Scott Perry to Reporter Calling Biden Impeachment Inquiry Political Revenge: 'We Have the Bank Accounts' (September 12, 2023)

Hours after Speaker Kevin McCarthy opened an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, a British reporter challenged the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus on the Capitol grounds. “Can I just ask, what actual evidence do you have as opposed to allegations to show to the American people that would merit an actual impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden, and prove that today isn’t just about –” she began, according to Fox News [1].

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., answered. The reporter, U.K. Channel 4 correspondent Siobhan Kennedy according to Fox, finished by asking whether this was “for the sake of enacting political revenge for the impeachment of Donald Trump.” [1]

“This isn’t about political revenge. We have the bank accounts. We can see – ma’am – you can see that the homes that the Bidens own can’t be afforded on a congressional or a Senate salary,” Perry said [1].

The video above shows the exchange on Sept. 12, 2023. Quotes are as reported by Fox News [1][2][3].

”Not Normal to Have 20 Shell Companies”

Perry kept going. “You also understand that it’s not normal for family members to receive millions of dollars from overseas interests. Those things aren’t normal. That’s not normal to have 20 shell companies. These things are not normal, and it alludes to not only just widespread corruption, but money laundering, if not influence-peddling itself,” he said [1].

He pointed to Biden’s own words about Ukraine. “And we also have the vice president at the time on record saying that the prosecutor was fired. Well, son of a b----, the prosecutor was fired. Because the prosecutor was going after the company that his son was working on,” Perry said [1].

“That’s what we have,” Perry said. “If you can’t see that. If you are that blind – I’ll turn it over to the attorneys.” [1]

“Because You Don’t Report on It”

The reporter got in one more line as he walked off. “The American people can’t see that. They think it’s political revenge,” she said. Perry fired back: “Because you don’t report on it.” [1]

“Long Overdue”

Earlier at the same event, Perry backed the inquiry. “I think the impeachment inquiry is long overdue,” the chairman said, according to Fox News. “If the facts take us to that location, then that’s where they should take it,” Perry said [3].

He kept the inquiry separate from the budget fight. “But it has nothing to do with the debt, the deficit, the outrageous spending, the inflation that’s crushing American families. Those are two separate issues, and they should be dealt with separately,” Perry said [3].

”A Formal Impeachment Inquiry”

That morning, McCarthy had made the announcement. “Today, I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,” he said. “This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public.” [2]

“Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family’s foreign business dealings,” McCarthy said [2].

“We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various Shell companies,” he said. “The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family.” [2]

“Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family,” McCarthy said. “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption,” he said [2].

Later that day, McCarthy told reporters an impeachment inquiry is the “apex of power” for House investigators, Fox reported [2].

By the Numbers

20: shell companies Perry cited [1].
3 minutes: about how long McCarthy spoke before leaving without questions, per Fox [2].
221-212: the House vote formalizing the inquiry three months later [4].
$27 million: foreign money the Republican committees said the Biden family and associates received since 2014 [5].
$20 million: payments McCarthy said bank records showed went to Biden family members and associates [2].
150+: Treasury transactions McCarthy cited [2].
292: pages in the committees’ final report [5].

What Happened Next

The House voted. On Dec. 13, 2023, the House passed H. Res. 918, directing committees to continue their investigations as part of the impeachment inquiry, 221 to 212, according to the House Clerk [4].

The committees reported. In August 2024, the House Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees released a 292-page report saying Biden “abused his office” and “defrauded the United States to enrich his family.” “The Committees have accumulated evidence demonstrating that President Biden has engaged in impeachable conduct,” the report said, Fox News reported [5].

“Based on the totality of evidence, it is inconceivable that President Biden did not understand that he was taking part in an effort to enrich his family by abusing his office of public trust,” the report states [5].

It echoed the “shell companies” point Perry made on the Capitol steps. “The Biden family laundered funds through intermediate entities and broke up large transactions into numerous smaller transactions,” the report states [5].

Biden pardoned his son. On Dec. 1, 2024, Biden pardoned Hunter Biden for offenses “during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024” [6].

For the White House’s answer on the inquiry the next day, see HYGO News’ page on the Sept. 13, 2023, briefing.