Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., sent a letter to the White House seeking information as they look into whether President Joe Biden influenced the decision made by his son, Hunter Biden, to defy congressional subpoenas earlier this month. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |
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Dec. 28 (UPI) — House Republicans investigating the Biden family’s financial dealings have expanded their impeachment inquiry into whether President Joe Biden was involved in the decision made by his son, Hunter Biden, to defy congressional subpoenas ordering him to sit for closed-door deposition earlier this month.
Republican Reps. James Comer of Kentucky and Jim Jordan of Ohio sent White House counsel Edward Siskel a letter Wednesday seeking all documents and communications between the White House and the younger Biden as well as his lawyers concerning his decision to not sit for a deposition on Dec. 13.
House Republicans have been investigating the president since regaining the congressional chamber in January. They have accused the Biden family of influence peddling but have yet to provide evidence.
The embattled Hunter Biden has been at the center of their investigation due to his international business dealings, and the House Republicans issued subpoenas for his deposition. He has stated he is willing testify but only if it is public — a request that the House Republicans denied.
On the day of his scheduled for deposition, Hunter Biden gave a press conference out front of the U.S. Capitol, reiterating his stance that he is willing to publicly testify.
Later that day while fielding questions during a press conference, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president was “certainly familiar with what his son was going to say.”
In the letter to the White House, Comer and Jordan pointed to Jean-Pierre’s statement, saying it shows that the president had knowledge that his son would defy the congressional subpoenas and they are seeking information to see if he had advised him to do so.
“In light of this evidence, the fact that the president had advanced awareness that Mr. Biden would defy the committees’ subpoenas raises a troubling new question 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,” they wrote in their letter.
“Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense.”
The House Republicans set a deadline of Jan. 10 for the White House to deliver the requested information.
Though they have been investigating the president and his family for nearly a year, in September, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy officially directed three House committees to conduct a formal impeachment inquiry in an effort to appease far-right Republicans.
Then, earlier this month, the Republican-led House authorized the inquiry.