Washington — Hunter Biden testified Wednesday earlier than two GOP-led Home committees main the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, telling lawmakers in a closed-door deposition that his father was not concerned in his numerous enterprise offers.
In a ready opening assertion, the youthful Biden contested the premise of the inquiry, saying he “didn’t contain my father in my enterprise,” whereas noting that his testimony “ought to put an finish to this baseless and harmful political charade.”
“For greater than a 12 months, your Committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad,” he mentioned in his ready remarks. “You might have trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism — all of the whereas ignoring the clear and convincing proof staring you within the face. You should not have proof to assist the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father as a result of there is no.”
Republicans on the Home Oversight and Judiciary Committees have lengthy sought Hunter Biden’s testimony, moving last month toward holding him in contempt of Congress earlier than he agreed to testify voluntarily. They argued that Hunter Biden’s testimony was a “crucial element” of their impeachment inquiry, which has centered round allegations that the president profited off of his members of the family’ overseas enterprise dealings whereas he was vice chairman.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs
However the inquiry has but to uncover any proof of impeachable offenses, and was dealt a blow when the Trump-appointed particular counsel investigating Hunter Biden charged a one-time FBI informant for allegedly mendacity in regards to the president and his son accepting $5 million bribes from a Ukrainian vitality firm. Prosecutors additionally revealed in a courtroom submitting final week that the informant, Alexander Smirnov, claimed he had ties to Russian intelligence officials.
The claims that prosecutors now say are false have been central to Republicans’ argument that the president acted improperly to learn his household’s overseas enterprise dealings.
Abbe Lowell, an lawyer for Hunter Biden, mentioned the costs present the impeachment inquiry is “based mostly on dishonest, uncredible allegations and witnesses.” The White Home has dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a “baseless political stunt.”
“They’ve produced no proof that might do something to assist the notion that there was any monetary transactions that concerned Hunter together with his father, interval,” Lowell mentioned Wednesday after the seven-hour deposition.
“Hunter spent almost seven hours right now answering questions from members and employees honestly and fully,” Lowell mentioned in one other assertion later Wednesday. “He couldn’t have been clearer that there was no time that he concerned his father in any of his companies. And, the Republicans supplied not one shred of proof on the contrary as a result of none exists.”
Home Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, mentioned he’s shifting the impeachment inquiry into its “subsequent section,” which features a public listening to with Hunter Biden.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, doubted earlier within the day that Hunter Biden would ever testify publicly.
“This factor is over,” Swalwell instructed reporters. “I promise you, regardless of Comer saying that he will have a public listening to from Hunter Biden, we’re by no means going to see Hunter Biden testify publicly as a result of that is embarrassing. They may by no means carry this public. It is embarrassing.”
Comer mentioned in a press release Tuesday that his committee’s investigation has revealed that “Joe Biden was ‘the model’ his household offered to counterpoint” themselves.
“Joe Biden attended dinners, spoke on speakerphone, confirmed as much as conferences, and had espresso together with his son’s overseas enterprise associates,” Comer mentioned.
A former enterprise affiliate of Hunter Biden testified final 12 months that the youthful Biden would often put his father on speakerphone at enterprise conferences, however they by no means mentioned enterprise on the calls. The affiliate mentioned the then-vice president was placed on the telephone to assist Hunter Biden promote “the model.”
Hunter Biden’s lawyer has mentioned any interplay between his consumer’s enterprise associates and his father “was merely to change small speak.”
Republicans argue that these cases present the president was concerned in his son’s overseas enterprise dealings, which the president and his son have repeatedly denied.
Lawmakers heard testimony final week from the president’s brother, James Biden, who said the president “by no means had any involvement” within the enterprise dealings of different members of his household.
“I’ve had a 50-year profession in a wide range of enterprise ventures. Joe Biden has by no means had any involvement or any direct or oblique monetary curiosity in these actions,” the president’s youthful brother instructed lawmakers behind closed doorways, in accordance with his opening assertion obtained by CBS Information. “None.”
Hunter Biden was indicted on 9 tax fees in California in December for failing to pay at the least $1.4 million in federal taxes between 2016 and 2019, whereas he was scuffling with dependancy. He has since paid off the again taxes, with the assistance of a mortgage from Kevin Morris, a Hollywood attorney.
Morris testified in January to lawmakers, denying that he used the loans to Hunter Biden to achieve entry and affect within the White Home.
“I didn’t and should not have any expectations of receiving something from Hunter’s father or the Biden administration in change for serving to Hunter, nor have I requested for something from President Biden or his administration. My solely aim was and is to assist my buddy and consumer,” he mentioned in a press release after testifying.
Along with the tax fees, Hunter Biden was indicted on three federal gun fees in Delaware that allege he lied about his drug use to purchase a gun that he possessed for 11 days in 2018.
He has pleaded not responsible to the entire fees in opposition to him.
Nikole Killion, Ellis Kim and Jenna Gibson contributed reporting.
