Hunter Biden walked into an in-session Congressional hearing called to consider if he should be held in contempt.
President Joe Biden’s son refused to comply with a subpoena compelling him to be deposed behind closed doors. His appearance at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Jan. 10 was unannounced.
Hunter Biden crossed his arms, pursed his lips and scowled after taking a seat between to his attorneys, Kevin Morris and Abbe Lowell. A video of his entrance was recorded by Georgia Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene. BREAKING:
Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, JUST walked into the Oversight Hearing to hold him in contempt for violating his subpoena!
He thinks he is above the law.
WATCH: pic.twitter.com/qIVx4ZnhCM
— Anthony Hughes (@CallMeAntwan) January 10, 2024
House Oversight Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter to Lowell in December warning that Biden was compelled to appear before the committees and that the request was not optional.
“We received your letters dated November 28, 2023, and December 6, 2023, concerning the deposition subpoenas. Contrary to the assertions in your letter, there is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make; the subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on December 13,” wrote Comer and Jordan. “If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on December 13, 2023, the Committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.”
Rather than comply with the request, Biden held a press conference outside the Capitol on Dec. 13 denouncing Republicans.
“Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say,” said Biden, per The Guardian. “What are they afraid of? I am here.”
He denied allegations that he and his father used the power of the elder Biden’s political offices to secure lucrative, international business deals.
Comer announced a markup to consider the resolution to hold Biden in contempt on Jan. 5.
“Our investigation has produced significant evidence suggesting President Biden knew of, participated in, and benefitted from his family cashing in on the Biden name. We planned to question Hunter Biden about this record of evidence, but he blatantly defied two lawful subpoenas, choosing to read a prepared statement outside of the Capitol instead of appearing for testimony as required,” read a joint statement from Comer and Jordan.
“Hunter Biden’s willful refusal to comply with our subpoenas constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution,” they added. “We will not provide him with special treatment because of his last name.”
Biden’s entrance to the Jan. 10 hearing heightened tensions in the room. Greene asked Comer to recite the committee rules that state members must be given three days' notice of any depositions and that a stenographer must be present.
“So, just to clarify, we can't have someone just walk in," Greene said.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina called Biden “the epitome of white privilege” for “coming into the Oversight Committee, spitting in our face.”
“You have no balls,” she told Biden, per Axios.
The First Son left the hearing after roughly 15 minutes.
“The White House wouldn’t say if the president was informed that the younger Biden would be making his surprise visit to Capitol Hill,” reports The Hill. “When he made remarks outside the Capitol in December, President Biden was ‘familiar’ with what his son planned to say.”
