What’s behind Republican calls for a Biden impeachment inquiry?

globalnews.ca:

Republicans in the U.S. Congress appear to be moving closer toward opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden — even though political experts say their allegations of financial misconduct aren’t backed up by solid evidence.

The growing effort to paint Biden as corrupt and worthy of being impeached centres on alleged influence peddling and enrichment schemes by the president’s son, Hunter Biden.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel into the Hunter Biden allegations on Friday.

Yet experts say little of what Republicans state they have uncovered actually implicates the elder Biden. Instead, they say the accusations are likely designed to hurt Biden politically ahead of his 2024 re-election bid, while also distracting from the mounting indictments against former president and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

“Saying Joe Biden is someone who we disagree with, and you should vote for us because we’re better or have better policies, that’s not enough (for Republicans anymore),” said Matthew Lebo, a political science professor at Western University.

“It’s not just about distracting from Donald Trump, but about trying to create scandals where there are none ahead of an election.”

Last month, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy floated the idea of an impeachment inquiry into the GOP claims linking Joe Biden with the allegations against his son.

Although the Republican congressman acknowledged the probes into the matter have not proven any wrongdoing, he told reporters such an inquiry would allow Congress “to get the information to be able to know the truth.”

That could prove futile if Congress hasn’t already uncovered a smoking gun that implicates Biden, experts say.

“The truth