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Congressional Integrity Project September 25 – September 29, 2023 Summary

Sep 29, 2023

This week, Congressional Integrity Project supplied our media contacts, allies, staff members on the Hill, and more with factsheets, roundups, and other content on James Comer’s first bogus Biden impeachment hearing. We provided factsheets of the right-wing MAGA ally witnesses invited to testify, highlighted all the House GOP members, conservative commentators, and other figures who are admitting there is no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden to warrant impeachment, fact-checked their various lies, and more. 

At this week’s first bogus impeachment hearing hosted by James Comer and his fellow MAGA House Republicans, Congressional Integrity Project sent observers wearing “No Evidence” t-shirts with Comer’s face.

Watch the Congressional Integrity Project’s new reel highlighting what an absolute disaster yesterday’s impeachment hearing was.

CIP also launched a new website feature, a regularly updated tracker with comments of GOP members of Congress and other right-wing commentators admitting there is no evidence in the bogus Biden impeachment inquiry.

Over the past nine months, MAGA House Republicans have failed to find a single shred of evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden, and this regularly updated rundown demonstrates that even members of the MAGA Republican party know it. Despite this, Republicans are focusing on partisan political stunts rather than the real issues Americans care about like preventing a government shutdown. An impeachment inquiry of President Biden is an embarrassing attempt to distract the public from their multitude of failures.

Check out the new website feature here

Congressional Integrity Project updated the James Comer’s 9 Months of Abject Failure report with a new failure of Comer’s! The report highlights the complete and total lack of evidence that James Comer has uncovered since taking over as chair of the House Oversight Committee. After weathering nine months of complete and utter failure while members of Comer’s own caucus have publicly expressed disdain at the glaring lack of evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever, MAGA Republicans are moving forward with an impeachment inquiry against President Biden without even a veneer of direct evidence to support their lurid claims.

Read the full report here

Congressman Daniel Goldman (NY-10), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and the lead counsel in the first impeachment of former President Trump, joined the Congressional Integrity Project to discuss the past nine months of failed investigations conducted by the House Oversight Committee ahead of Thursday’s bogus impeachment inquiry hearing. 

Watch the full press call here.

CIP sent out 22 rapid-response products, including statements, fact sheets, and roundups.

James Comer held the first impeachment inquiry hearing of President Biden. The hearing was an embarrassing and complete disaster for Republicans – and they know it.

James Comer held the first impeachment hearing, which as we predicted, will feature no new evidence of wrongdoing.

More GOP Members and conservative commentators have come out to admit that James Comer’s bogus Biden impeachment has no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden, whatsoever. 

Oversight Committee Republicans announced their witnesses for the first impeachment hearing since Speaker McCarthy opened the inquiry without a vote earlier this month.

The Congressional Integrity Project launched a new website feature, a regularly updated tracker with comments of GOP members of Congress and other right-wing commentators admitting there is no evidence in the bogus Biden impeachment inquiry.

Congressman Daniel Goldman (NY-10) joined the Congressional Integrity Project to discuss the past nine months of failed investigations conducted by the House Oversight Committee ahead of Thursday’s bogus impeachment inquiry hearing.

In a Fox News interview, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko completely blew up one of James Comer’s most repeated reasons for investigating Joe Biden: the firing of Victor Shokin.

Kevin McCarthy outlined more failed evidence in support of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden at a last-minute press conference. 

The Congressional Integrity Project updated our James Comer’s 9 Months of Abject Failure report with a new failure of Comer’s!

Despite Trump’s absence from the debate stage, MAGA Republicans in Congress and on the debate stage were expected to fall all over themselves defending him and attacking President Joe Biden. 

Ahead of the first impeachment hearing, it’s important to remember that not only is James Comer is a total hypocrite when it comes to influence peddling, he has also overpromised and underdelivered time and time again.

Comer is a curious pick to lead this sham investigation, not only because for nine months he has failed to show any evidence or wrongdoing, but because Comer himself is guilty of the false accusations MAGA Republicans are making against President Biden.

The facts you won’t hear from James Comer and Jim Jordan’s mouths.

CIP was mentioned or quoted in the following 18 articles or news appearances.

At this week’s bogus Biden Impeachment hearing, Rep. Jasmine Crockett attempted to enter CIP’s fact sheet, President Trump’s Shady Business Dealings With The Chinese Government, into the official record, only to be shot down by Chairman Comer, who clearly doesn’t want the fact sheet read. Watch the clip here.

Hannah Muldavin, Congressional Integrity Project’s Senior Communications Advisor on Anderson Cooper 360. [Video, 9/23/23]

Hannah Muldavin, Congressional Integrity Project’s Senior Communications Advisor on CNN. [Video, 9/23/23]

Hannah Muldavin, Congressional Integrity Project’s Senior Communications Advisor on MSNBC. [Video, 9/26/23]

Bloomberg: Biden Allies Seize on Impeachment as Weapon Against Republicans. “The House Democrats’ campaign arm is specifically targeting 18 House Republicans representing areas Biden won in 2020. Some have signaled wariness about the effort and do not want to take a tough impeachment vote. The Congressional Integrity Project, an outside group run by Democratic operatives, just launched a digital ad campaign in those 18 districts, calling on the Republicans to address ‘real priorities, not bogus impeachment stunts.’ The group also commissioned a poll of voters in those districts, cited by Goldman and other Democrats, that found 56% of voters in those districts, and 61% of independent voters, think an impeachment inquiry would be more about damaging Biden politically than about finding the truth.” [Bloomberg, 9/23/23]

Raw Story: Republicans rely on ‘shameless’ lawyer Turley for first Biden impeachment hearing: analysts. “‘Let’s be clear: Jonathan Turley is a MAGA hypocrite. He is a Trump loyalist who defended Trump during his first and second impeachment trials, demonstrating blatant hypocrisy time and time again,’ said the Congressional Integrity Project.” [Raw Story, 9/25/23]

Washington Examiner: Majority of voters say impeachment inquiry will hold Biden accountable: Poll. “The survey also shows a slight shift in attitude from last month when 56% of voters said an impeachment inquiry would be more politically motivated, compared to just 38% who said it would be ‘more of a serious effort to investigate important problems,’ according to a separate poll from the left-leaning Congressional Integrity Project and Public Policy Polling.” [Washington Examiner, 9/25/23]

New Civil Rights Movement: Poll Finds Majority Oppose Impeachment Inquiry as House GOP Kicks Off Hearings Two Days Before Likely Shutdown “The Congressional Integrity Project, a group of Democratic strategists, have published what it calls a “regularly updated rundown of Republican commentators, Members of Congress, and media personalities” who have indicated there is not sufficient evidence to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. It includes recent statements from Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).” [New Civil Rights Movement, 9/28/23]

Alternet: Poll finds majority oppose impeachment inquiry as House GOP kicks off hearings days before likely shutdown. “The Congressional Integrity Project, a group of Democratic strategists, have published what it calls a “regularly updated rundown of Republican commentators, Members of Congress, and media personalities” who have indicated there is not sufficient evidence to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. It includes recent statements from Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).” [Alternet, 9/28/23]

Various Capitol Hill reporters tweeted about the Congressional Integrity Project’s “Comer No Evidence” t-shirts. 

  • Stephen Neukam @stephen_neukam Spotted outside the GOP’s first impeachment probe hearing this morning [Twitter, 9/28/23]
  • Kadia Goba @kadiagoba Not a huge crowd outside of this impeachment inquiry hearing into President Joe Biden but this person led the line of early birds waiting to enter the room. [Twitter, 9/28/23]
  • Rebecca Beitsch @RebeccaBeitsch A custom t-shirt crew in the first row of the impeachment hearing. [Twitter, 9/28/23]

Raw Story: Poll Finds Majority Oppose Impeachment Inquiry as House GOP Kicks Off Hearings Two Days Before Likely Shutdown. “The Congressional Integrity Project, a group of Democratic strategists, have published what it calls a “regularly updated rundown of Republican commentators, Members of Congress, and media personalities” who have indicated there is not sufficient evidence to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. It includes recent statements from Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).” [Raw Story, 9/28/23]

Washington Post: No pay for troops? Fine. But the Hunter Biden probe? Essential! Congressional Integrity Project’s “No Evidence” t-shirts. 

[Washington Post, 9/29/23]

New York Magazine: Republicans Held an Impeachment Hearing and It Turned Into a Clown Show. “The hearing, which was an effort to lay out the Republican case for connecting Biden with his son Hunter’s sleazy overseas business dealings, started with some promise. The hearing room overflowed with reporters and the full array of perennial hearing attendees. The left-wing Congressional Integrity Project sent observers — one in a mask — wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the face of committee chair James Comer and the slogan “no evidence” written above it. Only a few chairs down sat the mother of Ashli Babbitt, the insurrectionist shot dead by Capitol Police on January 6 while trying to break into the House chamber, and conservative media personality Tom Fitton.” [New York Magazine, 9/28/23]

The Hill: Democrat in impeachment hearing calls out GOP for ignoring Trump charges. “The Texas Democrat presented a fact sheet from the Congressional Integrity Project detailing Trump’s financial dealings with China. Crockett said the GOP was too focused on Hunter Biden, instead of the allegations against the president. ‘If they would continue to say ‘if’ or ‘Hunter’ and we’re playing a drinking game, I would be drunk by now because I promise you, they have not talked about the subject of this, which would be the president,’ Crockett said.” [The Hill, 9/28/23]

Forward Kentucky: We’ve seen enough: The MAGA GOP’s bogus impeachment inquiry is an unmitigated disaster. Via press release from the Congressional Integrity Project “Today, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer held the first impeachment inquiry hearing of President Biden. The hearing was an embarrassing and complete disaster for Republicans – and they know it. The day was filled with MAGA loyalist witnesses who exposed the lack of evidence, a mention of the Congressional Integrity Project (hi, Chairman!), custom “Comer NO Evidence” T-shirts, and more. In response, Congressional Integrity Project executive director Kyle Herrig issued the following statement: ‘Even for James Comer, who has failed consistently for 9 months to prove anything against Joe Biden at all, today’s hearing was an absolute disaster. Members of his own party are openly trashing him, and he was made to look like a complete fool by his own witnesses. Today’s shenanigans would almost be funny if the whole thing wasn’t such a waste of time while the government lurches to a government shutdown of MAGA Republicans’ own making. If anyone was still wondering if this impeachment inquiry was nothing more than an unserious political stunt, this hearing put all doubts to rest.’” [Forward Kentucky, 9/29/23]

The Bulwark: Comer’s Fiasco. “Other conservative commentators have also been underwhelmed. The folks from the Democratic-aligned Congressional Integrity Project have been keeping track…”

 [The Bulwark, 9/29/23]

Daily Kos: Rep. Crockett has 5 minutes of mic-drop moments during impeachment hearing. “Comer: What are you entering in? A record from who? Crockett: This is from the Congressional Integrity. Comer: Congressional Integrity Project, the dark-money PAC. I object. Object to that too. Crockett: Of course y’all are going to object, but we gon’ talk about it.” [Daily Kos, 9/28/23]