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Jimmy Williams
The House of Representatives has temporarily suspended the progression of a resolution aiming to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. Talks have resumed between Biden’s legal team and the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, focusing on scheduling a date for the president’s son to appear and testify.
Last week, committees led by Republicans voted to recommend Hunter Biden be held in contempt for refusing a subpoena in the GOP’s impeachment inquiry into his father. While Hunter Biden expressed a willingness to testify at a public hearing and made a statement on Capitol Hill in December, he did not appear for the closed-door testimony as requested by the committees.
Responding to the contempt vote, Hunter Biden’s lead attorney, Abbe Lowell, argued that the subpoenas were legally invalid. However, he indicated that if new subpoenas were issued after the House’s vote to authorize the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden’s legal team would accept them. Committee chairs James Comer and Jim Jordan agreed to the issuance of new subpoenas.
Negotiations are currently ongoing between committee staff and Hunter Biden’s lawyers to determine a suitable date for his appearance. A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee mentioned that the House Rules Committee would not consider the contempt resolution at the moment, allowing additional time for attorneys to reach a consensus.
Hunter Biden’s legal team has not yet provided a response to the recent developments. Meanwhile, Biden’s attorney, Kevin Morris, is scheduled for a transcribed interview with House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committee staff members on Thursday. Morris, who began advising Hunter Biden in 2020, arranged to pay approximately $2 million in outstanding tax obligations to the IRS for him in 2020 and 2021. Morris has not commented on the matter.
The resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt arose amid the GOP’s broader impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. While Hunter Biden’s willingness to testify at a public hearing is evident, the disagreement centers on the closed-door deposition, with legal arguments challenging the validity of the initial subpoenas. The current pause provides an opportunity for further dialogue and potential resolution between the parties involved.
