Republicans worried Ron Johnson's investigation of Obama officials will blow up in their faces: report

According to a report from Politico, not all Republicans are on-board with an investigation by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) into the actions of former officials who served President Barack Obama's administration, fearing it could blow up in their faces during a tough election year.

Johnson, in his capacity as the senior Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is set to open an inquiry into officials in the previous administration who were involved in the federal government's investigation into Russian ties to Donald Trump's presidential campaign in a move that, reportedly, will please Donald Trump.

According to the report, "He [Johnson] is also investigating corruption allegations involving Hunter Biden, the son of the Democratic presidential nominee, stemming from the younger Biden’s role on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Trump and congressional Republicans have claimed the former vice president sought to shield his son from a Ukrainian-led investigation into Burisma — though Biden denies the allegation," with Politico adding that, "In both instances, Democrats have accused Johnson of abusing his power, misusing the Senate’s oversight resources to boost Trump’s political prospects, and even operating a Russian disinformation front that jeopardizes U.S. election security — all serious allegations, even in today’s hyperpartisan Senate."

Democrats are not the only ones having misgivings about Johnson's hearings, as some Republicans think there are more important fights for the party to engage in with the economy in free-fall and GOP prospects at the ballot box not looking good.

"Privately, Senate Republicans are worried that the efforts to relitigate the Russia investigation and the events of 2016 could backfire, according to a GOP senator who was granted anonymity to candidly address the situation," Politico's Andrew Desiderio reports. "Republicans are especially concerned about the perception that their priorities are not in order as the country is reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, staggeringly high unemployment and unrest over recent police killings of unarmed African Americans."

According to one Democrat, Johnson is wasting his time and carrying water for the Republican National Committee.

“We’re in the middle of a pandemic and a peaceful uprising against police brutality, and [Johnson is] running errands for the Republican National Committee,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI said in an interview. “And it’s a misuse of his position.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) -- who is also launching a similar investigation -- came to Johnson's defense and said that neither he nor his Republican colleague are doing Trump's bidding.

“So I think [Johnson] is just sort of a good-government guy, and that’s driving his passion,” Graham explained. "Nobody said that about me when I supported the Mueller investigation. I was a great guy. Now that I want to know how it got so off the rails and got so corrupt, I’m shilling for Trump. Not gonna work.”

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