Republicans will hold a full House vote on contempt of Congress charges for Hunter Biden next week following his shock made-for-TV appearance on Capitol Hill in blatant defiance of their subpoena.
‘Next week the House will vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for repeatedly defying subpoenas,’ announced House GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who is currently battling cancer.
‘Enough of his stunts. He doesn’t get to play by a different set of rules. He’s not above the law.’
The contempt articles – voted out of the Judiciary and Oversight committees earlier this week – will go to the House Rules Committee and finally to the House floor as early as Wednesday.
If that gets cleared, Hunter’s case will be referred to the Biden-led Department of Justice for prosecution, which is unlikely. In addition to 12 months jail time, Hunter could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $100,000 if convicted.
Hunter Biden sparked utter chaos in Congress on Wednesday and was accused of a ‘ridiculous PR stunt’ by making a shock appearance to face Republicans threatening to hold him in contempt.
House GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announced a vote will take place Wednesday
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise. Scalise is currently battling cancer
The president’s troubled son, 53, staged the spectacular stunt and sat and listened as GOP Rep. Nancy Mace said he ‘had no b***s’ and ‘should be in jail’ for refusing to sit for a deposition behind closed doors.
About 17 minutes later he got up and walked out as Marjorie Taylor Greene started to question him over his business deals and the ongoing impeachment probe into his father Joe.
He was hit with a flurry of questions by reporters after he stormed out – including being asked ‘what kind’ of crack he smokes and why he put his father Joe on speakerphone over 20 times to speak with his business pals.
He was also asked whether he was on crack while he crashed the GOP hearing.
‘What kind of crack do you normally smoke Mr. Biden?’ screamed one reporter – which he ignored – as his attorney Abbe Lowell delivered a short statement slamming Republicans and maintaining that Hunter is willing to testify publicly.
‘What’s your favorite kind of crack?’ another reporter questioned.
Hunter caused a circus as cameras and reporters swarmed him for the very brief appearance amid the scandal over his shady foreign business deals.
Last week it was revealed Hunter is filming a top-secret documentary to set the record straight about his battle with addiction to crack cocaine and his financial woes.
Republicans started ripping Hunter for the ‘made-for-TV publicity stunt.’
Hunter walked into the committee hearing room with his attorneys Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris and sat down in the first row
Hunter Biden showed up on Capitol Hill at the start of a markup to hold him in contempt of Congress
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., wrote on X: ‘The Congressional subpoena served to Hunter Biden was for a closed-door deposition, not a made-for-TV publicity stunt. These terms are not negotiable.’
GOP Whip Tom Emmer said ‘another day, another ridiculous PR stunt by Hunter Biden.’
‘If this is the Biden family’s strategy to distract the American people from their disturbing pattern of corruption, it’s a pointless one.’
Hunter walked into the committee hearing room with his attorneys Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris and sat down in the first row, silently taking in the chaos that then unfolded in front of him as lawmakers grappled with the remarkable turn of events.
The top Democrat on the committee Jamie Raskin appeared to be aware that the president’s son was going to disturb proceedings with his shock entry.
‘Who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today?’ asked Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. ‘You are the epitome of white privilege coming into the Oversight Committee spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed.’
‘You have no b***s to come up here,’ she spewed. ‘I think Hunter Biden should be arrested right here and right now,’ Mace continued. ‘I’m looking at you!’
‘I believe that Hunter Biden should be held completely in contempt. I believe he should be hauled off to jail right now!’ the fired up Republican congresswoman remarked.
Democrat Jared Moskowitz – who also seemed to be aware of the stunt – asked for a show of hands from the lawmakers on who wanted to hear from Hunter, since he was in front of them.
He put Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on the spot, daring him to question Hunter since he came to the public hearing, and threatened to make the contempt vote ‘bipartisan.’
‘Listen, I’ll make this bipartisan. I’ll vote for the Hunter contempt today. You can get my vote. You can get my vote but I want you to show the American people that you’re serious.’ Moskowitz taunted before submitting subpoenas for Republicans who didn’t comply with the January 6 Committee’s requests for testimony.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departed a House Oversight Committee meeting at Capitol Hill
Hunter walked into the committee hearing room with his attorneys Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris and sat down in the first row, silently taking in the chaos that then unfolded in front of him as lawmakers grappled with the remarkable turn of events
Hunter then stormed out of the hearing room following Moskowitz’s remarks, immediately after Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., started speaking, less than 30 minutes into the hearing.
‘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,’ said Greene.
‘What a coward,’ she exclaimed.
Two top GOP-led committees are preparing to vote to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress after he defied a congressional subpoena for closed-door testimony.
Republicans say that his ‘obstruction’ of their impeachment investigation has forced them to take the president’s son to court to compel his cooperation – or he will face up to a year in jail.
Hunter defied a subpoena last month requiring him to sit for a closed-door deposition as part of the GOP impeachment investigation into whether President Joe Biden was connected to or profited from his son’s shady business deals.
Instead of showing up for his required testimony, Hunter appeared outside of the Capitol to deliver a dramatic tirade slamming ‘shameless’ Republicans, while saying he’d only testify in a public forum.
The powerful House Oversight and Judiciary Committees kicked off dual hearings Wednesday. Both committees worked through a series of amendments and then voted on authorizing contempt charges for the president’s son before the disturbance.
Hunter defied a subpoena last month requiring him to sit for a closed-door deposition as part of the GOP impeachment investigation into whether President Joe Biden was connected to or profited from his son’s shady business deals
In addition to 12 months jail time, Hunter could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $100,000 if convicted
Lawmakers released the text of the contempt resolution Monday.
They wrote that Hunter’s testimony is a ‘critical component’ of their impeachment inquiry into whether then-Vice President Joe ‘abused his office’ by engaging in ‘schemes’ with foreigners to enrich himself or his family.
Hunter’s ‘flagrant defiance’ of the subpoenas is ‘contemptuous’ and he must be ‘held accountable for his unlawful actions,’ the resolution continues – calling his actions a ‘criminal act.’
Top Democrat on the Oversight Committee Jamie Raskin said Monday that there is ‘no precedent’ for the House to hold ‘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.’
He went on to accuse Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., of wanting to ‘keep up the carefully curated distortions, blatant lies, and laughable conspiracy theories that have marked this investigation.’
‘However, the facts and the evidence all show no wrongdoing and no impeachable offense by President Biden,’ the Democrat continued.
Two former Donald Trump aides Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were held in contempt and ultimately prosecuted by Biden’s DOJ for defying January 6 Committee subpoenas.
Bannon is currently appealing his four-month prison sentence and Navarro is expected to be sentenced later this week, and could face up to one year behind bars.
They both said that executive privilege protected them from having to comply with the congressional committee’s demands.
Hunter Biden shockingly showed up Capitol Hill on the morning of his mandatory deposition to acknowledge ‘mistakes’ he made due to his crack cocaine addiction while blasting Republicans investigating him for ‘turning his ‘dad’s love into darkness’
Republicans had announced they would begin moving forward with contempt last week.
‘Hunter Biden blatantly defied two lawful subpoenas when he did not appear for his December deposition,’ House Oversight Committee Republicans wrote on X Friday.
‘Next week, we will consider a resolution and accompanying report to hold him in contempt of Congress for violating federal law,’ the lawmakers said on Friday.
Republicans said that his ‘obstruction’ of their investigation has forced them to take the president’s son to court to compel his cooperation – or he will face jail time.
GOP leadership held a vote to formalize their ongoing impeachment inquiry into Joe on December 13.
The 221-212 party-line vote opened the door for the GOP to get more evidence about schemes that have seen the Biden family get millions from countries including China, Ukraine and Romania.
And the Bidens will now have more of their bank records, mortgage details, emails, text messages and mobile phones subpoenaed, along with anything else Congress wants to see.
Hunter was subpoenaed by Republicans last month along with James Biden, the president’s brother, and Biden family associate Rob Walker. Attorneys for James have been in touch with the committee and they are working on scheduling a time for his closed-door testimony.
Hunter Biden made a shock appearance on Capitol Hill where he defiantly declared that his father is innocent of corruption allegations and accused Republicans of being ‘shameless’ for trying to impeach him.
Hunter delivered an emotional public statement in which he tore into the ‘unrelenting Trump attack machine’ and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for showing naked photos of him in Congress.
Hunter admitted making ‘mistakes’ in his life due to his crack cocaine addiction but went on to blast Republicans investigating him and accused them of ‘turning my dad’s love into darkness.’
The first son also said his father was ‘not financially involved’ in his controversial business dealings and that there was no evidence because it ‘did not happen.’
Comer and Jordan questioned what Hunter meant when that his father was not ‘financially’ involved in his dealings.
‘Exactly how was Joe Biden involved?’ they questioned in the statement. ‘Evidence shows Joe Biden met with Hunter’s business associates and his name was at the center of the family business strategy.’
Republicans began the process of holding Hunter Biden in Contempt of Congress after he didn’t show up for his impeachment probe deposition
Hunter said on December 13: ‘I am here today to acknowledge I have made mistakes in my life. I’m also here today to correct how the MAGA right has portrayed me for political purposes.
‘In the depths of my addiction I was extremely irresponsible with my finances,’ he admitted.
‘But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd.’
Hunter spoke outside of the Senate side of the Capitol hours before a planned Republican vote to formalize the ongoing impeachment inquiry into his father.
He said: ‘It’s shameless. There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen.’
Hunter Biden arrived on the Senate side of the Capitol on Wednesday morning with his attorney Abbe Lowell
Later, after Hunter skipped the deposition, Comer said there were ‘mountains of evidence’ against him and he does not get to dictate the terms of his subpoena.
‘We expect to depose the president’s son, and then we would be happy to have an open hearing,’ Comer said.
‘I don’t know anyone in more trouble than Hunter Biden and he just got in more trouble today.’
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said that ‘we’re here to get the facts’ and in his long experience of conducting investigations, that is done behind closed-doors first.
Comer has presented a case to his fellow Republicans which he says tracks over 20 shell companies set up by Biden family members to funnel in over $25 million in foreign cash – cashing in on the family name while Joe was the sitting vice president.
Hunter refuted those accusations in his statement, including those relating to Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company where he sat on the board.
He said: ‘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 the Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home and abroad and certainly not as an artist.
‘During my battle with addiction my parents were there for me. They literally saved my life.
‘They helped me in ways that I will never be able to repay, and of course, they would never expect me to.’
Hunter Biden speaks on Capitol Hill
The first son delivers his statement
He went on to slam the Republicans investigating his finances and who are attempting to tie his business dealings to Joe.
‘For six years MAGA Republicans, including members of the house committees who are in a closed-door session right now, have impugned my character, invaded my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family and my friends,’ Hunter continued in his short address in front of the Capitol.
‘They have ridiculed my struggle with addiction, they have belittled my recovery and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass and damage my father who has devoted his entire public life to service.’
Hunter Biden spent a staggering $872K on prostitutes, porn and sex club memberships and took $1.6 M from ATMs
He named the three investigating Republicans – Comer, Jordan and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.
They ‘distorted the facts by cherry-picking lines from a bank statement, manipulating texts I sent, editing the testimony of my friends and former business partners, and misstating personal information that was stolen from me.
‘There is no fairness or decency in what these Republicans are doing. They have lied over and over,’ the president’s son said.
The 53-year-old was charged with evading $1.4 million in taxes early last month.
Comer and Jordan have said Hunter has ‘no choice’ but to comply after they issued him a subpoena compelling him to appear for a private deposition.
‘If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on Dec. 13, 2023, the committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,’ they said.
Hunter’s lawyer Abbe Lowell has insisted the deposition should be out in the open, claiming Republicans have ‘demonstrated time and again it uses closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort, the facts and misinform the American public’.
Even the moderate and Biden district Republicans were onboard with authorizing the inquiry – and insisted it does not put them in a bind of being obligated to hold a vote on impeaching the president further down the line.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer slammed Hunter Biden for not testifying
‘With anything with due process, there’s there’s a chance for all outcomes to occur,’ Rep. John Garcia, R-Calif., who represents a district Biden won in 2020, told DailyMail.com.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy had declared the inquiry open in October, but now Republicans say they needed a vote to fully green-light the probe due to White House ‘stonewalling.’
Speaker Mike Johnson insisted they were not under any obligation to push through with impeaching the president just by opening an inquiry.
‘We’re not going to prejudge the outcome of this,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s not a political calculation. We’re following the law.’