WASHINGTON (AP) β Hunter Biden on Wednesday defied a congressional subpoena to appear privately for a deposition before Republican investigators who have been digging into his business dealings. He insisted he would only testify in public.
The Democratic presidentβs son slammed the GOP-issued subpoena for the closed-door testimony, arguing that information from those interviews can be selectively leaked and manipulated.
βRepublicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say,β Biden said outside the Capitol in a rare public statement. βWhat are they afraid of? I am here.β
GOP Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has said Republicans expect βfull cooperationβ with the private deposition. Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who leads the House Judiciary Committee, told reporters later Wednesday that they will begin looking at contempt of Congress proceedings in response to Hunter Biden’s lack of cooperation.
“He just got into more trouble today,β Comer said.
For months, Republicans have pursued an impeachment inquiry seeking to tie President Joe Biden to his son’s business dealings. So far, GOP lawmakers have failed to uncover evidence directly implicating the elder Biden in any wrongdoing.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president was familiar with what his son would say. βI think that what you saw was from the heart, from his son,β she said. βThey are proud of their son.β
Democrats have been united against the Republican impeachment push, saying it’s βan illegitimate exerciseβ merely meant to distract from GOP chaos and dysfunction.
βWe are at a remarkable juncture for the U.S. House of Representatives,β said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee. βBecause this is an impeachment inquiry where no one has been able to define what criminal or constitutional offense theyβre looking for.β
But questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden familyβs international business, and lawmakers insist their evidence paints a troubling picture of βinfluence peddlingβ in their business dealings, particularly with clients overseas.
βThere is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said.
Separately, Hunter Biden is facing criminal charges in two states from a special counsel overseeing a long-running investigation.
He is charged with firearm counts in Delaware, alleging he broke laws against drug users having guns in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. Special counsel David Weiss also filed new charges and nine new tax counts last week, alleging Hunter Biden schemed to avoid paying about $1.4 million in taxes over a three-year period.
Later Wednesday, the House was expected to authorize the impeachment inquiry into the president. House Republicans hope a vote to formalize their investigation will help their legal standing when enforcing subpoenas to Hunter Biden and other Biden family members.
βMr. Bidenβs counsel and the White House have both argued that the reason he couldnβt come for a deposition was because there wasnβt a formal vote for an impeachment inquiry,β Jordan told reporters. βWell, thatβs going to happen in a few hours.β
He added, βAnd when that happens, weβll see what their excuse is then.β
The White House has chalked up the whole process as a βpartisan smear campaignβ that Republicans are pushing ahead with βdespite the fact that members of their own party have admitted there is no evidence to support impeaching President Biden.β