
CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, said that VOA employees were notified in an email by Crystal Thomas, the USAGM human resources director.
A source told CBS that all freelance workers and international contractors were told there was now no money to pay them.
Emails obtained by CBS notified the bosses of Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that their federal grants had been terminated.
VOA and other stations under USAGM say they serve more than 400 million listeners. They are broadly equivalent to the BBC World Service, which is part-funded by the British government.
The Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavský, said he hoped the European Union could help keep Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty running in Prague.
He said he would ask European foreign ministers at a meeting on Monday to find ways to at least partially maintain the broadcaster’s operations.
Elon Musk, the billionaire and top adviser to Trump who has been overseeing sweeping cuts to the US government, has used his social media platform X to call for VOA to be shut down.
The US president also cut funding to several other federal agencies – including those responsible for preventing homelessness, and funding museums and libraries.
Trump was highly critical of VOA in his first term. He has recently appointed staunch loyalist Kari Lake to be a special adviser for the USAGM.
The president regularly states that mainstream media outlets are biased against him. He called CNN and MSNBC “corrupt” during a speech at the justice department.
Voice of America launched in 1942 with a mandate to combat Nazi and Japanese propaganda. Its first broadcast – made on a transmitter loaned to the US by the BBC – stated a modest purpose.
Gerald Ford, a former president, signed VOA’s public charter in 1976 to safeguard its editorial independence.
By 1994, the Broadcast Board of Governors, with oversight over non-military broadcasting, was established.
In 2013, a shift in legislation allowed VOA and affiliates to begin broadcasting in the US.
[BBC]
Corbin Bosch has been served legal notice by the PCB, alleging breach of contractual obligations, after the South Africa allrounder signed for Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025, thus pulling out of PSL 2025.
This season is the first in which the PSL will be played concurrently with the IPL: The IPL will run from March 22 to May 25, and the PSL from April 11 to May 18. Bosch had been picked by Peshawar Zalmi, in the diamond category, at the PSL draft that was held in January. But on March 8, it was announced by Mumbai Indians that he would be replacing the injured Lizaad Williams in their squad.
The PSL franchises have been keen to take some sort of action on Bosch, as they are worried it could set a precedent for players signing up with the PSL but then switching to the IPL. The idea of an outright ban on such players has also been floated in informal discussions.
A PCB statement said: “The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments. The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame. The PCB will not make any further comments on the matter.”
The statement did not specify what the time frame was for Bosch to respond.
The PCB had shifted the PSL window with a view to improve the quality and availability of overseas players whom the league would be able to sign. When the PSL was in the February-March window, it also had to compete with the SA20, ILT20 and the BPL for players. ESPN Cricinfo had reported last year when the window was changed that holding the PSL draft after the IPL auction had also been discussed, to have greater clarity about the availability of overseas players for the league. Leading into this season, the IPL auction was held in November 2024 and the PSL draft in January 2025.
The PSL draft duly attracted a large number of high-profile players, including David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, Rassie van der Dussen and Kane Williamson.
[Cricinfo]
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