Representatives Jim Jordan and James Comer are investigating whether or not President Joe Biden engaged in "conspiracy" by having knowledge that his son Hunter would defy a congressional subpoena from House Republicans.
Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to the White House on Wednesday asking for any documentation between Hunter, his representatives and the president's executive office.
Pointing to White House Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's remarks acknowledging that Biden was "certainly familiar" with the statement that Hunter prepared for his appearance on Capitol Hill, Jordan and Comer questioned whether the president's advanced notice of his son's plans means Biden "engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress," which could be an impeachable offense.
The White House declined Newsweek's request for comment.
This month, Hunter Biden addressed the ongoing attacks he's faced from House Republicans and offered again to publicly testify before the House, defying the subpoenas issued for his closed-door deposition.
"For six years, I have been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine shouting 'Where's Hunter?' Well, here is my answer: I am here," Hunter said December 13. "Here I am, Mr. Chairman, taking you up on your offer when you said, 'We can bring these people in for depositions or committee hearings, whichever they choose.'"
Despite the troubling optics of refusing Hunter's offer, House Republicans have blasted him for defying the subpoena and vowed to hold him in contempt of Congress over his failure to appear for the closed-door deposition that they say is necessary before a public hearing. They have also long alleged that Joe Biden reaped personal benefits from his son's business dealings, which Hunter denied while on Capitol Hill this month.
"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 my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home, nor abroad," Hunter said.
Jordan and Comer, however, disagreed, writing in their letter to Assistant to the President and White House Counsel Edward Siskel that those claims were false and that Biden "has met with, spoken to, and received money sourced from his son's foreign business partners." Hunter's former business associate, Devon Hunter, testified in August that the president had conversed with some of his son's business partners but not about business.
"In light of this evidence, the fact that the President had advanced awareness that Mr. [Hunter] Biden would defy the Committee's subpoenas raises troubling new questions that we must examine: whether the President corruptly sought to influence or obstruct the Committees' proceeding by preventing, discouraging, or dissuading his son from complying with the Committees' subpoenas," the letter reads. "Such conduct would constitute an impeachable offense."
Jordan and Comer asked that the White House hand over all necessary documentation by January 10.
House Republicans this month voted to formalize an impeachment inquiry into Biden, which they argued would allow them to better enforce subpoenas to the president and the White House. Although an impeachment inquiry precedes an official impeachment vote, every modern-day presidential impeachment inquiry has led to impeachment, except in the case of Richard Nixon, who resigned before a formal vote.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
