White House: Time for House GOP to ‘move on’ from impeachment after James Biden testimony

The White House is calling on House Republicans to move on from their investigation into President Biden after his brother’s testimony countered claims that the president was involved in his family’s business dealings.

James Biden testified Wednesday that that the president “never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest” in his business ventures. His statement was part of the GOP’s impeachment probe into Biden, which alleges the president was involved in the family’s business and includes accusations of corruption and influence peddling.

The White House has called the impeachment probe into Biden a smear campaign and called out House Republicans for working on a “baseless investigation” instead of on other issues.

“It seems like the only thing House Republicans are capable of uncovering is more and more evidence that clears President Biden of the false allegations they have been promoting for years. Chairman Comer has done a lot of work to refute his own baseless impeachment stunt, but it is clear it’s time to move on,” Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, said in a statement Thursday, referring to Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.).

James Biden said in his opening statement, obtained by The Hill, that he has “always kept my professional life separate from our close personal relationship” throughout his 50-year career in multiple business ventures. He also cited his older brother’s “personal integrity and character.”

“House Republicans need to stop wasting time chasing after baseless smears and instead join President Biden and Democrats in Congress to focus on the issues that actually matter to the American people,” Sams said.

Hunter Biden, the president’s son, is set to sit for a deposition Wednesday.

The family depositions come after a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, was arrested and charged last week for making false statements to the FBI in connection to his testimony about Hunter Biden and the president. 

House Republicans have previously relied on Smirnov’s claims as a central part of their investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Oversight Committee Democrat, said Wednesday that the impeachment investigation “essentially ended” with Smirnov’s arrest and the revelation that he had been working with Russian intelligence.