“This is an embarrassment to the time and people of this country,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York Thursday during the first hearing regarding an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Ocasio-Cortez had two main gripes with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, which is conducting the inquiry. First, she noted that one of the members (identified by The Hill as Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida) shared a fabricated image as evidence. Second, she criticized the lack of key material witnesses.
“Earlier today, one of our colleagues, a gentleman from Florida, presented up on this screen something that looked – appeared – to be a screenshot of a text message containing or insinuating an explosive allegation.
That screenshot, of what appeared to be a text message, was a fabricated image,” she said regarding the first issue.
Additionally, Ocasio-Cortez said that “what was brought out from that fabricated image excluded critical context that changed the underlying meaning and allegation,” that was presented by the committee.”
The Congress member from New York also asked all three witnesses called by committee if they had “first hand witness account,” of any crimes committed by the president. Each said no.
These witnesses were: Bruce Dubsinky, a forensic accountant; Eileen O’Connor, who served as former President George Bush’s assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice’s tax division and a member of the conservative Federalist Society, and Jonathan Turley, who teaches law at George Washington University and is a regular commentator on FOX News, according to Forbes.
University of North Carolina law professor Michael Gerhardt, the witness called by Democrats, confirmed that there have been no first-hand witnesses called.
“So, we are wasting our time,” said Ocasio-Cortez.
Turley even believes “the current evidence presented against the Bidens was not enough to warrant impeachment,” according to C-SPAN. CNN also reported that Republicans were disappointed in the first hearing.
“You want witnesses that make your case. Picking witnesses that refute House Republicans arguments for impeachment is mind blowing,” one unnamed senior GOP aide told the outlet. “This is an unmitigated disaster.”