GOP lawmakers outraged over Democrat’s comparison between Hunter Biden and Jared Kushner

Republican lawmakers are hitting out against Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) after the California Democrat sought to liken former President Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law to the business dealings of Hunter Biden.

The House Oversight Committee held its first impeachment hearing against President Joe Biden on Thursday as GOP lawmakers presented evidence they say justifies an inquiry into the president. During that hearing, Democratic lawmakers sought to poke holes in their accusations, arguing the former president’s children had committed similar actions that weren’t deemed impeachment while he was in office.

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At one point in the meeting, Garcia highlighted the business agreements made by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner while he worked as a senior aide to the former president, arguing that the Oversight Committee should open an inquiry into those dealings instead. Garcia’s criticism comes after Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from the Saudi royal family six months after leaving the White House, a deal that some Republicans have also questioned regarding ethics.

“Now, this is actually an enormous family scandal that this committee should be investigating,” Garcia said during the hearing, seeking to draw a parallel between Kushner and Hunter Biden.

(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The comparison drew vocal criticism from several Republican lawmakers and Trump allies, who argued Kushner’s business dealings were not unethical because they occurred after he left office.

“Jared Kushner has a legitimate business where he raised investment capital,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) said. “Hunter Biden has no legitimate business, and the money he collected was spent on him and his family. There is no comparison.”

Thursday’s hearing focused on evidence that Republicans say ties Joe Biden to Hunter Biden’s deals in China, Ukraine, Romania, and beyond despite the president denying any involvement. Lawmakers discussed newly unveiled messages between Hunter Biden and his uncle, Jim Biden, that underscored how deeply intertwined the Biden family’s finances are.

GOP lawmakers cited emails, texts, and witness testimony that showed how Hunter Biden and his associates used Joe Biden to advance business deals by bringing him to meetings, putting him on speakerphone with foreign partners, or using the trappings of the vice presidency, such as White House visits, to project access.

Republicans argued the record already demonstrates that Hunter Biden’s foreign business would not have been possible without the participation of his father, a key distinction between him and Kushner, they said.

“There is no comparison between Jared and Ivanka, two incredibly successful businesspeople long before Trump ever ran for office, to criminal Hunter Biden, who got paid millions because of his father Joe Biden, who delivered political favors by abusing his power,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), referring to Trump’s daughter whom Democrats also sought to compare to Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

Republicans cited that Kushner and Ivanka Trump filed annual financial disclosure reports while working under the former president, noting the couple had never discussed their business dealings while conducting government service.

The lawmakers rejected arguments that Ivanka Trump benefited from trademark deals after working for her father, noting that several of those trademarks were approved before her father was elected.

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“Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump led a successful real estate career prior to their work in the Trump administration, and during Jared’s time in public service, he helped negotiate the historic Abraham Accords in the Middle East,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) told the Washington Examiner. “The only thing Hunter Biden brought to the table was his ability to sell access to his father to the highest Chinese, Ukrainian, or Russian bidder.”

The White House has repeatedly denied any involvement between Joe Biden and his son’s business dealings, dismissing the impeachment inquiry as politically motivated.