House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) initiated contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden after the president’s son failed to appear for a subpoenaed closed-door deposition Wednesday.
If prosecuted and convicted for contempt of Congress, Hunter Biden’s punishment could be up to a $100,000 fine and imprisonment.
- A deposition is a standard procedure used by congressional investigators. Democrats used depositions in their investigations regularly, including the Adam Schiff (D-CA) impeachment inquiry and the partisan January 6 Committee.
- House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) emphasized the importance of standard, closed-door depositions.
“We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden,” Comer and Jordan wrote. “As our committees were today prepared to depose Hunter Biden, he chose to make a public statement on Capitol Hill instead where he said his father, Joe Biden was not financially involved in his family’s business dealings.”
“Exactly how was Joe Biden involved?” they questioned. “Evidence shows Joe Biden met with Hunter’s business associates and his name was at the center of the family business strategy.”
