Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance Wednesday on Capitol Hill, popping up at the meeting where lawmakers were considering a resolution to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena.
Video showed Biden walking into the same room where members of the House were meeting, surrounded by his lawyers, and sitting down in the audience with his arms crossed.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) confronted Biden, calling him “the epitome of white privilege.” While Democrats suggested that Biden be allowed to speak, Mace and others called for him to be arrested.
.@RepNancyMace: "Who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today? That's my first question. Second question, you are the epitome of white privilege…what are you afraid of? You have no balls to come up here…" pic.twitter.com/Wd9WbMP5bJ
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 10, 2024
Less than 30 minutes after showing up, Biden left the meeting — just when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) got an opportunity to speak.
“I think it’s clear and obvious for everyone watching this hearing today that Hunter Biden is terrified of strong conservative Republican women because he can’t even face my words as I was about to speak to him. What a coward,” Greene said.
Hunter Biden departs hearing.@RepMTG: "I think it's clear and obvious for everyone watching this hearing today that Hunter Biden is terrified of strong conservative Republican women because he can't even face my words as I was about to speak to him. What a coward." pic.twitter.com/MaIkmDIMbv
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 10, 2024
Lawmakers subpoenaed Biden to appear for a deposition as part of the corruption-focused impeachment probe into his father, President Joe Biden, which is also looking into the business dealings of the Biden family and how the Department of Justice has handled its criminal investigation into Hunter Biden.
The younger Biden showed up at the U.S. Capitol last month on the same day that he was supposed to appear for the scheduled deposition. Instead of attending the interview, Biden demanded House Republicans allow him to appear for a public hearing to answer “legitimate” questions.
House Republicans have indicated they were willing to have Hunter Biden testify in a public hearing — but only after a deposition — warned the First Son he would face contempt of Congress proceedings following his show of defiance. Shortly after 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.
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The markup on Wednesday was meant for lawmakers to discuss the contempt of Congress resolution and accompanying report released by Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-OH) on Monday. Hunter Biden told CBS News that he would testify before lawmakers “if they let me” as he arrived. Later, after Biden left the room, his lawyer Abbe Lowell stressed to reporters that his client wanted to appear in a forum where the public could see what was said without distortion or misuse of his testimony.
Hunter Biden speaks to media today on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/Akgp6Rkooa
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 10, 2024
Republicans were not moved by the gambit. “I don’t know why Hunter’s here. He wants another photo opp. He’s not compliant with that subpoena,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told the press.
.@SpeakerJohnson on Hunter Biden: "I don't know why Hunter's here. He wants another photo opp. He's not compliant with that subpoena." pic.twitter.com/SNwp5gljiH
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 10, 2024
If the resolution advances out of committee, the House would be expected to vote on passing the contempt resolution. Then it would go to the Department of Justice, where prosecutors could bring charges.
“That will be the attorney general’s decision whether he’s going to press charges,” House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) said during a Sunday appearance on Fox News. “But if he does, I mean, it could be up to a year of jail time for failing to come and comply with a deposition for subpoena, a subpoenaed deposition to be interviewed by Congress. So this is serious stuff.”
Democrats have opposed the push to hold Hunter Biden in contempt.
The ranking member on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), criticized the move, saying, “There is no precedent for the U.S. House of Representatives holding a private citizen in contempt of Congress who has offered to testify in public, under oath, and on a day of the Committee’s choosing.”
