CNN Fact-Checker Daniel Dale Takes On Biden Impeachment Point By Point: ‘None of This Evidence Has Appeared’
CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale went through each of the claims made by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy as reasons to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden — and found them lacking for evidence.
On Tuesday, McCarthy announced he was calling for the launch of an impeachment inquiry without a vote of the full House, in the face of a membership that can’t provide sufficient support to prevail in such a vote. Shortly thereafter, CNN reported that Trump privately coordinated with House GOP members on impeachment strategy.
A cavalcade of CNN anchors and other on-air personalities spent the week noting there’s “no evidence” for the claims underpinning the move, and on an edition of CNN News Central, anchor Jim Sciutto had Dale go through each of McCarthy’s claims — which were found deficient:
SCIUTTO: All right, let’s take a closer look now at Speaker McCarthy’s allegations about Biden and the facts as we know them.
CNN’s Daniel Dale here to walk us through the facts of it all.
Let’s begin with claim number one from McCarthy. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various shell companies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: All right, $20 million, various shell companies, what are the facts?
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: Jim, I think it’s important to take a closer look at the specific language that Speaker McCarthy is using here.
Notice he’s had Biden family members and associates. Didn’t say $20 million to Joe Biden. Why is that? Well, because Republicans, like everyone else in the world, have not presented any evidence, and apparently not found any evidence, that Joe Biden himself got any of this money.
And we can disentangle this language further. He didn’t just say $20 million to Biden family members. He said $20 million to Biden family members and associates. Well, a “Washington Post” analysis found that the majority of that money, about two-thirds, went to these associates, so not even Hunter Biden, but people outside the family, two steps removed, if not more, from the president.
SCIUTTO: Who exactly are those associates?
DALE: There are various people, Hunter Biden’s business partners, for example, people who don’t have much of a public reputation, but not only not the president, but some of it not to his son.
SCIUTTO: Understood.
OK, so let’s go to claim number two from McCarthy about an FBI informant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTHY: Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Trusted FBI informant alleged a bribe. What are the facts?
DALE: So this claim leaves out some critical context.
It is true, Jim, that, in 2020, an informant who the FBI had deemed credible did allege that, in 2016, a Ukrainian businessman had made the claim that he had given two $5 million payments to the Bidens.
However, three years later, that informant and nobody else have presented any proof that the underlying allegation that the bribe actually occurred is true. In fact, the FBI document that reported this tip said the informant couldn’t even offer an opinion about the veracity of the claim.
Now, Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer also testified to Congress he was not aware of any such payment. He characterized this businessman’s claim as a typical example of a prominent Ukrainian businessperson exaggerating or embellishing his influence.
SCIUTTO: That’s interesting, because the Devon Archer testimony was something that was highly touted by Republicans and many in right-wing media.
DALE: Indeed.
SCIUTTO: OK, another claim, McCarthy also claims that Biden participated in calls and dinners with his son’s business partners. Facts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTHY: Eyewitnesses have testified that the president joined on multiple phone calls, and had multiple interactions, dinners, resulted in cars and millions of dollars, into his sons and his son’s business partners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: On the calls. What did Joe Biden do on these calls?
DALE: Yes, so that’s the critical context that Speaker McCarthy left out here.
Devon Archer did testify that about 20 times over a number of years Joe Biden was put on speakerphone in calls with Hunter Biden and business associates. But Archer also testified that Joe Biden’s contributions were superficial, that he’d ask his son — his son things like, what’s the weather where you’re like, how’s the fishing, how are you doing?
He didn’t — Archer testified he never heard Joe Biden discuss business, made similar testimony about Joe Biden appearing at dinners in Washington. And so this is — this is the pattern. McCarthy is making these claims without demonstrating any evidence that Joe Biden did anything in office to help his son’s business, that Joe Biden personally profited from his son’s business, that Joe Biden took affirmative steps to get his son the money.
Hunter Biden did receive a — for example, a wire transfer from a foreign businessman that he used to buy a fancy car, did receive millions of other dollars from foreign sources. But, again, that’s Hunter Biden. This is an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.
SCIUTTO: And, to be clear, these claims have been out there for some time, with both the Republican Party, lawmakers, and the FBI, Justice Department, with time, in some cases, years’ time, to investigate, to find evidence. They have not presented any such evidence?
DALE: They have not.
SCIUTTO: Right.
DALE: And they have launched this impeachment inquiry. It’s important to remember they have had subpoena power through their House majority for a while now.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
DALE: And, of course, investigation is ongoing, but none of this evidence has appeared to date.
SCIUTTO: Well, that’s why we do the facts.
Daniel Dale, perfect man for that.
Watch above via CNN News Central.
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