NBC NEWS
Congressional Republicans “absolutely should” impeach President Joe Biden over whistleblower allegations that there was improper meddling in the investigation of his son, Hunter Biden, Nikki Haley said Friday.
“Somebody needs to do it,” said Haley, who’s running for the Republican nomination for president, when asked whether the allegations warranted impeachment on Fox News host Greg Gutfeld’s show “Gutfeld!”
The comments from Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations, came as House Republicans look to question officials from the Justice Department and the IRS on allegations from whistleblowers that there was interference into an investigation into Biden’s son.
The chairs of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees are seeking interviews with over a dozen officials involved in the investigation of tax-related misdemeanor crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden.
Asked why congressional Republicans can’t start the impeachment process now, Haley said: “Well, they absolutely should.”
“If the Justice Department’s not going to do it, Congress should do it. But somebody needs to do it. It smells bad all day long,” she said, asserting that one of the IRS whistleblowers making the allegations was “actually legit.”
“You’re not talking about just some guy that showed up and decided to say something,” Haley said.
Gary Shapley, a supervisory special agent with IRS criminal investigations 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 earlier this month.
Among Shapley’s allegations is that David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, sought authority to hit Hunter Biden with broader charges in Washington, D.C., and California, but the U.S. attorneys in those districts wouldn’t 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 responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges as he deems appropriate. He needs no further approval to do so,” said Wyn Hornbuckle, the deputy director of the Justice Department Office of Public Affairs.
Shapley also alleged to the committee that as an investigator for the IRS, he obtained messages Hunter Biden sent on the WhatsApp platform, including one that he read demanding payment from a Chinese businessman named Henry Zhao. In the message, Biden appeared to suggest that he was sitting with his father, then the former vice president, saying, “I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”
Biden has denied any involvement with the text message.
On Thursday, Haley said, “All we’re asking for is fairness,. If Trump did something wrong? Fine. Let’s vet it. Let’s see what happens. He’s got a jury. He can defend himself. If Biden did something wrong, fine, but we’ve got to vet it. They’ve got to do it.”
Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor crimes of willfully failing to pay federal income taxes, according to a court filing. He also faces a separate felony gun possession charge that is likely to be dismissed if he meets certain conditions, according to court documents.
His plea hearing is scheduled for July 26. Two sources familiar with the plea agreement for the tax violations have said it includes a provision in which the U.S. attorney has agreed to recommend probation.
Republicans have blasted the agreement as a “sweetheart deal.”
