Republicans threaten to hold Hunter Biden in CONTEMPT if he doesn’t show up for deposition at 9.30 AM TODAY hours before key impeachment
Republicans have threatened to detain Hunter Biden for contempt of Congress if he fails to appear to testify in the impeachment trial at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Rumors are swirling in Washington about whether the first son will appear for a closed-door interview as part of the GOP investigation into his father’s involvement in foreign business deals.
The 53-year-old was charged last week with evading $1.4 million in taxes and his lawyers demanded he testify publicly so he can tell his story.
He is expected to arrive in Washington on Tuesday, but it is not yet known whether he will appear on Capitol Hill.
Republican congressmen James Comer and Jim Jordan said Hunter Biden has “no choice” after they issued a subpoena requiring him to appear to testify.
Republicans have threatened to detain Hunter Biden for contempt of Congress if he fails to appear to testify in the impeachment trial at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Rumors are swirling in Washington about whether the first son will appear for a closed-door interview as part of the GOP investigation into his father’s involvement in foreign business deals.
“If Mr. Biden fails to appear for testimony on December 13, 2023, the committees will file contempt of Congress proceedings,” they said.
Hunter’s lawyer, Abbey Lowell, insists the testimony should be public, arguing that Republicans have “repeatedly demonstrated that they use closed sessions to manipulate and even distort facts and misinform the American public.”
The anticipation of Hunter’s meeting with congressional investigators comes as Republicans move a step closer to authorizing a full impeachment inquiry into his father, Joe.
The resolution passed the House Rules Committee on Tuesday, its final step before heading to the House floor.
Only Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colorado, remains firmly committed to the “no silver lining” position. “I have 24 hours to recover,” he joked to reporters.
Even moderate Republicans and Biden County Republicans appear willing to authorize the investigation — and insist it does not condition them on having to vote on whether to impeach the president later.
“With due process, there is a chance that all the results will be achieved,” Rep. John Garcia, a California Republican who represents a district Biden won in 2020, told DailyMail.com.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared the investigation open in October, but Republicans now say they need a vote to fully greenlight the investigation due to White House “obstruction.”
Holding a vote to impeach the president could create more political divisions and potentially hurt Republicans in swing districts. Without a vote on Biden’s impeachment, it could look like the investigation has cleared him.
Speaker Mike Johnson said they don’t have to impeach the president by simply opening an investigation.
“We are not going to prejudge the outcome of this case,” he told reporters. “This is not a political calculation. We follow the law.”
The vote will take place on a day when Hunter Biden will be in Washington, but he is not expected to appear on Capitol Hill for mandatory testimony.
Oversight Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan have threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of court if he does not appear to testify behind closed doors by Dec. 13.
Authorizing the investigation with the approval of the House majority is a way for Republicans to strengthen their position in potential legal battles.
Hunter’s lawyers insist their client will testify only in public. Republicans said he must testify privately first before he can testify publicly.
Now Republicans say Hunter could hide behind the shield of the Justice Department’s latest indictment, which charges him with nine criminal charges for evading taxes and spending millions on an “extravagant lifestyle.”
The first son and his wife Melissa attended the event at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Speaker Mike Johnson said they don’t have to impeach the president by simply opening an investigation. “We are not going to prejudge the outcome of this case,” he told reporters. “This is not a political calculation. We follow the law”
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden with Beau Biden and Naomi Biden watch fireworks on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4th.
The investigation is looking into whether Biden engaged in business deals that used his name to enrich his family and whether he used the Justice Department to offer special treatment to his son.
Republican impeachment investigators will have to significantly strengthen their evidence linking Joe Biden to his family’s overseas business dealings if they want to win the votes to impeach the president. Some Republicans say they have not yet seen enough evidence to convince them to impeach the president.
“The thing about the evidence is that you need to see it before you make a preconceived opinion,” Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-D., chairman of the pragmatic Main Street Caucus, told DailyMail.com.
House Republicans have uncovered evidence of payments made by Hunter and James Biden into Joe Biden’s bank accounts after lucrative business deals, but the White House has presented evidence to suggest they may be loan payments.