Freedom Caucus Chair calls reporter "blind" when asked for "actual evidence" justifying impeachment

“I have evidence - trust me” - Scott Perry

“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” — George Orwell

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) is the Chair of the House GOP Freedom Caucus — the zealots who think run-of-the-mill extreme Republicans are Democrats in disguise (aka RINOs). Two things turn Perry on in public. One is impeaching Joe Biden. The other is shutting the government down. At a news conference on Tuesday, he combined the two.

The government has funding through the end of the federal fiscal year (September 30th). After that, without a budget agreement, the government will close down. The Freedom Caucus thinks this is a splendid idea, if relatively normal Republicans and the Democrats do not meet their various demands about balanced budgets, term limits, border control, etc. Not that Perry thinks this is an attempted extortion. In addressing reports that he is willing to take the government to the shutdown edge and beyond, he played innocent.

“We’re not here to talk about brinksmanship. No one is here interested in a pause in government funding. What we’re interested in is taking the Biden boot off the neck of the American people.”

Translated, this is: "This is a nice government you have here. It would be a shame if anything happened to it.”

After his remarks, he took a few questions from reporters on the Capitol stairs. One was:

"Can I just ask, what actual evidence do you have, as opposed to allegations, to show to the American public that would merit an actual impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden and prove that today isn't just about some of you?"

The reporter also asked if Perry was motivated by “political revenge.” Perry answered testily, his voice rising:

“This isn’t about political revenge. We have the bank accounts we can see, ma’am. You can see that the homes that the Bidens own can’t be afforded on a congressional or Senate salary.

You also understand that it’s not normal for family members to receive millions of dollars from overseas interests. Those things aren’t normal. That’s not normal. Have 20 shell country companies, these things are not normal. And it alludes to not only just widespread corruption, but money laundering, if not influence peddling itself.”

In short, Perry has no “actual evidence”. Note: Anger is a typical tell that someone is lying — as are long-winded answers. Especially when those answers are nonspecific, contain lies, and are hyperbolic.

Let us review his claim that the Bidens cannot afford the homes they own. As a Senator for 36 years, Biden earned $6,624,000 in today's dollars. As VP he earned $1,880,800. Joe and Jill received a rumored $8,000,000 for a three-book deal in 2017. And after his VP stint, he gave c.50 speeches at up to $200,000 per. Not to mention that Jill still works as a teacher.

Lumping it all together, it adds up to more than $20 million (conservatively). And that does not include money from investments — nor Joe's current $400,000 salary. The Biden’s have more than just a Senate salary — which is not too shabby in the first place.

What of Perry’s claim that it is "not normal" for families to get overseas money? Two thoughts. One, the Trumps — including Donald — did. Two, even Perry does not have the gall to say Joe himself got foreign money, despite his phrasing that implied Joe did.

As for hyperbole — “20 shell country companies,” “widespread corruption,” money laundering, and “influence peddling itself” — what, no fraudulent asset inflation, charity cheating, or ripping off his “University” students? How about luxury vacations from “close friends”?

Perry then added a thoroughly debunked and ancient conservative talking point about then-VP Biden demanding the Ukrainians fire a prosecutor to help his son.

“And we also have the president, the vice president at the time on record saying that the prosecutor was fired. Well, son of a bitch! The prosecutor was fired, Right. Because the prosecutor was going after the company that his son was working on.”

Perry concludes with what he thought was a coup de grâce but was instead a confession that he had nothing.

“That’s what we have. If you can’t see that. If you want, if you are that blind, I’ll turn it over to the attorneys.”

What he has is innuendo, lies, and projection. What he does not have is “actual evidence.” Because if he had, then “the attorneys,” Fox News, and the entire MAGAsphere would already have it.