White House Puts Out Epic Dossier To Try and Torpedo GOP Impeachment ‘Stunt’ — Demands Media ‘Do Your Jobs!’

Photo by Lenin Nolly/Nur Photo via AP

The White House has responded to the announcement of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden by dropping an epic 16-page dossier demanding the media “do your job” and call out Republican “lies.”

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Kevin 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.

The White House immediately went on the offensive, with White House Spokesperson for Oversight & Investigations Ian Sams putting out a statement and making the rounds on cable news.

And on Wednesday morning, Sams dropped a 16-page dossier entitled “It’s Time For The Media To Do More To Scrutinize House Republicans’ Demonstrably False Claims That They’re Basing Impeachment Stunt On,” which begins with a scathing cover letter that ticks through a litany of Republicans who have admitted they don’t have evidence implicating the president.

Sams then takes aim at the media:

But reporting that solely focuses on process rather than substance is woefully inadequate when it comes to something as historically grave as impeachment.

It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies. When even House Republican members are admitting that there is simply no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong, much less impeachable, that should set off alarm bells for news organizations.

For years, Republicans in Congress have tried to muddy the waters by attracting media coverage of their allegations, and as they choose to move forward with impeachment, it is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with the appropriate scrutiny. Covering impeachment as a process story – Republicans say X, but the White House says Y – is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable.

And in the modern media environment, where every day liars and hucksters peddle disinformation and lies everywhere from Facebook to Fox, process stories that fail to unpack the illegitimacy of the claims on which House Republicans are basing all their actions only serve to generate confusion, put false premises in people’s feeds, and obscure the truth.

House Republican leaders should be held accountable for the fact that they are lurching toward impeachment over allegations that are not only unfounded but, in virtually all cases, have been actively disproven – including by witnesses and documents in their own investigations, as well as years-old congressional probes and even the former President’s first impeachment inquiry.

As you begin to cover the House GOP’s impeachment push more intensely, enclosed you will find a 14-page appendix that comprehensively addresses the 7 key lies House Republicans are suggesting they are basing an impeachment on. We hope this document helps provide you with factual information useful in your reporting on their unprecedented, unfounded claims underlying an impeachment inquiry without any evidence of wrongdoing.

The 14-page dossier attached to the memo contains chapter and verse with links addressing what Sams calls “7 key lies” about President Biden.

Read the full letter and dossier here.