POLITICS
House Impeachment Managers’ Report Recommends Hunter Biden Be Held In Contempt Of Congress
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Republican leaders of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees on Monday released their report recommending that Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to provide closed-door testimony in relation to an impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden.
The two committees released resolutions scheduled to be marked up in Wednesday committee hearings. If passed by the committees, the resolution will go to the full House for a vote. The impeachment inquiry is being led by House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.).
“Our investigation has produced significant evidence suggesting President Biden knew of, participated in, and benefitted from his family cashing in on the Biden name. We planned to question Hunter Biden about this record of evidence, but he blatantly defied two lawful subpoenas, choosing to read a prepared statement outside of the Capitol instead of appearing for testimony as required, Comer and Jordan said in a joint statement.
Hunter Bidens willful refusal to comply with our subpoenas constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorneys Office for prosecution. We will not provide him with special treatment because of his last name,” they said.
Republicans have spent months investigating President Biden and his son in connection to an alleged influence-peddling scheme, but have not yet publicly produced evidence that Biden broke the law or abused his office. The president has denied the allegations.
Last month, Hunter Biden spoke to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol, offering to testify publicly rather than participate in the closed-door interview.
“Im here today to make sure that the House committees illegitimate investigations of my family do not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence and lies,” he said.
For six years, I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine shouting, ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here, he said.
He decried the MAGA Republicans who have impugned my character invaded my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family, and my friends. They ridiculed my struggle with addiction. They belittled my recovery and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass and damage my father who has devoted his entire life to service.
He also said his father has no financial involvement in his business dealings. He admitted being extremely irresponsible with his finances as he battled addiction following the death of his brother, Beau.
But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd. It’s shameless, he said. There’s no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business.
The Wednesday markup hearings come a day before Hunter Biden is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles on nine federal tax-related charges, three felonies and six misdemeanors, including tax evasion, filing false returns, failure to file and failure to pay taxes for tax years 2016 through 2019.
In September, Hunter Biden was indicted on felony gun charges after a plea deal with federal prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid jail time in exchange for pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses fell apart in July.
In response to the move to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, his attorney, Abbe Lowell, said he is not in contempt because he offered to testify publicly.
“Its clear the Republican Chairmen arent interested in getting the facts or they would allow Hunter to testify publicly,” Lowell said in a statement. “Instead, House Republicans continue to play politics by seeking an unprecedented contempt motion against someone who has from the first request offered to answer all their proper questions.
TMX contributed to this article.
