(Headline USA) Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., could face an ethics investigation for “aiding and abetting” Hunter Biden after the first son defied a congressional subpoena on Wednesday.
According to congressional records, Swalwell reserved the space outside the U.S. Capitol for Hunter Biden’s surprise press briefing, which Biden held instead of appearing before the House Oversight Committee as ordered by lawmakers.
It seems Rep. Eric Swalwell reserved the spot for Hunter Biden’s press conference today pic.twitter.com/547Ku0oOKC
— Ashley Oliver (@asholiver) December 13, 2023
Swalwell was seen standing by Hunter Biden during the press conference, and admitted to reporters later that he agreed to help the first son.
“There is absolutely zero evidence Hunter or his father acted corruptly,” Swalwell claimed. “So I’m not going to sit quietly and let MAGA Republicans do [former President Donald Trump’s] bidding in Congress.”
He went on to accuse his Republican colleagues of weaponizing “Hunter’s past addiction to attack President Biden.”
Hunter Biden is just a “recovering addict who has admitted his mistakes and has been clean for many years,” he continued, according to Politico.
But Swalwell’s actions could result in an ethics probe, according to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.
The Republican noted in a letter to the House Ethics and House Administration committees that Swalwell reserved the area designated for press conferences for 9:30 a.m., the same time as Biden’s scheduled closed-door deposition.
“By all appearances and reporting, the media space reservation by Congressman Swalwell — a member of the Judiciary Committee — was intended solely to allow Hunter Biden to fail to appear before these committees, publicly announce his refusal to comply with a dually-issued subpoena, and be in contempt of Congress,” Issa wrote in his letter.
Investigative journalist Paul Sperry also said sources connected to GOP House leadership had signaled they might hold the China-linked leftist lawmaker accountable.
UPDATE: Democratic Rep. Swalwell admits he reserved space outside Congress for Hunter Biden to deliver his press conference,thereby facilitating Hunter's defiance of a congressional subpoena
–>Hill sources tell me GOP leadership may file ethics complainthttps://t.co/7hHoT5mfaP
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) December 14, 2023
Swalwell has already faced an ethics investigation this year over his ties to a Chinese spy. The Democrat allegedly had a romantic relationship with Christine Fang while he was serving on the House Intelligence Committee.
Following the ascension of Kevin McCarthy (who retired from the House on Thursday) to the speakership in January, Swalwell and fellow California Democrat Adam Schiff both were kicked off the Intelligence Committee due to concerns that they posed a national security threat.
Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ohio, and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, had earlier signaled that they would hold Biden in contempt of Congress, but it remained unclear whether they intended to follow through on the largely toothless threat.
In order for the president’s son to face any consequences, Attorney General Merrick Garland would have to agree to prosecute him and he would then have to be found guilty by a Democrat-stacked Washington, D.C., jury.
🚨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
