Hunter Biden's Surprising Appearance during Oversight Contempt Hearing at Capitol Hill
Hunter Biden faces potential criminal contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena to testify in a closed-door deposition House Republicans initiate the process to hold him accountable, as the president's son unexpectedly appears on Capitol Hill
Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance at a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday while House Republicans were starting the process of holding the president's son in criminal contempt of Congress. This was due to his failure to comply with a congressional subpoena to testify in a closed-door deposition last month.
The House Oversight and House Judiciary committees, which had subpoenaed Hunter Biden as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, are holding separate markups of the contempt resolution. As Hunter Biden walked through the halls of Congress with his lawyers outside the Oversight Committee hearing, there was a tumultuous scene both inside and outside the committee room as lawmakers debated their next steps.
Rep. James Comer and Hunter Biden.
AFP, Getty Images
READ: Text of Hunter Biden contempt resolution and report
Upon entering the committee room, Hunter Biden took a seat for approximately 10 minutes before leaving. His legal team then addressed the reporters with a short statement.
The Republican-led investigation centers around unsubstantiated allegations that the president either participated in or gained financially from his son's international business ventures. This positions the president's son as a key witness in their inquiry.
Hunter Biden's refusal to sit for his deposition last month was similar to his recent approach to a subpoena. Rather than complying with the request, he chose to hold a news conference outside the Capitol and insisted on testifying only in a public setting. House Republicans expressed their willingness to hold a public hearing with Biden, but only after he completed a private interview. When Biden failed to appear for his deposition, House Oversight Chair James Comer and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan announced that contempt proceedings would begin. Meanwhile, in a separate committee room, Jordan led the Judiciary panel's meeting.
"Instead of addressing questions about the Biden family's involvement in trading cash for influence and other related instances, Hunter Biden chose to hold a press conference nearby. Despite stating he was willing to answer questions in public, he abruptly left after delivering a statement without taking any questions from the press," Jordan stated.
"We are left with no option but to hold Mr. Biden in contempt," he concluded.
The two markups on Wednesday mark the beginning of a lengthy process and highlight the challenges faced by Republicans in their efforts to obtain testimony from the president's son. If the contempt resolution is approved by the committee, it will then be referred to the full House for a contempt vote.
If the House floor vote is successful, the Department of Justice, which is currently pursuing two criminal cases against the president's son, will need to decide whether to prosecute him for evading a congressional subpoena.
Hunter Biden is expected to be on the West Coast by Thursday for a court appearance in his criminal tax case. He is facing nine criminal charges in federal court in Los Angeles. Ahead of the committee meetings, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams issued a statement dismissing "baseless attacks" against the president's family members and urging Republican lawmakers to focus on other responsibilities in Congress.
Sams emphasized the need for government officials to prioritize their duties, including funding for government and border security, rather than engaging in political games. Jordan told CNN that he anticipates the contempt resolution to be approved, but is uncertain about the timeline for bringing it to the floor or the subsequent process within the Justice Department.
Hunter Biden appeared outside the US Capitol to address the media and discuss the possibility of testifying publicly to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
House GOP schedules interviews with Biden family business associates as Hunter Biden testimony remains difficult to obtain
"Jordan informed CNN that the decision to bring it to a floor vote lies with Speaker Johnson, Merrick Garland, and Mr. Graves. House Republicans are intensifying their investigations as Congress returns from its winter recess, coinciding with the House Homeland Security Committee's impeachment investigation into DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday."
Sams emphasized that Congress is rapidly approaching a government funding deadline, but House Republicans are prioritizing their investigations instead. "Instead of actively working to prevent a partial government shutdown that some of their far-right members are advocating for, House Republicans are engaging in political stunts," Sams stated. "These unfounded attacks on the President's Cabinet and family members will not contribute to improving the daily lives of Americans, enhancing border security, or boosting the economy. They will only serve to help extreme House Republicans gain media attention on Fox and Newsmax in an attempt to divert attention from their lack of governance."
As the Biden probe progresses and many Republicans remain hesitant about impeaching the president, senior Republicans see focusing on Mayorkas as a more feasible option, especially with the border crisis shaping up to be a key campaign issue.
"Amidst numerous potential impeachment targets, it's difficult to gauge who is leading the charge," stated Rep. Tony Gonzales, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, in an interview with CNN.
The Texas Republican stated that many members in the group have lost faith in DHS. House Republicans have criticized Mayorkas for what they see as neglecting his duties as border crossings have surged, setting the stage for impeachment proceedings. Impeaching the Homeland Security secretary would be extremely unusual, as only one Cabinet official in American history has ever been impeached - Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.
Jordan stated that Republicans will "determine" the House's capacity to pursue simultaneous impeachments, asserting that he believes there is substantial and convincing evidence for both cases. This story and headline have been revised to incorporate new developments.
CNNs Kristin Wilson contributed to this report.
