WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led House Oversight and Judiciary Committees advanced resolutions on Wednesday recommending that Hunter Biden be held in criminal contempt of Congress. This comes as tensions continue to rise over the GOP’s impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The resolutions, which target Hunter Biden’s refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas for closed-door testimony, were approved along party lines by both committees. The matter will now be taken up by the full House, and if approved, federal prosecutors will decide whether to charge the president’s son.
During the Oversight Committee meeting, Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance with his lawyer, Abbe Lowell. He sat before lawmakers for approximately 30 minutes while members delivered opening remarks. However, Hunter Biden’s attendance led to a chaotic atmosphere, with Republicans hurling insults at him directly. Lawmakers later engaged in heated arguments with one another over the GOP’s investigation and whether it produced any evidence against the president.
While Republicans accused Hunter Biden of blatantly defying subpoenas, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin argued that the GOP was obstructing its own investigation. Raskin pointed out that Hunter Biden was willing to testify in public and accused Republicans, such as Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Reps. Andy Biggs and Scott Perry, of disregarding subpoenas themselves in relation to the committee’s investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Many Democrats criticized Republicans, particularly Oversight members Perry and Biggs, for their hypocrisy in chastising Hunter Biden after disobeying their own congressional subpoenas. Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, stated after the meeting that Republicans had used Hunter Biden as a means to attack his father, despite him being a private citizen.
The House vote on whether to hold Hunter Biden in contempt would add to the legal scrutiny he is already facing, with special counsel David Weiss overseeing a federal investigation into him. Hunter Biden is set to appear in federal court in California after being charged with nine tax counts last month. Weiss’s investigation centers around allegations that President Biden profited from his family’s overseas business dealings while he was vice president.
If the resolution is approved and federal prosecutors decide to charge Hunter Biden, it will mark the 11th time the House has held someone in criminal contempt since 2008. In most cases, the Justice Department has declined to prosecute, but there have been exceptions, such as the grand jury indictments of former Trump White House officials Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon.
It remains to be seen how the full House will vote on the resolution and how federal prosecutors will proceed. Hunter Biden’s legal troubles continue to be a topic of intense scrutiny, but whether this will have any impact on President Biden or his administration remains uncertain.