House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is demanding Speaker Nancy Pelosi suspend the entire impeachment inquiry until she agrees to a massive list of ultimatums that would effectively give the GOP equal control over the process.
McCarthy has a damaged and troubled history. As the number two man in GOP leadership he openly admitted that House Republicans spent millions of taxpayer dollars and an unlimited number of hours on a two-year Benghazi investigation, all with the express purpose of harming Hillary Clinton’s presidential election prospects.
“Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping,” McCarthy admitted on tape.
In 2016, just one month before Donald Trump officially became the Republican Party’s nominee for president, McCarthy was caught on tape admitting he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin “pays” Donald Trump.
“Swear to God,” McCarthy added.
But now McCarthy has sent a two-page letter telling the Speaker of the House how to conduct the impeachment investigation.
“By answering ‘no’ to any of” his demands, McCarthy writes, the impeachment would be “completely devoid of any merit or legitimacy,” he claims.
That claim is false.
For example, McCarthy demands she provide “the President’s counsel the right to object to the admittance of evidence.” He also demands she give “the President’s counsel the right to cross-examine witnesses.”
And he is demanding Speaker Pelosi “grant co-equal subpoena power” to Republicans on each of the committees working on impeachment.
McCarthy’s letter came out after Trump stunningly stood on the White House lawn Thursday morning and asked China to dig up dirt on Joe Biden.