{UAH} GOING AFTER ALLAN BARIGYE THE FORUM BULY WITH HARD FACTS ->We will not attack his family but self with facts Part 830

Republicans warn Hunter Biden no more ‘stunts’ after he offers deposition, say contempt vote ‘will move forward’

By Social Links forSteven Nelson

Published Jan. 12, 2024

 Updated Jan. 12, 2024, 4:29 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — House Republicans said Friday that Hunter Biden’s offer to testify if they issue him a new subpoena was too little, too late — and vowed to forge ahead with holding him in contempt of Congress unless he immediately sets a date to appear.

President Biden’s son waved a white flag in his standoff with House committees leading the impeachment inquiry into his dad for alleged corruption mere days before the full House was expected to hold him in criminal contempt.

“While we are heartened that Hunter Biden now says he will comply with a subpoena, make no mistake: Hunter Biden has already defied two valid, lawful subpoenas,” said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

“Instead of appearing for his deposition on December 13, 2023, Hunter Biden appeared on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol where he made a public statement without taking any questions, Then this week at the Oversight Committee’s markup of his contempt resolution, Hunter Biden pulled another stunt as he continued to defy duly issued subpoenas.”

Hunter Biden caved Friday and agreed to sit for a deposition in the House impeachment inquiry into his father.Getty Images

Comer and Jordan added: “For now, the House of Representatives will move forward with holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress until such time that Hunter Biden confirms a date to appear for a private deposition in accordance with his legal obligation.”

“While we will work to schedule a deposition date, we will not tolerate any additional stunts or delay from Hunter Biden,” the Republicans said. “The American people will not tolerate, and the House will not provide, special treatment for the Biden family.”

Hunter, 53, made the late pivot in a letter to Congress from his attorney Abbe Lowell after he previously refused to appear for a closed-door deposition, claiming he feared his words would be twisted.

“If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition. We will accept such a subpoena on Mr. Biden’s behalf,” Lowell wrote.

Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks at the House Judiciary and Oversight Committee meeting Wednesday.AP

The House Judiciary and Oversight committees voted separately Wednesday to hold Hunter in contempt after he crashed the Oversight hearing, further infuriating GOP lawmakers.

Hunter ducked the scheduled Dec. 13 deposition, and instead gave a defiant speech on the Capitol grounds claiming his dad was not “financially involved” in raking in millions from ventures abroad.

Contempt of Congress is punishable by a minimum of 30 days behind bars, though a decision to prosecute would be made by President Biden’s Justice Department appointees if the full House clears the sanction.

The Biden Justice Department have won convictions against Steven Bannon and Peter Navarro, two advisers to former President Donald Trump who claimed they had legal privileges that meant they didn’t have to testify to the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Republicans allege that President Biden, who is seeking a second term in this year’s election, was corruptly involved with his son and brother’s dealings.AP

Navarro, like Hunter Biden, attempted a late about-face, but only after the then-Democratic-led House voted to refer him to the DOJ for prosecution.

“I reached out to the Justice Department. I offered them a possible way forward,” Navarro told reporters after he was arrested by the FBI in June 2022.

“They responded with effectively the same kind of thing as you see in Stalin’s Russia or the Chinese Communist Party.”

Republicans allege that President Biden, who is seeking a second term in this year’s election, was corruptly involved with his son and brother James Biden’s dealings in countries such as China and Ukraine, including during his vice presidency, and point to his array of contacts with their associates.

James Biden also failed to appear for a deposition set for December, but his attorneys have remained in touch with House staff about setting a new date.

Lowell’s letter reflects a significant shift in Hunter Biden’s posture after the high-priced lawyer and other Democrats previously claimed Hunter couldn’t sit for a deposition because he preferred to testify publicly.

The new communication claims that the original subpoenas were flawed because the House hadn’t voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry when they were issued in November — even though the Oversight and Judiciary committees have subpoena power in their own right.

Republicans have said they would welcome a public hearing with Hunter Biden, who regularly involved his father in his foreign business relationships, but only after a closed-door deposition led by committee staffers who would drill down on factual points to establish a record for the inquiry.

If Hunter Biden does appear for a deposition, he could invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.AP

Public hearings in the impeachment inquiry have featured concerted Democratic efforts to flip the script by arguing that former President Donald Trump and his family also have had ethical dilemmas while more eccentric Republican panelists have veered sharply off-script.

If Hunter Biden does appear for a deposition, he could invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, especially because he faces criminal charges for alleged tax fraud and illegal gun possession in Los Angeles and Delaware, respectively.

The first son abandoned a probation-only plea deal in July over courtroom demands for assurances that he had immunity for other conduct, such as alleged violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which could implicate his dad.

Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.REUTERS

In addition to alleged influence-peddling, House investigators are reviewing the allegations of two IRS whistleblowers who say that Justice Department leaders shielded Joe and Hunter Biden during a five-year investigation that focused primarily on Hunter’s failure to pay taxes.

IRS supervisor Gary Shapley and case agent Joseph Ziegler testified last year that DOJ leaders including Attorney General Merrick Garland misled Congress about the independence of the probe, tipped off Hunter’s legal team to investigative steps, didn’t share evidence and significant leads and forbade lines of inquiry into Joe Biden, even when communications directly implicated him.

Evidence indicates that Joe Biden interacted with Hunter and James Biden’s associates from two Chinese-government-linked ventures and with others from Kazakhstan, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine.

Republicans allege Hunter and James Biden were effectively selling access to their powerful relative — allegedly without providing legitimate business services — while Democrats argue there’s no proof of corruption. 

The mounting evidence of Joe Biden’s involvement in the business relationships contradicts his claims during the 2020 campaign that he “never” discussed business with his son or brother and his insistence last month that he “did not” interact with any of their foreign partners.

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