Sen. Graham defends his call to investigate Bidens, something ‘doesn’t pass the smell test’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has begun an investigation into corruption allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, concerning their business activities in Ukraine.

Graham has requested documents from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to see what, if any involvement Joe Biden had in getting Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin fired. Shokin had begun a probe into the gas company Burisma, where Hunter Biden had a seat on the board.

“My conscience is clear. I love Joe Biden as a person, he is a really decent man, he’s had a lot of tragedy in his life, but I have a conscience very clear right now. And I have a duty, if the House is going to shut it down the Senate is going to pick it up,” Graham told reporters in Charleston, South Carolina, reported The Hill.

“I’m not saying Joe did anything wrong, but I want to see the transcripts, and if there’s nothing there, I’ll be the first one to say there’s nothing there,” Graham said.

“I believe that Hunter Biden’s association on that board doesn’t pass the smell test. If a Republican was in the same boat, they would be eaten alive by the media,” Graham added.

I love Joe Biden as a person but we are not going to give a pass to what is obviously a conflict of interest.

I believe Hunter Biden’s association on the Burisma board doesn’t pass the smell test.

If a Republican was in the same position, they’d certainly be investigated!

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 25, 2019

Various news sources claim there is no substance to the president’s allegation that Biden applied pressure in Ukraine to have Shokin fired, as the investigation into Burisma had already ceased by the time Biden spoke out against Shokin.

However, Graham claims that “nobody … has looked at whether or not Hunter Biden used his political influence to protect the company he was serving on.”

“We are not going to have a country that ignores that because everybody in the media hates Trump,” Graham said to reporters, according to The Hill.

“I like Joe Biden. All I can say is that Joe didn’t pull any punches when he ran against McCain. That’s the way the system works. I like him fine, but we’re not going to have two systems,” Graham added.

Graham echoed the president’s sentiment on the impeachment inquiry, “I do not trust what’s going on in the House of Representatives. I do not trust Adam Schiff to be fair to the president,” Graham said, referring to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

President Trump has denied any wrongdoing or quid pro quo and calls impeachment inquiry a “witch hunt” by House Democrats.