Hunter Biden appeared unexpectedly Wednesday morning with his lawyers at a meeting of the House Oversight Committee to discuss whether, if passed, the House would hold him in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena. The purpose was to consider a resolution that would be put to a vote by the entire House of Representatives. Impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
The House Oversight Committee met at 10 a.m. Wednesday to raise the price for consideration. resolution The law recommends contempt proceedings against the eldest son after he failed to respond to subpoenas forcing him to give private depositions to the House Oversight Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
House Oversight, Judiciary to consider resolution recommending Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress
The House Judiciary Committee is considering a similar increase for a bill that would recommend Biden be held in contempt of Congress.
Hunter Biden speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Biden and attorneys Abby Lowell and Kevin Morris were at the Capitol Wednesday morning to watch as committee members consider whether to pass the resolution out of committee.
If the resolution passes in committee on Wednesday, it could lead to a full House contempt vote within days, the people said.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in his opening statement: “Our investigation shows that President Biden knew about, participated in, and profited from his family's use of the Biden name to make money.'' “We have obtained significant evidence suggesting that this was the case.”
House Republican Hunter Biden says he 'violated federal law' by ignoring subpoena, prepares contempt resolution
“We intended to question Hunter Biden about this transcript during his deposition, but he blatantly ignored two lawful subpoenas.”
“Hunter Biden's willful refusal to comply with the committee's subpoena constitutes a criminal act,” Comer said, “in contempt of Congress, and as required by law, the appropriate U.S. attorney's office for prosecution.” It is legitimate to send the case to…
“I'm not going to give Hunter Biden any special treatment because of his last name,” Comer said. “All Americans must be treated equally under the law, and that includes the Biden family.”
Hunter Biden (center) makes a surprise appearance at a markup and meeting of the House Oversight Committee, which is voting on whether to hold Biden in contempt of Congress after failing to respond to a request to testify in the House last month. I will be sitting with Mr. Lowell. , January 10, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington, DC. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
Biden had offered to testify publicly ahead of his subpoenaed deposition. Comer Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan denied his request, stressing that his eldest son would receive no special treatment, and dozens of others were forced to appear for interviews and depositions. gave witnesses. Comer and Jordan promised to release Biden's deposition.
However, the eldest son defied the subpoena, ignored the offer, and made a public statement outside the Capitol.
Ranking members of the committee Jamie Raskin, MDcondemned the move, saying, “There is no precedent for the U.S. House of Representatives holding a private citizen in contempt of Congress for offering to testify publicly and under oath on a day chosen by the committee.'' Chairman Comer. Biden is scheduled to appear at the committee hearing, and Hunter Biden agreed. ”
During Wednesday's meeting, lawmakers acknowledged that Biden was in the audience, and Democratic lawmakers asked him to take questions during the session, a request that Republicans rejected.
“My first question is, who bribed Hunter Biden to come here today? That's my first question,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C. Ta. “Second question: You are the epitome of white privilege, ignoring subpoenas from Congress to remove you, coming to the Oversight Committee and spitting in our faces. What are you afraid of? Are you there? You don’t have the balls to come here.”
“I think Hunter Biden should be arrested here right now. Go to jail right away,” Mace continued. “Our country is founded on the rule of law. The law applies equally to everyone, regardless of their last name.”
Rep. Nancy Mace (R.C.), Rep. James Comer (R.K.), left, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Pat Fallon (R., Texas), right, and Rep. Russell Frey (R.S.). C.), Capitol Visitor Center on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
She further added, “It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, who your father is, or your last name. Yes, I'm looking at you, Hunter Biden, I I'm talking to you. You're not above the law at all. ”
Mace asked his eldest son, “Why can't you come to your Congressional deposition? You came here to pull a political stunt. This is just a PR stunt for you. This is your It's just a game you're playing with the American people.'' You're toying with the truth. ”
But Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Florida, countered that if the committee wants to hear from Biden, it should vote to “hear from Hunter now.”
“Does anyone want to hear from Hunter right now today? Anyone? Come on,” Moskowitz said. “Who wants to hear from a hunter? Yes, no one does. So I'm a visual learner, and it's visual. No one over there wants to hear from a witness. Is not.”
Biden and his lawyers ultimately left the markup session before the resolution was voted on.
In the chaos that erupted as Biden left the hearing, reporters peppered him with questions and an unidentified man yelled, “Are you OK today?”
After they left, Lowell briefly addressed reporters.
“Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and he was a private citizen, and yet Republicans have sought to use him as a proxy to attack his father,” Lowell said. “And despite ulterior partisan motives, on six separate occasions since February 2023, we have worked with House committees to consider how we can provide information relevant to legitimate investigations. I have offered.”
Lowell claimed that “the first five offers were ignored.”
“And in November, they issued subpoenas for behind-closed-doors depositions, a tactic that Republicans repeatedly exploit in their political campaigns to selectively leak and distort what witnesses say.” said Lowell.
Lowell pointed to Comer's “explicit offer that people like Hunter have the option of either a deposition or a hearing.”
“Mr. Hunter chose a hearing where Republicans could not distort or exploit his testimony,” Lowell said, adding that the move to consider a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress would be a “Hunter He said it was “unprecedented” given Biden's offer to publicly respond to all of Biden's allegations. Appropriate question. ”
“The question is, what are they afraid of?” Lowell asked before leaving the Capitol.
hunter biden (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, last month, Comer and Jordan expanded their investigation. president biden They allege their son was involved in a “scheme” to ignore a subpoena for a deposition earlier this month, an act that “may constitute an impeachable offense.”
“My father had no financial involvement in my business,” Biden said in a public statement last month.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“There is no evidence to support that my father was financially involved in my business because that never happened,” he said.
The House impeachment inquiry against President Biden was officially decided by the House of Representatives last month. The investigation is being led by Comer Jordan and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri).
