Republicans are planning to ramp up Biden investigations as he takes office: report

On Thursday, Politico reported that Senate Republicans intend to continue investigations into President-elect Joe Biden's family after he has taken office.

"In the Senate, where GOP control hinges on two Jan. 5 runoffs in Georgia, Republican lawmakers are plotting ways to expand and intensify their investigations targeting the former Obama administration and President-elect Joe Biden and his son Hunter, with Senate Republicans saying they will use the lame duck period to ramp up their probes," reported Kyle Cheney and Andrew Desiderio.

"'We’re not going to stop,' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said as he concluded a hearing this week on the FBI’s handling of its investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia — a probe the president has railed against for four years," said the report. "'Because this is fundamental to democracy that the law enforcement community acts based on evidence, not based on bias.'"

Republicans have failed to unearth any evidence that the Russia investigation was politically motivated, although they have discovered some minor violations of protocol in the FISA warrant process. They have similarly not found any evidence that Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine was improper, despite Trump being impeached for allegedly trying to extort the president of Ukraine into announcing an investigation.

Democrats, on the flip side, likely plan to continue their existing probes of misconduct by the Trump administration.

"Some House aides suggested Speaker Nancy Pelosi would ultimately decide which probes to continue or phase out, in consultation with Biden’s transition and administration," said the report. "Trump is still a powerful motivating force for Democrats and — much as Trump made Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton a foil for his entire term — Democrats are unlikely to sheathe their swords for Trump, particularly as voices in his orbit whisper about the prospect of a 2024 bid."