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Final week, one of many Republican congressman who has been spearheading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden floated a brand new path ahead for his embattled probe: issuing “prison referrals,” recommending prosecution, to the Division of Justice.
“On the finish of the day, what does accountability appear like? It appears like prison referrals. It appears like referring individuals to the Division of Justice,” Home Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, who’s amongst these main the impeachment inquiry, mentioned in an interview on Fox Information.
The notion of issuing prison referrals as a part of the probe has gained traction amongst senior Republicans on Capitol Hill because the prospects of impeaching President Biden have dulled, a number of sources informed ABC Information, with one congressional Republican bluntly describing the transfer as an “exit technique.”
MORE: Raskin says FBI informant revelations ‘destroy’ Biden impeachment case; GOP downplays influence
Any such referrals would fall in need of the committee’s preliminary targets of impeaching President Biden, because the Justice Division isn’t obligated to behave on such referrals and even acknowledge them.
However the plan may give former President Donald Trump a long-shot roadmap for his personal administration to analyze his predecessor, ought to he win again the White Home in November.
As Comer works to assist navigate the way forward for the impeachment inquiry, sources inform ABC Information that Trump and Comer had a gathering in Florida final month, although it was not instantly clear what was mentioned.
The temporary February assembly, which has not beforehand been reported, occurred at one among Trump’s properties in Florida, the sources mentioned.
A spokesperson for Comer informed ABC Information, “Whereas having lunch with Vernon Hill in Florida, Congressman Comer unexpectedly bumped into President Trump they usually had a quick 10-minute dialog.” The spokesperson didn’t touch upon the substance of the dialog, or on who else might have been current.
A spokesperson for Trump declined to remark to ABC Information.
Within the interview on Fox Information final week, Comer mentioned he was “very ready” to convey prison referrals and instantly referenced the potential for the “subsequent president” selecting them up.
“If Merrick Garland’s Division of Justice will not take any potential prison referrals critically, then possibly the following president, with a brand new Legal professional Common, will,” Comer mentioned.
It’s not instantly clear who may be referred for prosecution. When requested not too long ago by Punchbowl if these referrals would come with Biden himself, Comer mentioned Monday, “We’ll see.”
The highest Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin, bashed the technique, saying that Comer’s inquiry hadn’t uncovered any proof to assist such referrals.
MORE: Comer invitations Hunter Biden to return to Capitol Hill for public listening to
“Felony referrals typically relate to crimes, and we’ve not recognized any aside from those dedicated by their star witnesses,” Raskin informed PunchBowl.
Raskin gave the impression to be referring to Alexander Smirnov, the previous FBI supply who was indicted final month by particular counsel David Weiss on felony false assertion and obstruction expenses after he allegedly offered false details about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. He pleaded not responsible to the costs.
Smirnov is similar person who Republicans have known as “a extremely credible FBI supply” and have used to assert that Joe Biden is corrupt, in keeping with a number of senior congressional sources, marking the most recent setback for the inquiry.
Comer defended the probe within the wake of the costs, saying an announcement that, “to be clear, the impeachment inquiry isn’t reliant on the FBI’s FD-1023,” referring to the shape that included Smirnov’s allegation.
Nonetheless, a rising variety of Home Republicans are starting to acknowledge each publicly and privately that their yearlong investigation into Joe Biden and his household is unlikely to end result within the president’s impeachment, sources mentioned.
Even staunch conservatives similar to Reps. Scott Perry, Troy Nehls and Patrick McHenry have acknowledged that Republicans lack the votes to again impeachment.
“I do not assume we’re going to get to some extent fairly truthfully the place we’re going to have the ability to impeach him, particularly with the skinny margin that we have now,” Perry mentioned not too long ago on the Conservative Political Motion Convention.
In an announcement, a spokesperson for the Oversight Committee mentioned, “The impeachment inquiry is ongoing and the end result has not been pre-determined. The committees will challenge a last report with suggestions on the conclusion of the inquiry.”
Different committees concerned within the effort embody the Judiciary Committee and the Methods and Means committtee.
A number of sources accustomed to the sentiment on Capitol Hill informed ABC Information that the probe is basically “falling aside” and is at a “standstill,” with solely a slim majority supporting the hassle. One supply mentioned that whereas many Republicans really feel it efficiently drummed up some allegations, the core claims on the coronary heart of the probe remained complicated.
“It uncovered lots of smoke, however there was by no means a message,” the supply mentioned. “The bar was set too excessive.”
One other supply mentioned the probe has been affected by Republicans at instances mischaracterizing and inflating the proof they’ve gathered. Republicans have additionally squabbled behind closed doorways relating to over which witnesses to name, sources mentioned.
Felony referrals emerge as potential ‘exit technique’ of struggling Biden impeachment inquiry, sources say initially appeared on abcnews.go.com
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