A House Democrat who played a major role in the first impeachment of former President Trump is criticizing Republicans’ own push against former President Biden.
“I don’t see any evidence here. The problem is, is they wanted to try to create an impeachment, so they started with an impeachment and they went looking for evidence – fishing for it,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told Fox News Digital last week.
“There’s just nothing there. And it’s clear the report again confirms that. It’s too bad we wasted so much valuable time in Congress going through that process.”
Crow was one of seven House Democrats chosen by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to make the case for impeaching Trump in 2020. He was one of just two first-term lawmakers on that team.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS REFER HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
President Biden was accused of impeachable offenses by the House GOP ((Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images))
“Congress actually passed Ukraine funding. He withheld that funding, which is actually against the law – the president does not have the authority to withhold funding that’s dedicated by Congress for a specific purpose,” Crow said. “The job of the president is actually to make sure that funding is used appropriately and to implement it. So that happened, and then Congress investigated it, and then we went through an impeachment proceeding.”
“Contrast that with the Republican approach, they just said they want to impeach Biden. And then they went looking for things to impeach him on – and, of course, didn’t come up with anything.”
His comments come after House Republicans released a report accusing Biden of committing impeachable offenses relating to his family’s foreign business dealings.
It’s the product of a years-long probe by the House committees on Oversight, the Judiciary and Ways & Means into whether Biden used his position as vice president to benefit himself or his family.
HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE ‘BIDENS ARE THE BEST,’ HAVE ‘CONNECTIONS’
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., criticized the House GOP effort.
Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, pushed back on Crow’s comments via a spokesperson, telling Fox News Digital, “It comes as no surprise that a Democrat congressman who dismisses concerns about Joe Biden’s mental fitness to serve the remainder of his term also dismisses the clear evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s business schemes.
“Bank records don’t lie and reveal the Bidens and their associates raked in nearly $30 million by selling the Biden brand. Multiple witnesses have confirmed Joe Biden was involved in his family’s business schemes as he dined, spoke, had coffee, and met with nearly all of his family’s foreign business associates. This is blatant corruption and abuse of public office.”
The report said that “overwhelming evidence demonstrates that President Biden participated in a conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family.”
FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN IN 2017 SENT ‘BEST WISHES’ FROM ‘ENTIRE BIDEN FAMILY’ TO CHINA FIRM CHAIR, REQUESTED $10M WIRE
“Among other aspects of this conspiracy, the Biden family and their business associates received tens of millions of dollars from foreign interests by leading those interests to believe that such payments would provide them access to and influence with President Biden,” the report said.
Crow was an impeachment manager for Democrats’ bid to oust former President Trump. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The committees said the Biden family and its associates received more than $27 million from foreign individuals or entities since 2014.
The White House said in response to the report last week, “This failed stunt will only be remembered for how it became an embarrassment that their own members distanced themselves from as they only managed to turn up evidence that refuted their false and baseless conspiracy theories. The American people deserve more from House Republicans, and perhaps now they will finally join President Biden in focusing on the real issues that American families actually care about.”
Fox News Digital also reached out to the committees on the Judiciary and Ways & Means for comment on Crow’s remarks but did not hear back by press time.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
