House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s removal introduced new uncertainty into the impeachment inquiry of President Biden’s alleged involvement in his son and brother’s foreign business dealings.
Kevin McCarthy’s removal as House speaker Tuesday introduced new uncertainty into the impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s alleged involvement in his son and brother’s foreign business dealings — as allies and enemies of the deposed Californian traded blame over his ouster.
The shakeup threatens to undermine the short-term legal standing of the probe as Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) serves as acting speaker indefinitely.
However, proceedings could be turbocharged if Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) wins his bid for the gavel.
A source close to Jordan told The Post that the inquiry will proceed “full speed ahead” if he becomes speaker, though other contenders who have been less focused on impeachment, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), are expected to enter the contest.
In the meantime, a second source told The Post that staff in the House speaker’s office have “discussed the fact that Speaker pro tempore McHenry’s unprecedented position as interim speaker could open his every decision to legal scrutiny, meaning the institution of the House could face litigation.”
McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced the impeachment inquiry Sept. 12 and delegated work to the Oversight, Judiciary and tax-focused Ways and Means committees.
But he didn’t hold a floor vote to affirm the inquiry, putting it on shaky legal ground now that he is no longer in charge.
It isn’t clear if McCarthy’s successor would have to re-declare the impeachment inquiry to affirm its legal grounding, and the transition could bolster the case for a floor vote, which wasn’t held last month as a handful of vocal holdouts increased the stakes for legislators in swing districts.
Republican leaders said the inquiry was needed to strengthen the House’s standing to acquire documents, including from the executive branch and banks.
