Friday, February 2, 2024

Why Is the White House Hiding Drafts of Biden's 2015 Ukraine Speech?


Katie Pavlich reporting for Townhall 

According to three Republican chairmen leading the House impeachment inquiring into President Joe Biden, the White House and National Archives are refusing to turn over drafts of a 2015 speech given by then Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine. The remarks were delivered in the same time period Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma, where he was paid at least $60,000 per month by the corrupt firm, and while the company was under investigation by a prosecutor Vice President Biden demanded be fired.  

“For more than five months the White House has declined to authorize the production of these draft speeches to the Oversight Committee or to assert a valid privilege over them. Such a lengthy delay in processing a discrete and limited category of documents is unacceptable and appears to represent an attempt to obstruct the Committees’ legitimate investigation. These dilatory tactics must cease, and the White House must permit NARA to release these documents forthwith," House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith wrote in a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel. "If the White House does not permit the production of these documents, the Oversight Committee will consider the use of compulsory process to require the White House’s production of the speeches."

Citing federal law, the Chairmen urged the White House to release the documents by February 7, 2024. 

"Pursuant to federal law, the Oversight Committee may request from NARA presidential records from former administrations, and those records must be made available to the Committee “subject to any rights, defenses, or privileges which the United States or any agency or person may invoke," they continued. "This White House has previously permitted NARA to provide Congress with presidential records related to the Trump Administration after only one month of White House review. We expect the White House to do the same in this instance."

Meanwhile, a number of Hunter Biden's business associates and Joe Biden's family members -- who benefitted from the family business -- have been interviewed and deposed as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry.