The Oversight Committee of the House, under the leadership of its chair, James Comer from Kentucky, recently declared that they, along with the Judiciary Committee, are preparing for public discussions on a resolution. This resolution seeks to accuse Hunter Biden of contempt of Congress due to his refusal to participate in a deposition.
Chairman Comer explained that both the House panels are gearing up for votes on the contempt charges against the son of President Joe Biden. This action is part of the GOP’s extensive impeachment investigation that has been ongoing for several months. Should the committees approve these charges, they will be moved to the House floor for a conclusive vote.
Last month, Biden declined a closed-door meeting with the committees, which was requested through a subpoena. He instead chose to conduct a press conference at the Capitol, where he delivered a statement but refrained from answering questions from journalists.
Comer, along with Jim Jordan, the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee from Ohio, issued a statement highlighting significant findings from their investigation. These findings suggest that President Biden was aware of, participated in, and benefitted from his family’s financial gains linked to their name. They intended to question Hunter Biden about these findings, but he chose to ignore the subpoenas, opting instead to read a statement outside the Capitol rather than testifying as required.
According to their statement, Hunter Biden’s deliberate non-compliance with the subpoenas is viewed as contempt of Congress. This action justifies a referral for prosecution to the relevant U.S. Attorney’s Office. The statement emphasized that Hunter Biden would not receive preferential treatment due to his family name.
The scheduled markup hearing is set for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. and will be available for online streaming.
Hunter Biden and his legal representatives have repeatedly criticized the GOP’s subpoena for closed-door testimony, arguing that the information obtained could be selectively leaked and misused. Hunter Biden has insisted that he would only provide testimony in a public setting.
In a statement made last month outside the Capitol, Hunter Biden questioned the Republicans’ reluctance for an open process, suggesting that they might be apprehensive about the exposure of their tactics or the baselessness of their inquiry.
For several months, the Republicans have been conducting an impeachment inquiry to establish a connection between the Democratic president and his son’s business activities. While their focus is on the president, they have shown a particular interest in Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, alleging that the president profited from these dealings. The Republicans have also been investigating whistleblower claims about interference in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax affairs and gun usage.
The upcoming Wednesday hearings on contempt of Congress precede Hunter Biden’s initial court appearance regarding tax charges. These charges, filed by a special counsel in Los Angeles, include three felony and six misdemeanor counts related to tax issues.
In response to these charges, Biden’s defense lawyer, Abbe Lowell, accused special counsel David Weiss of succumbing to Republican pressure in this matter.
