Cherry-Picked Evidence in Biden's Impeachment Investigation

At the time an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden was launched in September, we wrote that House Republicans had not provided proof that Biden was involved in the business dealings of his family members, or that Biden ever used his position as vice president to assist companies on his family's behalf.

That has not changed.

However, some Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability are now claiming that a five-year-old personal check to Biden from his brother, James, proves that Biden "benefited from his family’s influence peddling scheme" and is even guilty of "money laundering."

But as FactCheck.org's Deputy Managing Editor Robert Farley writes, such claims "have outpaced the evidence so far."

That's because the $200,000 payment from James Biden to Joe Biden on March 1, 2018, was labeled a "loan repayment" on the memo line, and the White House and Democrats on the oversight committee say bank records also show a payment from Joe Biden to his brother six weeks prior, which they say is consistent with a no-interest, short-term loan to a family member. Rob obtained an Excel spreadsheet of wire transfer records and check images that are consistent with the White House’s account.

The funds James Biden used to repay Joe Biden appear to have come from a company, Americore Health, that said it loaned James Biden the money because his last name and political connections could help "obtain a large investment from the Middle East."

To Rep. James Comer, the oversight committee's Republican chairman, this means that Joe Biden was in on the "influence peddling scheme." But that link hasn’t been established, Rob says.

To learn more about the available evidence, read "Cherry-Picking 'Influence' Payment from James to Joe Biden."

Reader: Is there a bill in the U.S. to require 18 year olds to sign up for a draft?

FactCheck.org Staff Writer D'Angelo Gore: Under existing federal law, nearly all male citizens and immigrants in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register with the Selective Service System. That independent federal agency maintains a list of eligible individuals who can be drafted via lottery to rapidly expand the U.S. military during a national emergency.

But there has been no military conscription in the U.S. since 1973, when the country moved to an all-volunteer military force, and no one in Congress has recently introduced a bill to bring back the draft, which requires congressional authorization.

With ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas, social media posts have falsely claimed that President Joe Biden and the U.S. military have called for a new draft, which is not the case.

In fact, the administration hasn’t even suggested that the all-volunteer military will fight in these conflicts. Biden has said he "will not send American troops to fight in Ukraine," and John Kirby, the White House National Security Council coordinator for strategic communication, has said "there are no plans or intentions to put U.S. boots on the ground in combat in Israel."

Wrapping Up

Here's what else we've got for you this week:

• "Biden’s Misleading Talking Point on $100K No-Degree Jobs": While touting investments in semiconductor factories in the U.S., President Joe Biden has repeatedly left the misleading impression that new jobs at the facilities would pay well more than $100,000 a year for those without a college degree. But Intel has said $135,000 is the average salary for thousands of jobs, including those requiring advanced degrees.
   
• "COVID-19 Vaccines Have Not Been Shown to Alter DNA, Cause Cancer": Small amounts of DNA from the manufacturing process may remain in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Purification and quality control steps ensure any leftover DNA is present within regulatory limits. There isn’t reason to think that this residual DNA would alter a person’s DNA or cause cancer, contrary to claims made online.
   
• "Viral Post Uses Altered Audio of Interview with Greta Thunberg": Greta Thunberg recalled in a 2022 BBC interview how she began her environmental activism. But a recent video shared on social media deceptively alters the audio from that interview, making it appear that Thunberg called for the use of eco-friendly military weapons and “vegan grenades.” The altered video originated on a site that labeled it as satire.
   
• "Vitamin K Injection for Babies Is Safe and Can Save Lives, Contrary to Post": An injection of vitamin K for babies has been recommended and used safely for more than 60 years. It prevents life-threatening bleeding in newborns. But a viral post incorrectly claims the shot is harmful and unnecessary.
   
• "Posts Use Fabricated Audio to Misrepresent CNN Report During Rocket Attack in Israel": A CNN report on Oct. 9 showed a news crew in Israel taking shelter in a roadside ditch during a rocket attack. But social media posts used fabricated audio of the news coverage to falsely claim the reporters were "faking an attack." The audio was altered by a conservative commentary organization that acknowledged "the voice over isn’t real."

• "La inyección de vitamina K para bebés es segura y puede salvar vidas, al contrario de lo que dice una publicación": Por más de 60 años se recomienda y utiliza de forma segura una inyección de vitamina K para bebés. Esta previene sangrados que pueden ser mortales para los recién nacidos. Pero una publicación viral afirma incorrectamente que es dañina e innecesaria.
   
• "Publicaciones utilizan audio fabricado para tergiversar el informe de CNN durante el ataque con cohetes en Israel": Un informe de CNN del 9 de octubre mostró a un equipo de noticias en Israel refugiándose en una zanja al borde de una carretera durante un ataque con cohetes. Pero publicaciones en las redes sociales utilizaron un audio fabricado de la cobertura de noticias para afirmar falsamente que los reporteros estaban “fingiendo un ataque”. El audio fue alterado por una organización de opinión conservadora que reconoció que la voz en off no es real.