New Analysis Suggests Impeachment Inquiry Rules Could Benefit Biden in Trump Investigation
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s recent announcement that President Joe Biden will face a formal investigation has raised questions about the rules surrounding impeachment inquiries. A new analysis by Politico suggests that these rules set during the Trump administration may actually work in Biden’s favor.
In January 2020, the Justice Department, led by then-President Donald Trump, declared that impeachment inquiries launched by the House of Representatives would only be valid if the chamber took a formal vote to authorize them. This ruling came in response to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to start an impeachment inquiry against Trump without initially holding a vote.
The Politico analysis, conducted by reporters Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, highlights that this ruling from the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel still stands and has binding implications for the current administration. According to the report, the Justice Department, FBI, and IRS are all obligated to follow the ruling and cannot officially launch an inquiry without a vote.
While President Biden, being the subject of the investigation, would have more flexibility in deciding whether to follow the Office of Legal Counsel opinion, he may choose to uphold Trump’s precedent. Furthermore, Biden could potentially assert executive privilege, similar to Trump, which could complicate efforts by Republican investigators.
Donald Trump faced impeachment on two occasions during his presidency. The first impeachment took place in December 2019 but resulted in his acquittal. The second impeachment occurred following the Capitol riots in 2021, yet Trump was once again acquitted by the Republican-led Senate.
Notably, neither the White House nor the current Department of Justice has commented on the impeachment inquiry rule thus far. This silence leaves room for speculation about how the Biden administration will navigate this investigation.
In an independent report on Tuesday, CNN revealed that Trump himself had spoken with congressional Republican leadership to discuss their strategy regarding the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. This information sheds more light on the behind-the-scenes discussions happening among the Republican party.
As the impeachment inquiry begins, it remains to be seen how the investigation will unfold and how Biden’s approach to the Office of Legal Counsel’s ruling will shape the proceedings. With the potential utilization of executive privilege and the impact of previous rulings, it is clear that this impeachment inquiry carries distinct implications for the Biden administration.
In conclusion, the analysis by Politico suggests that the impeachment inquiry rules established by the Trump administration could present advantageous circumstances for President Biden. However, the implementation of executive privilege and how the Department of Justice responds to this investigation will ultimately influence the outcome. As developments continue to unfold, the nation waits to see how this historic event will impact the current administration.
