House GOP Announces New Probe of Biden Family

House Republicans laid out new "top priority" plans on Thursday to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.

Key Quotes: "This is an investigation of Joe Biden, the president of the United States, and why he lied to the American people about his participation in his family’s international business schemes," said Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who's set to head the House Oversight Committee next year. Comer also told CNN that "There’s no plans to subpoena Joe Biden. There are plans to subpoena Hunter Biden." A White House counsel's office spokesman criticized the "politically motivated attacks" from Republicans that were purportedly "chock full of long-debunked conspiracy theories."

For Context: Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, especially when his father served as vice president, have been the subject of years of scrutiny from Republicans and conservative media. Hunter Biden is also the focus of a federal probe into potential tax fraud. A 2020 New York Post (Lean Right bias) report on Hunter and a laptop that belonged to him provided new evidence of possible wrongdoing by the Bidens and evidence that Hunter arranged meetings and possible payments between foreign business leaders and his father. The story subsequently ignited a media and censorship firestorm around the 2020 presidential election. Joe Biden maintains that he never discussed Hunter's foreign business dealings with him.

How the Media Covered It: Right-rated sources covered the probe much more than left- and center-rated sources, with many framing the First Family as guilty of wrongdoing.