Hunter Biden not only defied the House subpoena that Republicans issued, but he taunted them by holding a press conference on the same day on the Senate side of the Capitol.
Then Hunter barged into a hearing regarding a criminal referral to the Department of Justice for his defiance.
After having shown nothing but disrespect and contempt, Reps. James Comer (R-KY) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) have apparently blinked and decided to give Hunter a second chance.
Talking Points…
- Hunter defies subpoena
- GOP blinks
- Analysis
In mid-December, Hunter Biden was scheduled to testify before a closed congressional hearing, but he decided to defy the subpoena and hold a press conference on the Senate side of the Capitol to purposely avoid the House Sergeant-at-Arms and a possible arrest.
Hunter stated that he would be more than happy to testify in an open committee hearing, but that is not how it works. There are restrictions in place for an open hearing that would not allow Republicans to question Hunter in detail. During that presser, Hunter stated:
"For six years, I've been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine shouting. 'Where's Hunter?' Well, here's my answer. I am here. Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business — Not as a practicing lawyer. Not as a board member of Burisma, not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not my investment at all nor abroad, and certainly not as an artist.
"There's no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business, because it did not happen."
After Hunter Biden barged into the committee hearing discussing a possible referral to the DOJ for Hunter defying the subpoena, I thought for sure the GOP would hold firm, send the referral to the DOJ, and demand that Hunter be indicted. Instead, they caved.
When it became clear that a referral was imminent, Hunter's attorney, Abbe Lowell, informed Republicans that if they issued another subpoena, Hunter would comply. That led to House Oversight Chairman Comer and House Judiciary Chairman Jordan issuing a new letter to Abbe Lowell, which stated:
"The committees welcome Mr. Biden's newfound willingness to testify in a deposition setting under subpoena.
"Although the Committee's subpoenas are lawful and remain legally enforceable, as an accommodation to Mr. Biden and at your request, we are prepared to issue subpoenas compelling Mr. Biden's appearance at a deposition on a new date in the coming weeks."
This, in my opinion, is a big mistake by the GOP because they had a huge opportunity to put Attorney General Merrick Garland on the spot for all of the Trump associates who were indicted for defying their subpoenas during the January 6 investigations.
It may sound petty, but it is handing Hunter Biden and his attorneys a significant win in that they are still dictating terms to the GOP. More importantly, it has allowed Garland to avoid the nightmare scenario mentioned above.
They were not asking anything out of the norm, and it was only exposing the hypocrisy of Democrats who said they should have allowed Hunter to testify in an open hearing right out of the gate. Democrats had Donald Trump Jr. in the hot seat for more than 40 hours behind closed doors, yet they want special treatment for Hunter.
