President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, defended his father during testimony before Congress on Wednesday.
Hunter Biden told lawmakers during testimony behind closed doors that his father was not involved in his overseas financial dealings, according to an opening statement obtained by Punchbowl news.
The president’s son admitted that he had made mistakes but attacked his critics. Hunter Biden currently faces tax and gun crime charges in addition to lawmakers’ allegations about overseas deals. He had previously said he would not testify behind closed doors but later agreed to testify, asking that he may testify publicly. Leadership behind the inquiry indicated that public testimony would be possible at a later date.
House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who is a leader in the inquiry, said before Hunter Biden’s testimony that the impeachment inquiry has unearthed “substantial evidence” of Biden family “corruption.”
Comer alleged the Biden family brought in more than $30 million that came in from entities in China, Russia, Ukraine and other countries, that went to roughly 20 shell companies. Comer said the money was moved around within those companies to hide its origin and to cover up how it was used.
Comer has also pointed to $240,000 in payments via check that went to the president from his family, though the reason for those payments remains unclear.
Democrats, though, have repeatedly blasted the Republican impeachment inquiry. Most recently, they called for the inquiry to be ended after one of the witnesses was tied to Russian intelligence and charged by the Department of Justice.
Republicans remained steady, pointing out bank records and other witnesses that still corroborate the allegations.
“What we just witnessed over the last hour was I think a deep sea fishing expedition because the Republican case has completely fallen apart over the last several weeks,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told reporters.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who was involved in the deposition, told reporters Wednesday that Hunter Biden was being “defiant and dishonest” with lawmakers.
“…and his testimony, some of it, is in direct conflict with other witnesses,” she said.
“It’s no surprise, it’s no shock that he is being that way,” she added.
Hunter Biden did not appear to take any questions from reporters after the deposition.
“Hunter won’t answer questions from reporters – just like Joe Biden, who won’t come clean about the family business of selling access to him, despite evidence of crimes,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The American people won’t be fooled by this.”
