House Republicans To Grant Hunter Biden New Subpoenas
House Republicans are open to Hunter Biden’s request for a new subpoena after he said that he will comply with a new subpoena for a closed door hearing amid the House’s impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden.
House Republicans said Sunday that they plan to issue new subpoenas for Hunter Biden after his lawyer signaled that he would finally be willing to sit for a closed-door deposition.https://t.co/lpZ0AtH0CC
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 15, 2024
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) wrote a letter to Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell on Sunday, expressing a willingness to issue new subpoenas for Hunter to appear for a closed-door deposition.
“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,” the letter read.
The GOP leaders’ letter is a response to a letter Lowell wrote to them on Friday saying that Hunter would submit to a closed door hearing after all.
Suggesting that the previous subpoena he was issued was not legally binding, Lowell said that his client would be complying with a “proper subpoena” now that the impeachment inquiry has been formally authorized.
As Lowell’s letter to the lawmakers read, “Consequently, the November 8 and 9, 2023, deposition subpoenas to Mr. Biden and the contempt resolutions approved by your committees on January 10, 2024, based on those subpoenas were and are legally invalid. You have not explained why you are not interested in transparency and having the American people witness the full and complete testimony of Mr. Biden at a public hearing.”
“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,” he added.
The request from Hunter’s team to the House GOP leaders came shortly after the oversight and judiciary committees approved resolutions to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas requesting him to sit for a closed-door hearing on Dec. 13, 2023.
Hunter was at the Capitol Hill on the scheduled date of the deposition, but it was not for the hearing. Instead, he granted a press hearing in which he blasted Republicans for their investigation into his family and insisted on only granting a hearing in public.
“What are they afraid of? I’m here. I’m ready,” he said in his challenge to the House investigation.