by Republicans in Congress “absolutely” need to impeach President Joe Biden over whistleblower allegations that there was improper interference in the investigation of his son Hunter, Nikki Haley said Friday.
“Someone has to do it,” Haley, who is running for the Republican nomination for president, said when asked if the allegations warranted impeachment on the show “Gutfeld!” from Fox News host Greg Gutfeld!
The comments from Haley, a former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations, came as House Republicans wanted to question Justice Department and IRS officials about whistleblower allegations that there was interference in the son’s investigation. from Biden.
The chairs of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees are seeking interviews with more than a dozen officials involved in the investigation of tax-related crimes allegedly committed by Hunter Biden.
Asked why Republicans in Congress can’t begin the impeachment process now, Haley said, “Well, they absolutely should.”
“If the Justice Department isn’t going to do it, Congress has to. But someone has to. It stinks all day,” she said, claiming that one of the IRS whistleblowers who made the allegations was “actually legitimate ” used to be.
“You’re not talking about just some guy who showed up and decided to say something,” Haley said.
Gary Shapley, a supervising special agent with criminal investigations for the IRS who has worked for the agency since 2009, testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in May, and the committee made the transcript available this month.
One of Shapley’s allegations is that David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, sought permission to hit Hunter Biden with broader charges in Washington, D.C. and California, but the U.S. attorneys in those counties would not do so.
The Justice Department has denied the allegations. “As both the Attorney General and U.S. Attorney David Weiss have said, U.S. Attorney Weiss has full authority over this matter, including the responsibility to decide where, when, and if charges should be filed, as he sees fit. He needs no further approval to do so,” said Wyn Hornbuckle, the deputy director of the Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs.
Shapley also alleged to the committee that as an investigator for the IRS, he received messages that Hunter Biden sent on the WhatsApp platform, including one he read demanding payment from a Chinese businessman named Henry Zhao. In the message, Biden seemed to imply that he sat with his father, then the former vice president, saying: “I will make sure that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to hold a grudge forever cherish the fact that you will regret not following my instructions.’
President Biden has denied any involvement in the text message.
On Thursday, Haley said: “All we ask for is honesty. If Trump did something wrong? Fine. Let’s investigate. Let’s wait and see what happens. He has a jury. He can defend himself. If Biden did something wrong, fine, but we need to investigate. They have to do it.”
Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, a GOP presidential candidate who is more critical of Trump, said Friday that he did not yet believe Biden should be impeached.
“While the whistleblower allegations are serious and should be investigated, impeachment should not be an option until the investigation reveals that the president has acted corruptly,” he said. “Impeachment should not be used as a political weapon, but should be reserved for serious misconduct. The facts should determine what action Congress should take, if any, and impeachment should not precede a thorough investigation.”
Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income taxes, according to a court filing. According to court documents, he also faces a separate gun possession charge that will likely be dismissed if he meets certain conditions.
His plea hearing is scheduled for July 26. Two sources familiar with the plea deal for the tax violations have said it contains a provision in which the US attorney has agreed to recommend probation.
Republicans have dismissed the deal as a sweetheart deal.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
