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| House Republicans Threaten Hunter Biden With Contempt Charge | House Republicans Threaten Hunter Biden With Contempt Charge |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| House Republicans on Wednesday threatened to hold Hunter Biden, the president’s son, in contempt of Congress if he did not appear for a closed-door deposition they scheduled for next week as they hunt for evidence to try to impeach his father. | House Republicans on Wednesday threatened to hold Hunter Biden, the president’s son, in contempt of Congress if he did not appear for a closed-door deposition they scheduled for next week as they hunt for evidence to try to impeach his father. |
| Hunter Biden has offered to testify publicly but resisted submitting to private questioning, saying he is concerned that Republicans will twist his words and selectively leak portions of his testimony without context. | Hunter Biden has offered to testify publicly but resisted submitting to private questioning, saying he is concerned that Republicans will twist his words and selectively leak portions of his testimony without context. |
| “The committee has demonstrated time and again it uses closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort, the facts and misinform the American public — a hearing would ensure transparency and truth in these proceedings,” Abbe David Lowell, a lawyer representing Mr. Biden, wrote in a letter on Wednesday to Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky and the chairman of the Oversight Committee. “We look forward to working out the schedule.” | “The committee has demonstrated time and again it uses closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort, the facts and misinform the American public — a hearing would ensure transparency and truth in these proceedings,” Abbe David Lowell, a lawyer representing Mr. Biden, wrote in a letter on Wednesday to Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky and the chairman of the Oversight Committee. “We look forward to working out the schedule.” |
| Within hours, Republicans responded by threatening Mr. Biden with a contempt charge. | Within hours, Republicans responded by threatening Mr. Biden with a contempt charge. |
| “There is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make,” Mr. Comer and Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio and the Judiciary Committee chairman, wrote to Mr. Lowell. “The subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13. If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on Dec. 13, 2023, the committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.” | “There is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make,” Mr. Comer and Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio and the Judiciary Committee chairman, wrote to Mr. Lowell. “The subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13. If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on Dec. 13, 2023, the committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.” |
| Congress has wide-ranging authority to conduct investigations that are relevant to its legislative work. Investigators often insist on questioning a witness in private to learn what their testimony is before holding a public hearing, which are more often known for grandstanding than fact-finding. | |
| Speaker Mike Johnson has also said he believes a floor vote is needed to authorize the Republicans’ impeachment inquiry. He has called the move a “necessary constitutional step” and suggested that a vote to formalize the process could happen next week. |