In a surprising turn of events, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Democrat Jamie Raskin, has been engaging in closed-door discussions with Republican lawmakers in an attempt to dissuade them from supporting the impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the conversations have revealed to Fox News Digital that Raskin has been meeting with conservative and moderate Republicans to present counterarguments and address concerns raised by the GOP.

The sources further disclosed that some Republicans have shown an unexpected openness to considering the Biden administration's cooperation with investigators, a fact that Raskin has been using to bolster his case against the impeachment effort. Seeking to provide a comprehensive view, House Oversight Democrats have prepared "fact sheets" to share with both Democrats and Republicans, outlining their reasons for opposing the inquiry.

One of the memos obtained by Fox News Digital focuses on countering allegations of obstruction by defending the Biden administration and private individuals, including banks, for their "extraordinary cooperation" with the committee's investigation. Another memo provided justification for the firing of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, citing bipartisan and international efforts to combat corruption in Ukraine as the underlying reason.

Meanwhile, House Oversight Republicans have been scrutinizing an FBI-generated FD-1023 form, which alleges a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and the CEO of Burisma Holdings, Mykola Zlochevsky. The document, based on the FBI's interviews with a "highly credible" confidential source, contains allegations that Zlochevsky was coerced into making large payments to the Bidens in exchange for the firing of Shokin.

The FD-1023 has been handed over to Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018. Weiss's mandate was expanded by Attorney General Merrick Garland to include any other relevant issues that may arise during the investigation. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has emphasized the importance of gathering evidence and holding President Biden accountable for alleged corruption, despite Democratic efforts to thwart the committee's fact-finding mission.

In addition, Democrats have prepared a memo addressing the funds received by Joe Biden from his brother, James Biden, in 2017 and 2018. The checks, amounting to $200,000 and $40,000 respectively, were labeled as "loan repayments." Democrats assert that these were short-term, interest-free loans between family members, but House Oversight Republicans are demanding documentation from the White House to substantiate the claim.

Republicans have raised questions about the timing of the $40,000 payment, which coincided with James Biden receiving funds from Hunter Biden, who had received a $5 million wire transfer from a Chinese energy company. They argue that this transaction demonstrates how Joe Biden may have benefited from his family's foreign business dealings.

President Biden has consistently denied any involvement in his son's foreign business activities and has dismissed allegations as baseless. Recent revelations indicate that Biden used an email alias to communicate with his son and his son's business partner during his time as vice president, raising further questions about the extent of his knowledge and involvement.

The discussions led by Jamie Raskin come ahead of a House Rules Committee meeting where a resolution to formalize the impeachment inquiry framework against President Biden will be considered. The impeachment inquiry, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, aims to investigate foreign contributions to the Biden family, President Biden's involvement in their business ventures, and any potential obstruction of the investigation.

As the debate surrounding the impeachment inquiry intensifies, it remains to be seen whether Raskin's efforts to sway Republicans will have any significant impact on the outcome of the proceedings.