WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, made a surprise appearance at a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday as House Republicans began the process of holding him in criminal contempt of Congress. This comes after Hunter Biden failed to comply with a congressional subpoena to sit for a closed-door deposition last month.
The House Oversight and House Judiciary committees, both of which subpoenaed Hunter Biden to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, are holding separate markups of the contempt resolution. Hunter Biden, accompanied by his lawyers, walked through the halls of Congress outside the Oversight Committee hearing, causing a commotion as lawmakers debated how to proceed.
Hunter Biden entered the committee room and sat down for approximately 10 minutes before leaving. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina confronted him, accusing him of ignoring the congressional subpoena and showing blatant disregard for the rule of law. “You are the epitome of White privilege,” Mace said. “What are you afraid of? You have no balls.”
The allegations being investigated by Republicans stem from unproven claims that President Biden was involved in or profited from his son’s foreign business dealings. Hunter Biden’s refusal to comply with the subpoena has made him a crucial witness in their probe.
Hunter Biden’s appearance mirrored his approach last month when he held a news conference outside the Capitol instead of sitting for his deposition. House Republicans had expressed willingness to hold a public hearing with Hunter Biden, but only after he had completed a private interview. After he failed to appear for his deposition, House Oversight Chair James Comer and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan announced that contempt proceedings would begin.
In response, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, claimed that they had offered to engage with House Republicans six times. However, Lowell alleged that instead of accepting their offer, Comer sought a closed-door deposition through a subpoena.
As part of a more aggressive strategy, Hunter Biden’s legal team has adopted a confrontational approach to address their detractors. They are aware that the contempt vote may pass, but they believe there are limited means of enforcing any punishment. Hunter Biden’s ability to resist congressional testimony has been bolstered in recent weeks due to criminal tax and gun charges he is facing.
During the Oversight hearing, Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida offered to have Hunter Biden testify immediately. However, Mace responded by suggesting that Hunter Biden should be arrested and taken to jail on the spot. When GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia began speaking, Hunter Biden and his lawyers left the room.
Reflecting on the proceedings, Greene claimed that Hunter Biden was afraid of facing her and accused him of being terrified of strong conservative Republican women.
The markups held on Wednesday are just the beginning of a lengthy process. If the contempt resolution is passed by the committee, it will be referred to the full House for a contempt vote. Should the House vote in favor of contempt, the Department of Justice, which is already pursuing criminal cases against Hunter Biden, will have to decide whether to prosecute him for evading a congressional subpoena.
Hunter Biden is scheduled to be on the West Coast by Thursday for a court appearance in his criminal tax case in Los Angeles. White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, Ian Sams, dismissed the “baseless attacks” against the president’s family members and called on Republican lawmakers to focus on their other responsibilities.
As House Republicans intensify their investigations, senior Republicans now see targeting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as a more achievable goal. The ongoing border crisis has become a defining campaign issue, and Republicans believe there is strong evidence to support impeaching both Mayorkas and President Biden.
Whether the House can pursue two impeachment proceedings simultaneously remains to be seen. However, several members of Congress have expressed doubts about the Department of Homeland Security and its ability to address the country’s security concerns.
As of now, the contempt resolution continues to move forward, but the timeline for a floor vote and referral to the Justice Department remains uncertain. With Congress back in session following its winter recess, House Republicans are intensifying their investigations while also dealing with other pressing matters, such as a government funding deadline.
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