(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Republicans, leading the impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, have initiated an investigation into the president’s potential role in orchestrating Hunter Biden’s dramatic refusal to comply with a Congressional subpoena. The White House notably acknowledged Joe Biden’s familiarity with this potentially criminal defiance.
In a Wednesday letter addressed to the White House, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., requested documents linked to potential communications between the president’s team and his embattled son before the latter refused to testify to be deposed by Republicans.
🚨BREAKING🚨⁰@RepJamesComer & @Jim_Jordan are investigating whether President Biden sought to influence or obstruct his son’s cooperation with the House’s impeachment inquiry.
Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense.⁰
Letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel… pic.twitter.com/dND1WkusFU— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) December 27, 2023
“In light of an official statement from the White House that President Biden was aware in advance that his son, Hunter Biden, would knowingly defy two congressional subpoenas, we are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the President engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress,” the lawmakers said.
Initially set for a deposition on Dec. 13, Hunter Biden wanted a public hearing due to partisan claims that House Republicans would leak potentially damaging testimony. Republicans contested Hunter Biden’s claims, highlighting that all subpoenaed individuals subpoenaed had testified behind closed doors.
On Dec. 13, Hunter Biden arrived at the Capitol but instead held a press conference where he defended his father. On the same day, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged that Joe Biden was “familiar” with his son’s plan to defy a subpoena seeking his testimony.
“Did [Biden] spend any time watching what [Hunter] had to say?”
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: “They are proud of their son” pic.twitter.com/lTBdGkY8M6
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 13, 2023
Comer and Jordan argued in their letter that Jean-Pierre’s admission prompted them to investigate the extent of Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s potentially criminal defiance.
🚨BREAKING: Reps. James Comer and Jim Jordan announce plan to hold Hunter Biden in CONTEMPT after refusing to comply with subpoena for closed-door deposition pic.twitter.com/Qz8SK9w6PK
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 13, 2023
“In light of Ms. Jean-Pierre’s statement, we are compelled to examine the involvement of the President in his son’s scheme to defy the Committees’ subpoenas,” they added. “The Committees have accumulated substantial evidence that Hunter Biden’s business endeavors have improperly included his father, and the President has made false claims about his knowledge and involvement in these schemes.”
Despite mounting evidence implicating Joe Biden in the contentious business dealings of his family members, the president has consistently asserted that he was never involved in business with Hunter Biden. Initially, Biden falsely claimed he never discussed business with his son. Most recently, Biden dismissed damning evidence as a “bunch of lies.”
.@NYPost’s @StevenNelson10: [T]here is polling by the Associated Press that shows that almost 70% of Americans, including 40% of Democrats, believe that you acted either illegally or unethically in regards to your family’s business interests. Can you explain to the Americans — to… pic.twitter.com/w1wWBkkbYb
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 6, 2023
However, Comer and Jordan contested this. They continued, “In fact, just days before Mr. Biden was scheduled to appear for his deposition, the President claimed he had not interacted with any of his son’s business partners. This is false. The President has met with, spoken to, and received money sourced from his son’s foreign business partners.”
