GOP's own witness pours cold water on Biden impeachment: 'I do not believe the evidence meets the standard'

Lawyer Jonathan Turley was ridiculed as "shameless" after he was announced as a Republican witness willing to speak out at the House Oversight hearing that would advocate for the impeachment of President Joe Biden.

But, as the hearing started Thursday, he was pouring cold water on the GOP's plan.

In a statement, the George Washington University Law School professor declared: “I do not believe that the evidence currently meets the standard of a high crime and misdemeanor needed for an article of impeachment.”

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?

Instead, Turley intends to use his time on the stand to attack the past impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

"The purpose of my testimony today is to discuss how past inquiries pursued evidence of potentially impeachable conduct," the statement continues.

"Four years ago, I appeared as an expert witness in the only impeachment hearing held in the first impeachment of former president Donald J. Trump," Turley says. "While opposing many of the proposed articles of impeachment, I testified that two possible articles presented viable impeachable conduct, if proven. However, I maintained that the House needed to create a full record to support those articles. (Those two articles were the articles later adopted by the House.)"

Turley said that while the standard doesn't reach an actual impeachment of Biden, an "inquiry" is allowed.

"My testimony also reflects the fact that I do believe that, after months of investigation, the House has passed the threshold for an inquiry into whether President Joe Biden was directly involved or benefited from the corrupt practices of his son, Hunter, and others," his statement continues.

"Since my testimony focuses on the historical and legal aspects of this inquiry, I will leave much of the discussion of the evidence to my fellow witnesses and to the Committee members themselves. However, I believe that the record has developed to the point that the House needs to answer troubling questions surrounding the President. As discussed below, polls indicate that most of the country shares those concerns while expressing doubts over the Biden Administration investigating potential criminal conduct."

Impeachments require a vote of the full House. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) hasn't held a vote and political analysts assume it is because he doesn't have enough support for it to pass.

Read the full statement here.