I’ll see your impeachment inquiry, and raise you one Senate investigation. It seems that’s the stakes that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is playing as he has launched a probe into former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and their alleged ties to Ukrainian corruption and the gas company Burisma.
Graham sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday, requesting documents related to former vice president Joe Biden and his communications with Ukrainian officials — a step seen as a GOP effort to counter the House impeachment investigation of President Trump.
Graham’s inquiry focuses on any calls Biden may have had with former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the firing of the country’s top prosecutor, or any calls that referenced Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company where Biden’s son Hunter sat on the board.
As originally reported by the Washington Post, Graham’s letter begins a probe into Trump’s claim that Biden – who at the time was vice president – put pressure on Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in an attempt to protect his son.
Taylor Reidy, a spokeswoman for Graham, told the Washington Post that the senator is now seeking the documents because “[Rep.] Adam Schiff and the House Intel Committee have made it clear they will not look into the issues about Hunter Biden and Burisma.”
Reidy continued, “Senator Graham is requesting documents which could shed additional light on that issue and hopes they will be able to answer some of the outstanding questions.”