Senate

Graham vows Biden, Ukraine probe after impeachment trial

by Jordain Carney - 01/24/20 5:28 PM ET

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Friday that “someone” should investigate the Bidens and Ukraine after the impeachment trial, and pledged he will if an outside counsel doesn’t step forward.

“Nobody has done an investigation anywhere near like the Mueller investigation of the Bidens, and I think they should. And when this is over the Congress will do it, if we can’t have an outside entity do it,” Graham told reporters.

Graham stressed that he would like “somebody outside of politics” to lead the investigation, but repeatedly said if that did not happen he would take the reins of a probe into former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden and Ukraine.

“You know why I don’t want to do it? I love Joe Biden. I don’t want to do this,” Graham said, before adding: “I don’t want it to be Lindsey Graham, because it will be hard for me, but if I have to I will do it.”

Republicans have seized on Hunter Biden’s work for Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, and Joe Biden’s push for the dismissal of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin because of concerns he was overlooking corruption in his own office, as they have sought to defend President Trump’s actions with Ukraine.

There’s no evidence that Biden was acting with his son’s interests in mind when he pushed for Shokin’s dismissal, a position that reflected the views of the Obama administration and U.S. allies in Europe. The former vice president has denied doing so and the GOP claims have been debunked by fact checkers.

The GOP feud with the Bidens has loomed over Trump’s impeachment trial as the House managers have repeatedly mentioned them as they’ve presented their case during the last few days. Republicans have pointed to the decision as evidence that Hunter Biden, and potentially the former vice president, need to be called; sparking a constant round of questions for Senate Democrats.

Graham and Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have requested any documents related to Ukraine and Hunter Biden.

Talk about the Bidens will likely escalate on Saturday, with Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump’s legal team, indicating they will feature in the defense strategy during the impeachment trial. Trump’s team is set to being its defense on Saturday.

“Believe me, you’ll hear about that issue too,” Sekulow said.