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Jimmy Williams
House Republicans took a significant step toward holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress after he skipped a closed-door deposition last month. The House Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee voted along party lines to recommend contempt charges against the son of President Joe Biden, paving the way for a potential showdown on the House floor.
This move sets the stage for a contentious battle in the full House, where Republicans would need near-total unity among their two-vote majority to refer Hunter Biden to the Justice Department. If the House proceeds with this referral, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves is expected to make the final decision on whether to pursue new charges against Hunter Biden, who is already facing two criminal cases.
Republicans argue that Hunter Biden’s refusal to comply with the committee subpoenas is a criminal act. The tension escalated when Hunter Biden made a brief surprise appearance at the Oversight Committee meeting, drawing anger from GOP members. The House floor vote is expected to take place as early as next week.
House Republicans consider Hunter Biden a crucial witness in their broader impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, focusing largely on the business dealings of his family members. While they’ve found evidence of Hunter Biden leveraging his last name for influence, they struggle to prove that President Biden took actions to benefit his family’s business deals while in office.
The broader context includes a looming deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown on Jan. 19, calls to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and considerations to add Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd to the list of Biden administration officials facing impeachment.
The latest developments come after Republicans subpoenaed Hunter Biden late last year, seeking his appearance before congressional investigators on Dec. 13. However, he skipped the closed-door interview, insisting on participating in a public hearing instead. Republicans have criticized this move and warned of contempt proceedings if he didn’t comply.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers defended their decision, citing concerns that a closed-door hearing would lead to selective leaks. The ongoing dispute raises questions about the boundaries between legal proceedings and political maneuvers. Hunter Biden is also scheduled to appear in a California court on Thursday over federal tax charges.
Congressional investigators recently spoke with Hunter Biden’s art dealer, and efforts are ongoing to set up a closed-door interview with Joe Biden’s brother, James Biden, who was subpoenaed last year.
