House Republicans suggested on Wednesday that President Joe Biden could face an impeachment offense related to his son Hunter Biden‘s refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena.
Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) said in a letter demanding a host of documents and communications by January 10 that their committees are “compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the President engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress.”
In their letter, addressed to White House Counsel Edward Siskel, the chairmen highlighted how White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden was “familiar” with what Hunter Biden was going to say at a mid-December press event outside the U.S. Capitol.
Hunter Biden used the Capitol Hill appearance to publicly demand House Republicans provide him a public hearing instead of appearing at the closed-door interview in compliance with the congressional subpoena issued by House Republicans. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) told POLITICO that he reserved the spot where the First Son delivered the remarks and he appeared at the event.
Though Jean-Pierre has refused to offer any more details when pressed on whether President Biden tried to talk his son out of violating a congressional subpoena, Jordan and Comer said they are faced with the “troubling new question” of whether the commander in chief “corruptly sought to influence or obstruct” their proceeding. “Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense,” they wrote.
Citing criminal code, the chairmen also said it is “unlawful to ‘corruptly … endeavor[] to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any investigation or inquiry is being had by … any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress'” and “any person who ‘aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures’ the commission of a crime is punishable as a principal of the crime.”
Hunter Biden was subpoenaed last month to appear for a deposition as part of the corruption-focused impeachment probe into his father, which is looking at the Biden family’s business dealings, as well as how the Department of Justice has handled its criminal investigation into Hunter Biden that could lead to prison time.
House Republicans indicated they were willing to have Hunter Biden testify in a public hearing — but only after a deposition — and said Hunter Biden would face contempt of Congress proceedings following his show of defiance.
Shortly after Hunter Biden’s press event, the House elected to formally authorize the impeachment inquiry in a party-line vote that Republicans argued would give legal weight to their subpoenas.
President Biden, who is seeking re-election next year, responded with a lengthy statement that accused House Republicans of “attacking me with lies” and “choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt” that is “not supported by facts.”
House Democrats continued to push back on the corruption-focused impeachment inquiry in response to the new letter from Comer and Jordan.
“It has been a historically unproductive year in the MAGA GOP-led House,” House Judiciary Committee Democrats said in a post to X. “Republicans have ignored the critical issues that affect Americans. Instead, they have pursued a partisan, evidence-free impeachment inquiry designed to hurt President Biden ahead of the 2024 election.”