“You’re Defending Him!” Comer Gets In Heated Spat With WaPo Reporter After Hunter Ditches Deposition; Contempt Of Congress Proceedings Initiated

Update (1156ET):

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer got into a heated debate with reporters after Hunter Biden refused to attend a closed-door deposition to face questions over his business dealings, and whether his father Joe Biden was involved with them.

Instead of appearing in accordance with a subpoena, Hunter gave a speech on Capitol Hill in which he said he would testify publicly rather than in a closed depostion.

“But Chairman Comer, do you acknowledge that you haven’t answered that question and that you’ve found no evidence of wrongdoing or criminal conduct?” asked Washington Post congressional investigations reporter Jacqueline Alemany.

“We’ve found some very serious evidence that–” Comer replied, before Alemany cut him off, saying “But Joe Biden–“

To which Comer shot back: “No, no, no, no. The checks. There’s two checks to Joe Biden from his brother that the money to give Joe Biden was influence-peddling. One was through—no, you asked a question. No, no, listen.”

Alemany then tried to argue that the $40,000 check was “law firm money” rather than funds from a Chinese energy firm.

“What do you think? You’re defending him. I mean you’re acting as if—are you positive that that money came from Joe Biden?” Comer shot back. “You’ve raised it. Are you positive? No.”

Watch:

As the Daily Caller reports:

Bank records released by Comer found that Biden received a $40,000 check in September 2017 after the Biden family received money from Chinese business associates. The records show that Hunter Biden, his uncle James and his aunt Sara wired money through several accounts before Sara sent Biden a check as a “loan repayment” less than a month after James Biden’s business relationship with Hudson West III, Hunter’s business venture with CEFC, began.

Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, then-presidential candidate Biden falsely said his son never made money from China. He further said he had never discussed business with son or any of his associates, but it now known he attended two dinners with hs son’s business associates, one with a Russian oligarch in 2014 and another with Burisma executive Vadim Pozharskyi in 2015.

And as promised, Hunter now faces contempt of Congress…

🚨🚨🚨

Hunter Biden today defied lawful subpoenas and we will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.

We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden.

Read my full statement with @Jim_Jordan below.👇 pic.twitter.com/0m5zc4k4a6

— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) December 13, 2023

Meanwhile, what does Biden think about people who defy Congressional subpoenas now?

🚨 FLASHBACK: “Mr. President, what’s your message to people who defy Congressional subpoenas… Should they be prosecuted by the Justice Department?”

BIDEN: “Yes” pic.twitter.com/G2vCUkrGqd

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 13, 2023

*  *  *

Hunter Biden’s legal team set up a podium on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where the First Son decided to make his case in the court of public opinion, as opposed to appearing in a closed-door deposition by House investigators.

Hunter Biden and his lawyer Abbe Lowell are here.

Hunter says he’s open to testifying at a public hearing. But won’t testify where Comer and Jordan want him to in a behind closed doors setting pic.twitter.com/Lt1ShcNtBH

— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) December 13, 2023

“Let me state as clearly as I can,” said Hunter. “My father was not financially involved ion my business. Not as a practicing lawyer. Not as a board member of Burisma. Not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman. Not in my investments at home nor abroad, and certainly not as an artist.”

Watch:

Hunter Biden moves the goalposts again: “My father was not financially involved in my business” pic.twitter.com/n9L3miu2h8

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 13, 2023

Watch the entire speech below:

[embedded content]

Last week, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan warned Hunter that he would face contempt of Congress if he skips out on today’s closed-door deposition, after his lawyer demanded it to “prevent selective leaks, manipulated transcripts, doctored exhibits, or one-sided press statements.”

“Contrary to the assertions in your letter, there is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make; the subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on December 13. If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on December 13, 2023, the Committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” reads the letter, issued a week after his attorney, Abbe D. Lowell suggested that Hunter should instead be allowed to testify publicly.

Hunter was subpoenaed on Nov. 8 to appear for a deposition before the committee. In response, Comer said: “Hunter Biden is trying to play by his own rules instead of following the rules required of everyone else,” adding “Our lawfully issued subpoena to Hunter Biden requires him to appear for a deposition on December 13.”

Comer and Jordan are investigating extensive evidence that the Biden family was running an international influence peddling scheme, raking in tens of millions of dollars from foreign business partners despite no obvious product or service in exchange.

House lawmakers are also seeking testimony from Hunter’s uncle James Biden, as well as multiple former business associates.

“I did not have financial relations with that father” https://t.co/XEQKHpg76B

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 13, 2023

So, contempt of Congress it is…