Biden impeachment inquiry is at a crossroads. As Hunter Biden declines to appear, GOP eyes next move

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden has hit a crossroads, lacking the political appetite from within Republican ranks to go forward with an actual impeachment, but facing political pressure to deliver after months of work.

The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, has signaled an interest in another direction. He is stopping short of drawing up articles of impeachment against the president, but eying criminal referrals of Biden family wrongdoing to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.

With the panel’s star witness, Hunter Biden, not expected to appear for Wednesday’s public hearing after having testified privately last month, Comer telegraphed what was coming next.

“If he does not show up, then it’s not going to end well for the Bidens,” Comer said over the weekend on Fox News.

He said, “There’s going to be multiple criminal referrals.”

It’s the start of a potential wind-down for the lengthy GOP-led probe that was launched after Republicans seized control of the House in January, eager to hold Biden to the high bar of impeachment that twice reprimanded Donald Trump during his presidency.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> White House encourages House Republicans to ‘move on’ from their Biden impeachment effort </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> House Republicans invite Hunter Biden and former associates for a public hearing in mid-March </bsp-custom-headline>