White House Sending Letter to News Outlets Urging Them to ‘Ramp Up’ Scrutiny of GOP over Impeachment Inquiry

The White House intends to urge the top executives of several mainstream news outlets to “ramp up” their scrutiny of House Republicans one day after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy opened an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, according to a draft letter obtained by CNN.

“It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies,” Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office, wrote in the draft letter, which is expected to be sent on Wednesday.

The letter does not include the list of media organizations, although a separate White House official reportedly said it will be sent to CNN, the New York Times, Fox News, the Associated Press, CBS News, and other outlets.

“Covering impeachment as a process story – Republicans say X, but the White House says Y – is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable,” Sams wrote.

“And in the modern media environment, where every day liars and hucksters peddle disinformation and lies everywhere from Facebook to Fox, process stories that fail to unpack the illegitimacy of the claims on which House Republicans are basing all their actions only serve to generate confusion, put false premises in people’s feeds, and obscure the truth,” Sams continued.

The official White House letter comes as McCarthy (R., Calif.)  announced an impeachment inquiry into Biden’s alleged involvement and influence in his son’s foreign business dealings, particularly relating to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. The inquiry was greenlit without a House vote.

The House speaker noted that House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R., Ky.), with the help of House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), will continue leading the investigation effort into whether the president during the House GOP’s investigation showed preferential treatment to Hunter Biden because of their relation.

“This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday. “It’s exactly what we want to know – the answers. I believe the president would want to answer these questions and allegations as well.”

The memo listed nine different statements from House Republicans, supporting the White House’s argument that there is no supporting evidence to warrant an impeachment inquiry.

Colorado representative Ken Buck was among the GOP lawmakers who have publicly said there has been no evidence presented yet. “The time for impeachment is the time when there’s evidence linking President Biden, if there’s evidence linking President Biden to a high crime or misdemeanor,” Buck said, adding the evidence “doesn’t exist right now.”

“Impeachment is grave, rare, and historic,” the memo read, citing the Constitution’s basis for impeachment as falling under “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”