Republicans are postponing a procedural vote to advance Hunter Biden’s contempt of Congress charge as negotiations for his closed-door deposition continue.
A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee told DailyMail.com that staff for the committees and lawyers for Hunter Biden are still working to schedule his appearance after he defied a congressional subpoena last month in a spectacular PR ‘stunt’ on the Hill.
Negotiations were developing as recently as this afternoon, the spokesperson confirmed.
And in addition to the winter storm that dumped inches of snow on D.C., which led to the House canceling votes today, the House Rules Committee will hold off on advancing the resolution to give negotiators more time to ‘reach an agreement.’
The full House vote on Hunter’s contempt of Congress charges was expected for tomorrow, but now it is postponed indefinitely.
A winter storm dumped inches of snow on D.C. on Monday
Lawmakers leading the Joe Biden impeachment investigation were preparing to issue a second round of subpoenas to Hunter Biden to compel him back to Capitol Hill for a closed-door deposition, DailyMail.com reported Monday.
Just days earlier, Hunter Biden caved and agreed to Republican demands for his testimony as the GOP is planning to hold him in contempt of Congress this week.
But a source told DailyMail.com that Republicans were considering holding off the contempt vote if Hunter engages in good faith negotiations about providing closed-door testimony.
If Hunter’s team agrees to ‘genuinely cooperate’ and they can work out a deposition time and date, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan would recommend to leadership to hold the floor vote on contempt ‘in abeyance’ for now.
Hunter’s agreement is contingent upon the GOP sending new subpoenas for his testimony. The GOP’s original subpoenas came in November, before the House’s December 13 vote to formally authorize the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden’s alleged connections to Hunter’s shady business deals.
‘The Committees welcome Mr. Biden’s newfound willingness to testify in a deposition setting under subpoena,’ Oversight Chairman James Comer said Sunday.
‘Our willingness to issue these subpoenas is rooted entirely in our interest in obtaining Hunter Biden’s testimony as expeditiously as possible,’ Comer and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan wrote in a letter obtained by DailyMail.com, while rejecting Lowell’s claims that their original subpoenas are ‘invalid.’
The back-and-forth between the top Republicans and Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell comes after his shock made-for-TV appearance on Capitol Hill in blatant defiance of their subpoenas last week.
Top Republicans are preparing to issue a second round of subpoenas to Hunter Biden to compel him back to Capitol Hill for a closed-door deposition
The back-and-forth between top Republicans James Comer and Jim Jordan with Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell comes after his shock made-for-TV appearance on Capitol Hill in blatant defiance of their subpoena last week
House GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announced a vote will take place Wednesday
‘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,’ Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell wrote Friday in a letter to Republicans obtained by DailyMail.com.
Earlier Friday, Republicans had announced they will hold a full House vote on contempt of Congress charges for Hunter Biden this week.
‘While we will work to schedule a deposition date, we will not tolerate any additional stunts or delay from Hunter Biden,’ the top Republicans added.
‘Enough of his stunts. He doesn’t get to play by a different set of rules. He’s not above the law,’ said top Republican Steve Scalise.
The contempt articles – voted out of the Judiciary and Oversight committees last week – were expected to go to the House Rules Committee Tuesday and finally to the House floor as early as Wednesday.
If that ends up happening, the 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 last Wednesday and was accused of a ‘ridiculous PR stunt’ by making a shock appearance to face Republicans threatening to hold him in contempt.
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.
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.
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.