STAFF REPORT, The Daily Sun, Aug 15, 2023.
SARASOTA — U.S. Rep. Greg Steube is being openly mocked by the Sarasota County Democratic Party for filing impeachment charges against President Joe Biden on Friday.
The local Democrat leaders called the charges “absurd and unfounded.”
Steube, who represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties along with a portion of Lee County, introduced the impeachment with four charges, including abuse of power, claiming Biden and his family have committed bribery, Hobbs Act extortion and Honest Services fraud, it states.
It names Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son; and James Biden, Joe Biden’s brother, in it. It says Hunter and James Biden “sold access” to Joe Biden when he was vice president from 2009-17.
“Without the slightest bit of evidence, Greg Steube tries to steal 10 minutes of media attention by filing articles of impeachment against Joe Biden,” Sarasota County Democratic Party Chair Daniel Kuether stated in a news release.
It notes area residents have been waiting for Steube “to help improve their lives” since November. Kuether calls the impeachment a “cynical bit of gamesmanship.”
It states Steube “has been chasing wild conspiracy theories instead of working to improve the lives of his Sarasota constituents since he was elected to represent the 17th Congressional District.”
Kuether also noted hypocrisy on Steube’s part. Steube voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“But (Steube) still had the audacity to take credit for Charlotte Harbor, which received a third of its funding from that bill,” he stated in the news release. “The Biden legislation has helped thousands of Sarasotans and Floridians to rebuild their lives and communities devastated by Hurricane Ian.”
It mocks Steube for also voting against awarding U.S. Capitol Police the Congressional Gold Medal for risking their lives to help protect Steube and others on Jan. 6, 2021. The news release notes he also voted against other bills that have passed into law and have brought federal funds to the region for veterans and to help reduce inflation.
“President Biden signed into law the most significant amount of progressive legislation since the 1930s – all of it opposed by Greg Steube,” Kuether said. “Instead of wasting the American people’s valuable time by filing impeachment charges that will go nowhere, Steube should do something to help our community with urgent affordable housing, home insurance, and hurricane- recovery needs.”
Steube stated Friday in a news release that Biden committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
“It’s long past time to impeach Joe Biden,” Steube said in the news release. “He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America’s citizens.”
On Friday afternoon, Steube followed up the impeachment cause by introducing a new bill called the Helping Understand Narcotics Traces at the Executive Residence Act — a play on words of Hunter Biden’s name. Hunter Biden has had a public fight with addiction. There has not been any evidence that Biden is responsible for cocaine found in the White House in July.
Steube said the U.S. Secret Service has not identified who is responsible for the cocaine. He wants a law to demand the director of the Secret Service make a report on the situation.
“The United States Secret Service (USSS) refers to themselves as one of the most elite law enforcement agencies in the world. It’s completely unacceptable that the USSS has failed to find who is responsible for bringing cocaine into one of the most secure buildings in the world,” Steube said in a news release. “The American people deserve answers. My legislation demands information on the closed investigation into the cocaine found at the White House in July and focuses on how Congress can provide oversight to prevent future illicit usage of controlled substances in the White House.”
