Republicans on the Home judiciary and oversight committees introduced they are going to meet subsequent week to think about holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress, after he defied their subpoena to look for a closed-door deposition final month.
The committees will meet on Wednesday to think about a report recommending a contempt of Congress decision towards President Joe Biden’s son, lawmakers said Friday.
“Hunter Biden blatantly defied two lawful subpoenas when he didn’t seem for his December deposition,” the judiciary committee stated in a statement posted to X, previously Twitter.
“The President’s son doesn’t get particular therapy,” stated Home oversight chair James Comer (R-Ky.) in a separate on-line posting.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the rating member of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, stated the committees’ actions towards a non-public citizen, who has agreed to testify, are unwarranted and with out precedent.
Biden “has provided to testify in public, underneath oath, and on a day of the Committee’s selecting,” Raskin stated in an announcement that dismissed the Republicans’ inquiry as missing credibility.
“Chairman Comer doesn’t need Hunter Biden to testify in public, simply as he has refused to publicly launch over a dozen interview transcripts, as a result of he needs to maintain up the fastidiously curated distortions, blatant lies, and laughable conspiracy theories which have marked this investigation,” Raskin stated. “The details and the proof all present no wrongdoing and no impeachable offense by President Biden.”
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, additionally dismissed the investigation as a misleading political recreation.
“It’s clear the Republican Chairmen aren’t all in favour of getting the details or they might permit Hunter to testify publicly,” Lowell stated in an announcement responding to Friday’s announcement. “Home Republicans proceed to play politics by in search of an unprecedented contempt movement towards somebody who has from the primary request provided to reply all their correct questions. What are they afraid of?”
Hunter Biden was referred to as for questioning about his enterprise dealings by Home Republicans who’ve alleged ― with out providing supporting proof ― that his father benefited from his overseas enterprise offers. He stated he would reply lawmakers’ questions, however provided that in a public listening to.
“There isn’t a equity or decency in what these Republicans are doing. They’ve lied time and again about each facet of my private {and professional} life, a lot in order that their lies have change into the false details believed by too many individuals,” Hunter Biden stated in public remarks final month.
The investigation by the 2 committees, the place Republicans maintain majorities, is a part of a longstanding GOP effort to question Joe Biden.
Home Republicans unanimously voted final month to formally open an impeachment inquiry into the president, with out accusing him of any wrongdoing. Democrats have stated that Republicans’ dedication to question Biden is payback for the 2 impeachments of former President Donald Trump.
If the committee votes to carry Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress, his case can be referred to the Division of Justice, which might then take into account potential prices.