After skipping out on a deposition last month following lawful Congressional subpoenas, Hunter Biden appears ready to comply, that is if Congress will reissues a subpoena, according to a letter from his attorney Abbe Lowell that was obtained by Breitbart.
"Consequently, the November 8 and 9, 2023, deposition subpoenas to Mr. Biden and the contempt resolutions approved by your committees on January 10, 2024, based on those subpoenas were and are legally invalid. You have not explained why you are not interested in transparency and having the American people witness the full and complete testimony of Mr. Biden at a public hearing. If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition. We will accept such a subpoena on Mr. Biden’s behalf," the 8-page letter read in part.
The impeachment inquiry in question had been authorized by the House on December 13, the same day that Hunter was supposed to appear for closed-door testimony. Instead, he showed up to the Senate side of the Capitol in a spot reserved by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), gave a statement without taking any questions from the press, and left.
The letter, which is addressed to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), takes an even further tone from there.
"Rather than accepting Mr. Biden’s offer to voluntarily sit for a public hearing, you are now seeking to have the full House find him in contempt based on subpoenas for a deposition that you issued on November 8 and 9, 2023. I write to make you aware (if you are not already) that your subpoenas were and are legally invalid and cannot form a legal basis to proceed with your misdirected and impermissible contempt resolution. And you two, of all people, should know that is the case," Lowell wrote.
On Wednesday, both the House Oversight Committee and House Judiciary Committee held markups to hold Hunter Biden in contempt. The Judiciary Committee voted 23-14 for a Hunter Biden contempt resolution, while the Oversight Committee later voted 25-21 to hold Hunter in contempt.
Especially in the case of the former, the markups often devolved into chaos, with Hunter Biden even pulling a stunt by appearing for a few minutes early on, although he left when it was Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-GA) time to speak.
Hunter's legal team had offered that he would appear for a public testimony, but Comer quickly shot that idea down. He and Jordan repeatedly reminded Lowell that his client was still expected to honor the subpoena, and that he could be held in contempt of Congress if he did not. During Wednesday's markup hearings, Republican members repeatedly reminded their Democratic colleagues that a closed-door testimony is standard procedure.
BREAKING:🚨Hunter says he will sit for a deposition if Congress reissues a subpoena
— Wendell Husebø (@WendellHusebo) January 12, 2024
"If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply..." his lawyers say in a letter obtained by @BreitbartNews pic.twitter.com/tAJh6Xpoas
Breitbart notes that the letter came "just hours after" the House set up a vote next week for the full body to vote on holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoenas he received.
Former law clerk Mike Davis of the Article III Project posted about an idea to still hold Hunter in contempt for defying the subpoena as he did, and then issue the subpoena.
1. Hold him in contempt for the first subpoena.
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) January 12, 2024
2. Issue the second subpoena. https://t.co/xIhRjHi5hr
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