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After Several Hours, House Oversight Committee Votes to Hold Hunter Biden in Contempt of Congress

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  January 11, 2024 7:00 AM

On Wednesday evening, after a markup that stretched on for hours and became quite chaotic at times, with even a brief visit from the first son himself, the House Oversight Committee voted 25-21 along party lines to hold Hunter Biden in contempt. 

Hunter Biden had received lawful subpoenas to provide closed-door testimony. He had offered to appear for public testimony, but House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) quickly let him know that that would not be acceptable. Comer and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) also made clear to Hunter and his attorneys that he was expected to appear and would face consequences if he did not. Hunter showed up to the Capitol on December 13, to the Senate side, to give a press conference in a space reserved by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), and then left. On Wednesday, the Committees took action to follow through. 

The matter was expertly summed up by Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) early on in the markup, as members devolved into discussing "white privilege," as well as January 6 and former and potentially future President Donald Trump. 

Nevertheless, a common theme from Democratic members throughout the day was to sympathize and side with Hunter Biden, as well as create excuses for and defend him. In fact, it appeared to be a theme that Democratic members were proud to make, with the Oversight Committee Democrats sharing clips that featured members making such points.

At one point, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) described Hunter as "someone who has made every effort to comply in every way other than these specific means of providing the evidence," as he then went after Republican members on the Committee over subpoenas.

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Goldman even brought up the claim he has repeatedly made, which is that Republicans do not have evidence to connect Hunter Biden and his business deals to President Joe Biden. 

As the congressman claimed to his Republican colleagues, Hunter Biden "called your bluff, and now you're scrambling" as he also charged them with being "desperate to find anything to divert attention away from your abject lack of evidence connecting President Biden to any business venture of Hunter Biden, to any wrongdoing." Goldman also claimed that Republicans were holding a contempt hearing "because you don't want to see him testify in public, you just want to be able to filter his testimony, in closed-door testimony, as you've been doing this entire Congress."

Comer has assured that the transcript would be made public. He had the chance to remind members of this point when Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), to his credit, yielded time for him to do so not long after during the hearing. Comer spoke specifically about the alarming amount of suspicious activity reports (SARs) from banks on the Bidens, which he has questions about. He also reminded that Hunter "doesn't get to set the rules," though there will be a public hearing after his closed-door testimony, with members from both parties getting time with the first son. 

Casar also yielded time to Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who had been trying to get Democratic members to yield time to them so he could respond to their points. 

"The reality is that," Donalds pointed out, also reminding that "you have attorneys on your side of the aisle, there is never any proceeding that takes place without the deposition of a witness. The reason why is because if something comes up in the round of questioning, either members of this Committee may not be prepared because they don't have all the information from the witness, because the witness was never given the opportunity to with his attorneys present to actually give out that level information."

"So you need a deposition process before you bring a witness into open hearings," Donalds continued, reminding "this happens all the time" and that "this is actually the protocol of the House, and Mr. Casar, what your side of the aisle is requesting, with all due respect, is a deviation from the historical precedence from the House of Representatives."

After Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) spoke for the rest of Casar's time, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) spoke next, complementing the points made by Donalds made, 

"This kind of food fight, this kind of circus that we've experienced is the reason we want to have a deposition," Burlison offered. "In a deposition you don't get people distracting the American public with all these other topics, and during a deposition, they don't get to lie to the American people for five minutes at a time. They don't get to distract, they don't get to lie, and they don't get to divert from the facts of what's happening."

Burlison also spoke to a litany of "facts," including the SARs, bank records, copies of checks, as well as WhatsApp messages, Hunter's laptop, and depositions from Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, saying they make for "a compelling story."

Because there are so many facts, Burlison believes that "the only outcome" for Democrats "would be to distract, to try to make this a political process."

Donald Trump Jr., when his father was president, appeared for multiple depositions. Hunter has not, though, because as Burlison put it, he feels "privileged," not only when it comes to not showing up for depositions, but also how "he doesn't have to pay taxes like everyone else" and "apparently he can traffick sex workers across the globe and get away with it" as well as "acting as a foreign advocate, and be able to get away with it, when other people are prosecuted and sent to jail for the very same thing." 

"The American people see that there's two standards of justice, and while we're trying to go about the people's business in a serious manner, we end up allowing a food fight, which is exactly he did what he did when he went across the street, as far away as he could from this building, and had his press conference, and then why he today showed up when the hour was way too late," Burlison added about Hunter in closing. 

Despite such explanations from members like Donalds and Burlison, Goldman was a repeat offender when it came to making excuses for Hunter Biden skipping out on his deposition. 

Later during the markup, as members were debating amendments, Goldman got into it with Comer and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), as members shouted over bank records, with Comer even needing to call for order at one point. 

"Nobody is above the law," Luna reminded Goldman, as she went on to highlight the importance of such a markup. "Even if you think that [Hunter's] innocent, he cannot defy a Congressional subpoena! That's what this is about. People here, I'm sure on that side too, have family members that have gone to jail for probably less offenses. So why is he allowed, why is he given this special privilege?"

"We have no authority, if you have the president's son who's sitting there doing illegal things, I mean, I know it probably doesn't make you feel good to defend the guy," Luna offered to Democrats. "But, like, for goodness sakes, he should be held accountable! At least bring him in and admit that."

Goldman tried to claim that Hunter "should be held accountable by the Department of Justice," also claiming "and he is being held accountable" as other members shouted out. Luna gestured and yelled for them to "let up" as she responded "he should be held accountable by the Department of Justice," explaining "but that is what we are voting to do, to send that to investigation, because he... defied a Congressional subpoena."

"If the DOJ doesn't uphold that, though, we have a serious problem in this country that this man is held above the law, and that is why we are arguing here today. We are trying to send that to the DOJ, but you are arguing against that," Luna further explained before yielding to Goldman. 

Even towards the end, members like Goldman and Raskin still expressed concerns with the process, as they feared Republicans would engage in "distortions and misrepresentations" as well as "cherrypicking" with regards to transcribed interviews. Raskin and Comer would continue arguing about it, with Comer again reminding "Hunter Biden is more than welcome to come for a hearing, after the deposition."

A statement from Raskin after the voting still stuck to the same narratives.

Earlier in the day, after a shorter markup, the Judiciary Committee had voted for a Hunter Biden contempt resolution by a vote of 23-14, also along party lines. 

Both resolutions head to the floor of the Republican-controlled House, though as Fox News reported, "No day or time has been set yet for that vote." Hunter Biden would then be referred to the Biden administration's DOJ if the full House votes to hold him in contempt.