House Republican efforts to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress are on hold as the first son negotiates with congressional panels about providing testimony related to the impeachment inquiry into his father, President Biden.
The House Rules Committee on Tuesday removed from its agenda a hearing on resolutions seeking to hold the 53-year-old in contempt for disobeying subpoenas demanding his testimony amid “ongoing” talks between the first son and the House Judiciary and Oversight committees.
“Following an exchange of letters between the parties on January 12 and 14, committee staff and Hunter Biden’s attorneys are working to schedule Hunter Biden’s appearance,” a spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee said. it’s a statement.
“Negotiations are ongoing this afternoon and, along with the disruption to members’ travel and the cancellation of votes, the House Rules Committee is not considering today’s contempt resolution to give attorneys additional time to reach an agreement”.
Hunter Biden has refused to comply with subpoenas seeking his private testimony related to the impeachment inquiry into his father, President Biden. REUTERS
Last week, the first son’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, asked committees overseeing the impeachment inquiry into the 81-year-old president to issue new subpoenas against his client, arguing that the initials were “legally invalid” because they were issued before the vote of the full House to formalize the investigation.
“If you issue an appropriate new subpoena, now that there is a properly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply with a hearing or deposition,” Lowell wrote in a letter to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.). , and to the Judiciary. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). “We will accept such a subpoena on behalf of Mr. Biden.”
Comer and Jordan responded to Lowell on Sunday and indicated they would issue new subpoenas “as an accommodation to Mr. Biden and at his request.”
“The Committees welcome Mr. Biden’s new willingness to testify in a deposition under subpoena,” Comer and Jordan wrote in the letter, while maintaining that their original subpoenas were legal.
“To be clear, the issuance of these subpoenas does not in any way suggest or imply that the committees believe that the claims in your January 12 letter have any merit,” the lawmakers wrote.
Jordan and Comer indicated Sunday that they favor issuing new subpoenas against Hunter Biden. Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Despite the new negotiations, House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) would not rule out moving forward with a contempt vote if discussions do not lead to Hunter Biden’s testimony.
“If those talks are not successful, the Rules Committee could meet again this week to consider those reports,” Cole said Tuesday, according to Hill.
The House Judiciary and Oversight committees voted separately last week to hold Hunter in contempt after the first son defied a statement scheduled for Dec. 13 and instead delivered remarks on Capitol grounds where he stated that his father was not “financially involved” in his overseas businesses. transactions.
Contempt of Congress is punishable by a minimum of 30 days in jail.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn