Two former associates of Hunter Biden testified publicly on Capitol Hill Wednesday as congressional Republicans advanced their impeachment inquiry into President Biden, leading to several tense and revealing moments.
Tony Bobulinski, a U.S. Navy veteran who was previously Hunter Biden’s business partner, appeared publicly for the House Oversight Committee audience. Jason Galanis, another Hunter Biden associate who is serving a 14-year prison sentence, testified virtually from Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security prison for male inmates in Montgomery, Alabama.
Democrats have invited Lev Parnas, sentenced to 20 months in prison for campaign finance violations, wire fraud and false statements, to testify about his work with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine.
GOP LEGISLATOR SAYS REPUBLICANS ‘DON’T HAVE THE CURAGE’ TO DEMPACHIR BIDEN
Hunter Biden’s former business partner Tony Bobulinski, center, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday about the Biden family’s alleged “influence peddling.” (Getty Images)
‘Blatant lies’: Bobulinski accuses Hunter Biden of lying under oath
Bobulinski said Wednesday that Hunter Biden lied under oath while speaking to lawmakers earlier this year about his father’s involvement in his business dealings.
Questioning Bobulinski, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., said: “During his deposition, Hunter Biden repeatedly testified under oath that his father was not involved in his business in any capacity and that he did not There wasn’t even a connection between his father. and its businesses. Here is just one example, I quote: “I have just declared for the record once again, under oath and under penalty of perjury, my father was never involved in my affairs. I never asked my father to ‘to be involved.” in my company. My father has never profited from my business, and I have never asked anyone or my father to do anything to benefit anyone I have ever done business for.
“Yet the Ways and Means Committee released a WhatsApp message provided by IRS whistleblowers showing that Hunter Biden wrote on July 30, 2017, quote: ‘I’m sitting here with my dad and we would like understand why the commitment’ “What I did was not accomplished. I’m sitting here, waiting for my father’s call. “Additionally, you testified that Hunter did not hesitate to speak to his father and Devin Archer testified that there were several instances in which Hunter placed his father on speakerphone.
“Mr. Bobulinski, was Hunter Biden telling the truth when he testified under oath that his father was never involved in any of his business dealings?” » Smith asked.
Bobulinski replied: “No, he wasn’t. They’re all blatant lies.”
Bobulinski claims President Biden’s son and brother committed ‘perjury’
During Wednesday’s hearing, Bobulinski said Hunter Biden and Jim Biden, the president’s brother, had perjured each other.
Bobulinski, who claimed that Hunter Biden “lied throughout his testimony” in a transcribed interview to the House Oversight Committee in February, provided what he believed to be an example of Hunter Biden’s “perjury.”
Hunter Biden “lied to the committee about material details regarding his demands for money and threats to (the) CEFC” in text messages on July 30 and 31, 2017, according to Bobulinski.
“He took advantage of the presence of his father next to him in this famous text to force CEFC to pay Hunter immediately,” Bobulinski said.
Additionally, Bobulinski said Wednesday that James Biden, The president’s brother “also lied a lot throughout his transcribed interview on February 21 and perjured himself.”
“An example of this, on page 100 of his transcript, Jim is specifically asked, ‘Do you remember meeting Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski and Joe Biden?'”
“Jim’s response: ‘Absolutely not,'” Bobulinski added.
Later in the hearing, Bobulinski claimed that James Biden admitted to him during a 2017 meeting that the Biden family was able to conduct its business despite the president’s high profile because of “plausible deniability.” “.
James Biden in Washington, DC, February 21. (Jim Watson/AFP)
Democrats and Republicans argue over which party is more credible
Democratic and Republican members clashed during Wednesday’s hearing over which party was more credible.
Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents Washington DC, began by highlighting Galanis’ conviction for financial crimes, saying he was serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison.
She was followed by Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who also noted Galanis’ convictions but also attacked Bobulinski for offering “a lot of rhetoric and a lot of hot air but absolutely no facts” that would justify impeaching the president Biden.
“No one on their side can even tell us what the highest felonies and misdemeanors are, which suggests they are moving toward criminal prosecution, and they should start by examining their own witnesses,” Raskin said.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., pushed back by reminding Norton and Raskin “the witness, Mr. Galanis, was a partner of Hunter Biden.”
“That’s why he’s here. We have their partners. You could have invited partners, but you invited this guy,” Comer said, pointing to Parnas, a former aide to Giuliani.
The members began talking to each other before Comer moved on to Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., for his questioning.
Grothman began by noting that Parnas had also been convicted of crimes and sentenced to federal prison.
Hunter Biden’s former business associate Jason Galanis, inset, testified from prison before House lawmakers working on the impeachment inquiry of President Biden. (Facebook | AP)
FORMER HUNTER BIDEN ASSOCIATES TESTIFY PUBLICLY IN NEXT PHASE OF IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION
Bobulinski targets Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, says he ‘begged’ him to review phone evidence
Bobulinski said Wednesday he ‘begged’ Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and his team to sit down with him to review text message evidence he had on his Blackberry cell phone regarding alleged wrongdoing by members of the Biden family.
Bobulinski’s comments came after Khanna refused to interview him and only spoke to Parnas.
“If you noticed, Congressman Khanna rushed out of here very quickly, and I’m actually disgusted as I sit here that he didn’t address me, as I’m sitting here in front of the world trying to bear witness to the truth,” Bobulinski said shortly after Khanna’s speaking time expired.
“I have messages that I am ready to convey the two democrats and the Republicans Ro Khanna sent me to say, ‘You have always demonstrated to me that you are nothing but honest and have the highest integrity,'” Bobulinski said. “I was begging him to go on CNN and tell the world in October 2020.”
“I have received numerous emails with Congressman Ro Khanna in 2021 and 2022, in which I begged him and his team to sit down with me and look at my BlackBerry phones that Democrats are talking about. focus so much, to hire forensic experts and to review all the factual information that I had,” he added. “So the fact that he didn’t even speak to me and then ran away from here disgusts me.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital on the matter, Khanna said: “I have reviewed numerous information presented to the committee on this issue. I have always respected Tony’s past service to our nation because I appreciate anyone who wears the uniform, and I will. continue to take my duty seriously on the committee and review all the evidence. »
Regarding Bobulinski’s claim that he spoke to the California legislator Of the evidence, a spokesperson for Khanna told Fox: “Tony has reached out to him multiple times, and Rep. Khanna has always been gracious because he respects Tony’s service, but has made it clear that any evidence should be considered through a committee procedure.”
Democrat mocks GOP committee chairs for holding Biden impeachment vote
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Democrat of Florida, challenged Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to hold a vote on impeaching Biden during Wednesday’s hearing, saying that they would if they really found enough evidence that he had committed it. serious crimes and misdemeanors.
The exchange took place after Moskowitz asked Bobulinski whether he believed Biden had committed high crimes and should be impeached.
“I believe with all the evidence that he has gathered, yes, he has proven that Joe Biden has committed high crimes and misdemeanors,” Bobulinski said.
Moskowitz then asked Bobulinski if he thought Comer and Jordan had proven that Biden had committed high crimes and misdemeanors. “I know he committed serious crimes and misdemeanors. I was involved and I saw it happen,” Bobulinski responded.
“What I mean is, the president hasn’t made a decision yet. And so, look, president, we have about 3 and a half minutes here. I mean, let’s just proceed with impeachment,” he said. suggested Moskowitz facetiously. “I mean, why continue to waste millions of dollars of taxpayer money if we’re going to impeach him because you think you’ve demonstrated that he committed a high crime and misdemeanor?”
Moskowitz then made a mocking motion for a vote, asking either Jordan or Comer to second the vote, but neither did so.
Jordan responded that GOP-led committees don’t do “snap impeachments,” referring to the one Democrats undertook against President Donald Trump in 2019.
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In announcing the hearing earlier this month, Comer invited Hunter Biden to testify publicly, in accordance with the first son’s repeated requests. Through his lawyer, Father Lowell, Hunter rejected the invitation.
Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
