House Republicans' investigation and impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden

A disputed FBI document became a flashpoint. Comer subpoenaed the FBI for a record that he said alleged a $5 million bribery scheme involving Biden,^[17][18] and moved to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt before dropping the effort when the bureau let the committee see it.^[19][20] Comer and Democrats gave conflicting accounts of whether the allegation was still under investigation,^[21][22] and Grassley released the unverified FBI memo in July.^[23][24] Some Republicans doubted Grassley's claim that a foreign national had recordings of Biden.^[25][26]

IRS whistleblowers became central witnesses. In April 2023, an IRS supervisory agent alleged that prosecutors had mishandled the Hunter Biden tax investigation and blocked charges,^[27] and his lawyers said he and his team were removed from the case.^[28][29] A second whistleblower alleged retaliation, which the IRS commissioner denied.^[30] The House Ways and Means Committee released their testimony in June,^[31][32] Attorney General Merrick Garland denied interfering,^[33] and the two agents testified publicly in July that the case had been slow-walked.^[34][35] Speaker Kevin McCarthy floated impeaching Garland,^[36] and Republicans sought interviews with Justice Department, IRS and Secret Service officials, subpoenaed IRS and FBI agents and released 700 pages of the whistleblowers' documents.^[37][38][39]

The Justice Department disputed the whistleblowers' account. US Attorney David Weiss, who led the case, rejected their claims,^[40] Garland told the House Judiciary Committee in September that he had stayed out of the case,^[41][42] and Weiss, by then special counsel, told the committee in November that he was the "decision-maker" and that politics played no part.^[43][44]

Testimony from Hunter Biden's business associates was read in opposite ways. Devon Archer, his former business partner, testified in July 2023 after a subpoena.^[45][46] Republicans said he described Hunter Biden putting his father on the phone with business associates and using him as "defensive leverage."^[47][48] A Democratic lawmaker said Archer had testified that Hunter Biden was selling "the illusion of access" and that the elder Biden had not discussed business on those calls.^[49][50][51] Gal Luft, whom Republicans had called a key witness, was indicted on federal charges that month,^[52] and Biden said he had told the truth when he said he never discussed business with his son.^[53]

The investigation became an impeachment inquiry, the House's process for examining whether to bring impeachment charges, in late 2023. In June, McCarthy had urged Republicans to vote against an immediate impeachment resolution forced by Rep. Lauren Boebert, saying it was not the right time.^[54] He floated an inquiry in July and announced one in September,^[55][56] and the White House answered by dismissing it.^[57] At the first hearing that month, two scholars testified that Republicans did not yet have enough evidence to impeach.^[58][59] Comer subpoenaed bank records for Hunter and James Biden,^[60] and in November the committee subpoenaed them both.^[61] Hunter Biden offered to testify only in public,^[62][63] and on December 13, as the House voted to formalize the inquiry, he defied his subpoena for a closed-door deposition and criticized the investigation.^[2][64][65] Republicans moved toward contempt charges, and he made a surprise appearance at a committee meeting in January.^[66][67] He then agreed to a private deposition, where on February 28, 2024, he accused Republicans of pursuing him for political ends.^[68][69][70] James Biden testified the week before.^[71]

The inquiry's central bribery claim collapsed in February 2024, when Alexander Smirnov, the former FBI informant behind the allegation involving Biden and the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, was charged with fabricating it.^[72][73] Reports said he had told officials that Russia held compromising material on Hunter Biden.^[74] Biden declined to testify,^[75][76] and Republicans sued two Justice Department tax attorneys to enforce subpoenas.^[77][78] In June the committees made criminal referrals of Hunter and James Biden, asking the Justice Department to consider charging them with lying to Congress,^[79] and in August they released their report.^[3][4] Smirnov was also indicted on tax evasion charges in November,^[80] pleaded guilty in December and was sentenced in January 2025 to six years in prison.^[81][6][82] In August 2026, the White House declassified FBI documents that, according to conservative outlets, showed the bureau had dismissed corruption allegations against the Biden family as Russian disinformation and had flagged officials including Bill Barr and Mike Pompeo as "conduits" for Russian propaganda.^[7] The federal cases against Hunter Biden and the fight over his laptop are followed in separate arcs.