Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee announced a series of subpoenas Wednesday, targeting members of President Joe Biden’s family, including his son Hunter Biden, his brother James Biden and Hunter Biden’s former business associate Rob Walker, demanding that they appear for depositions.
The subpoenas, which Comer has been threatening for months, mark an escalation in his panel’s ongoing discussions. Accused investigation into President Biden. The committee had already subpoenaed banks for records belonging to Hunter and James Biden.
In addition to the subpoenas, the committee is seeking transcribed interviews with other Biden family members and associates, including Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen, and Beau Biden’s widow, Hallie Biden. Also requested were transcribed interviews with James Biden’s wife, Sara; Elizabeth Secundy, Hallie Biden’s older sister; and Tony Bobulinski, former business associate of Hunter Biden.
The inquiry, which also includes the Judiciary Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, was briefly halted last month due to the prolonged fight between the speakers.
In a statement to ABC News, Comer said: “The House Oversight Committee followed the money and built a dossier of evidence revealing how Joe Biden knew, was involved in and benefited from Joe Biden’s influence peddling schemes. his family. will bring in members of the Biden family and their associates for questioning on this evidentiary file. »
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, said in a statement: “This is another political stunt designed to distract from the blatant failure of Rep. Comer and his MAGA allies to prove any their wild and now discredited conspiracies about “The Biden family. Nonetheless, Hunter looks forward to the opportunity, in a public forum and at the right time, to discuss these issues with the Committee.”
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arrives at the weekly meeting of the House Republican Conference in the basement of the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 7, 2023, in Washington, DC.
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Paul J. Fishman, James Biden’s attorney, said there was “no justification” for the subpoena.
“After a lengthy and desperate search for any financial transactions between Jim Biden and his brother, including an unnecessary and intrusive review of Jim’s private banking records, the Committee resorted to criticizing two loans Jim received when his brother was no longer holding public office. and not even running for president,” Fishman said. “These same bank records clearly show that Jim repaid both loans within weeks.”
He continued: “There is nothing more to these transactions, and there is nothing wrong with them. And Jim Biden never involved his brother in his business dealings.”
In addition to members of the Biden family, a subpoena targets a former Hunter Biden business associate, Walker, who in a December 2020 interview with the FBI said he “certainly never thought at any time that the vice president (Biden) was a part of everything we did” and explained that the idea that President Biden would ever get involved was “wishful thinking” on the part of another business partner, James Gilliar, similar to “unicorns and rainbows”.
Comer’s impeachment inquiry has been marked by criticism — even from some Republicans — saying the nearly year-long investigation into Biden still hasn’t produced enough evidence for impeachment.
In a lengthy memo, the White House accused House Republicans of abusing their power to wage a smear campaign against the president and his family, saying they were “throwing spaghetti” at the wall after failing to produce evidence to support their claims.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, criticized the subpoenas and “their farcical impeachment hearing.”
“The Committee has already obtained the personal financial records of the three private citizens subpoenaed by Chairman Comer: the President’s brother, his son, and one of their business partners, Rob Walker,” Raskin wrote in a lengthy statement. “The Committee also has Mr. Walker’s interview with the FBI and the summary of his interview with the IRS, which Republicans have already released. These subpoenas and interview requests are further evidence that this false impeachment inquiry is motivated solely by the demands of the vengeful and procrastinating Donald Trump.”
Hunter Biden, exits the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware, July 26, 2023
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Hunter Biden’s lawyers submitted a lengthy letter Wednesday morning to new House Speaker Mike Johnson – ahead of the subpoenas – requesting his intervention in the Republican-led investigation into Joe Biden and his family and for “(the prevent) from pursuing their partisan politics.” political games. »
The 12-page letter, obtained by ABC News, exposes seven alleged lies told by Comer and Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Jason Smith, R-Mo., about the Biden family and their various business activities. .
Lowell, the letter’s author, said the Republicans’ conduct “is ripe for your intervention” and asked him to follow through on his pledge to “restore the integrity and reputation of your chamber.”
“Even in the age of ‘alternative facts,’ the manipulation and disregard for the truth by your colleagues is breathtaking,” Lowell wrote. “Please remind them of what you said recently: that House Republicans have a ‘constitutional responsibility to follow the truth’ wherever it leads, and you promised to ‘not follow “only the facts” and not “use it for partisan political purposes”. .'”
“These presidents are about to ignore your warning by continuing to pursue baseless allegations,” Lowell added.
