`Bunch of malarkey': Biden dismisses GOP bribery allegations

WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden dismissed as “malarkey” a House GOP accusation that he was involved in a multi-million dollar bribery scheme on Thursday.

“Where's the money?” Biden said in response to a shouted question from a reporter after his news conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. "I’m joking. That’s a bunch of malarkey.”

The question came after members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee had their first chance Thursday to review an FBI investigative document.

The document, which contains information from a confidential source including some that is unverified, alleges that Biden was involved in a $5 million bribery scheme, according to Rep. James Comer, head of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

The top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, said the allegations were debunked during a 2020 review by the Justice Department during the Trump administration.

House Republicans say they're investigating possible influence peddling based on payments from foreigners in Romania and China to nine of Biden's relatives and their business associates, but without evidence of direct payments to Biden or changes in national policy.

After Comer threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the FBI for the first time in history unless the agency provided the document, all members of the committee were allowed to review it.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., tweeted: “It's undeniable this document is legitimate.”

White House spokesman Ian Sams said Comer’s committee repeatedly promises bombshells in its investigations of the Biden family and then can’t back them up with evidence.

“Now one of its leaders vows *impeachment* over a claim law enforcement in the Trump Admin `couldn't corroborate' (CNN), `found to not be supported by facts' (WaPo) and `was not substantiated' (NBC),” Sams tweeted.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden dismisses GOP bribery allegations as malarkey