GOP Prepares to Release Controversial Biden Report

By Dana Cruz Sep 21 2020, 01:36 AM EDT

Republicans are set to release a report that focuses on Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

This move from the GOP is done in hopes of putting fresh scrutiny on Biden just weeks before the election, said a report from The Hill.

The controversial probe is spearheaded by Senators Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley. It is focused mostly on Obama-era policy and the work done by Hunter for gas company Burismi Holdings.

The GOP report is set to be released this week. It is expected to argue that Hunter's work impacted Ukraine policy during Obama's term and created a conflict of interest as the former vice president worked in the area.

"I think it's time for the American people to see what we've got," said Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

While he argued for months that the probe is not driven by the coming election, Johnson said the coming findings could damage Biden's political prospects. He placed it in the context off the coming November election.

He said the investigations "will reveal this is not somebody we should be electing president of the United States." This statement was said during an interview with local Wisconsin radio station WCLO.

Delays in the Biden Report

The report will come days prior to the first debate between Biden and President Donald Trump. It was supposed to be released in July, but Johnson faced delays in getting information for the probe.

According to Johnson, the report will also include a section of unanswered questions for the Bidens.

The GOP member's remarks, talking up the report and blasting at Biden's electoral prospects fueled concerns. Both parties are worried that Johnson is using his chairmanship to target political enemies of Trump.

Other than the Biden report, the two senators are also separately investigating the FBI's Russia probe, "unmasking" and leaks in the early days of Trump's administration.

Romney Warns of 'Political Exercise'

Sen. Mitt Romney, a member of Johnson's committee, stressed that the probe was a "political exercise." Romney said in a committee meeting Wednesday that "it's not the legitimate role of government for Congress or for taxpayer expense to be used in an effort to damage political opponents."

Most GOP senators are on board with the inquiry by Johnson, noted the Associated Press. But Romney, who has been a frequent Trump critic, made it clear that he was concerned the work was being politicized.

Johnson did not respond to the comments made on Wednesday. But he had earlier withdrawn the meeting's agenda to authorize an additional subpoena.

An aide to the committee said that the subpoena was taken back because the witness, Bridget Brink, had agreed to testify voluntarily. She is the U.S. ambassador to Slovakia.

The aide was not authorized to publicly talk about the work in the committee taking place in private and spoke to AP News on condition of anonymity.

Responding to Romney's comments, Johnson spokesman Ben Voelkel said that "the American people have the right to know" the results of the probe.

"This is Congress. Everything here has implications for politics and elections," he said.