Though some Republicans may blame House oversight committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) for their failure to impeach President Joe Biden, the real reason is simple: The whole party bought into long-debunked conspiracy theories peddled by their leader, Donald Trump.

And the impeachment inquiry has been a true team effort, with backing from leadership and Comer sharing investigatory duties with House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and especially House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

The inquiry spanned a wide range of topics, from Hunter Bidens million-dollar business deals to his budding art career and to the Justice Departments alleged failure to lock him up for not paying taxes. Comer and company have highlighted payments to the younger Biden by foreign nationals from all over the world and shown that Joe Biden would occasionally meet and greet his sons benefactors.

Hunter Bidens work for the Ukrainian gas giant Burisma, however, received special attention, because when he took a board position with the company in 2014, his father served as the face of U.S. policy toward Ukraine. The Ukraine connection offered Republicans the only potential example of the elder Biden taking an official action benefiting his family.

But the Ukraine corruption story has been repeatedly investigated, starting in 2019 after then-president Trump tried to coerce Ukraine into announcing an investigation into the Bidens, withholding military aid and getting impeached in the process.

It was stale, moldy pizza left over from the Ukraine shakedown, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the oversight committee, said in an interview. The whole Burisma lie has this overwhelming stench of Russian disinformation and propaganda.

Nevertheless, one Republican lawmaker told CNN this week that people wish Comer had reined in his rhetoric about the Biden investigation, so as to temper expectations. Another complained that he should have sent out subpoenas faster. Comer said he wouldnt have done anything differently.