Summary

  • The US House of Representatives votes to formally approve an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden

  • Three Republican-led House committees are seeking any evidence of corruption that might tie Biden to his family members' business dealings

  • They accuse the Democratic president and his relatives of improperly profiting during his tenure as vice-president under Barack Obama

  • The White House says the probe, which began in September, is a "baseless stunt" and an abuse of power by House Republicans

  • No evidence of wrongdoing by Biden has been presented

  • House Republicans say formalising the inquiry gives them greater legal firepower to enforce subpoenas, depose witnesses and gather evidence

Live Reporting

Edited by Gareth Evans

  1. Hunter Biden calls impeachment probe ‘shameless’

    Madeline Halpert
    US reporter

    Hunter Biden: I've been the target of unrelenting 'Trump attack machine'

    It’s been a busy morning on Capitol Hill.

    Hunter Biden was subpoenaed to provide closed-door testimony to House Republicans this morning in connection to the impeachment investigation.

    But instead of doing so, he came to the Capitol and gave a brief speech lambasting the probe before getting into a car and leaving.

    Republicans “have taken the light of my dad's love for me and presented it as darkness. They have no shame," Hunter told reporters.

    He also reiterated that he would only answer Republicans questions in a public forum, an offer investigators have rejected.

    “I am here,” he said. “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry.”

    House Republicans allege that the president knew of, and benefited from, improper business dealings on the part of his son.

    The president’s son disputed those claims Wednesday morning.

    "There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business, because it did not happen," he said.

    A far-right lawmaker, Jim Jordan, has said Republicans are already “looking at” holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for declining to testify.

  2. Welcome

    Members of the US House of Representatives are about to debate whether to formalise an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden.

    A vote is then expected to take place later today.

    So how did we get here?

    Republicans in the lower chamber of Congress accuse the Democratic president and his relatives of improperly profiting during his tenure as vice-president under Barack Obama from 2009-2017.

    They have also accused the US Department of Justice of politically meddling with an investigation into Biden's businessman son, Hunter Biden.

    The White House says the inquiry is a “baseless stunt” and an abuse of power by Republicans.

    Republicans opened the probe in September, and say a vote to authorise the inquiry by the full chamber would give them greater legal firepower to enforce subpoenas, depose witnesses and gather evidence.