CNBNews

Lisa McCormick calls for Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 Democratic nomination amid new revelations

Progressive Democrat Lisa McCormick is calling for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the campaign for the 2024 Democratic nomination, citing new revelations that challenge the White House's sweeping denials regarding the President's alleged meeting with Ukrainian executive Vadym Pozharskyi.

"There is every reason to believe that President Joe Biden will lose a rematch against Republican Donald Trump, despite the crimes and incompetence that surround the would-be dictator," said McCormick. "The latest revelations about Hunter Biden's improperly involving his father, while he was vice president of the United States, with an executive from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, can only weaken the Democratic Party."

"President Biden's meeting with the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and failure to address the Climate Crisis significantly eroded my support for him," said McCormick, who published a statement to that effect on July 18, 2022. "His subsequent actions have not regained my trust and support, especially his efforts to cheat in order to deny voters a fair choice in the primaries."

"If this is the most important election in history, why won't party bosses allow voters to choose a stronger, more capable nominee than the incumbent?" asked McCormick.  "The latest news casts doubt on his integrity and honesty, so it just does not make sense to nominate a likely loser."

The controversy centers around a previously disputed April 2015 dinner at Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C. Emails found on Hunter Biden's laptop suggested that the dinner involved both his father, Joe Biden, and an executive from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, which Hunter Biden served on the board. An email from Vadym Pozharskyi, the Ukrainian executive, immediately following the dinner, expressed gratitude to Hunter Biden for the opportunity to meet his father, who was vice president of the United States.

The White House has consistently denied that any meeting occurred between Joe Biden and Vadym Pozharskyi, even going as far as to rule out any informal encounter. These denials have been reiterated several times, with Joe Biden's representatives defending him against criticism related to his family's business dealings by issuing blanket denials of misconduct and disclaiming contact with their business affairs.

However, a recent investigation by Ben Schreckinger, a national political correspondent for Politico Magazine, has brought to light evidence that calls these denials into question. In his Special Report published by Politico, Schreckinger explores a series of recent revelations that challenge Joe Biden's statements and his representatives' claims.

"Democracy is hanging by a thread," said McCormick, who took four of ten votes away from US Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 Democratic primary election.  "Biden's lack of progress on key issues such as climate change, foreign policy, and domestic legislation raises concerns about his ability to effectively lead the country but there is no doubt that he would probably lose."

The controversy surrounding the Cafe Milano dinner has persisted due to doubts cast over the authenticity of the emails that initially described the event. While the Biden campaign suggested that the emails could be part of a Russian disinformation campaign, subsequent reporting has accumulated evidence supporting the authenticity of the emails, including forensic analysis and interviews with individuals knowledgeable about the correspondence.

Additionally, testimony from a former Hunter Biden business partner, Devon Archer, who was present at the dinner, contradicted the White House's denials. Archer testified under penalty of perjury before the House Oversight Committee, stating that Joe Biden dined with Vadym Pozharskyi at Cafe Milano in April 2015.

The call for Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 campaign is significant because it reflects broad dissatisfaction among Democratic voters. McCormick was a candidate for US Senate who took four of ten votes cast in New Jersey's 2018 Democratic primary. 

While no evidence of wrongdoing by the President has been presented, the growing doubts surrounding the statements made by Joe Biden and his representatives have led to increased scrutiny and questions about his involvement in his family's business affairs.

This latest development adds a new layer of complexity to the upcoming 2024 presidential campaign, and the political landscape is likely to see further shifts and challenges as these revelations continue to be investigated and discussed.

For more details and the full Special Report by Ben Schreckinger, please visit Politico's website.