House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan wrote a scathing letter Friday rebuking claims from Hunter Biden’s defense attorney.
Comer and Jordan sent a letter to Abbe D. Lowell, Hunter Biden’s defense attorney, pushing back against Lowell’s assertions related to the committees’ subpoena power and his dismissal of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. (RELATED: Biden White House Sends Democrats Fresh Impeachment Inquiry Talking Points)
READ THE LETTER:
“Your recent letter makes several baseless and misleading assertions that we are compelled to clarify. It implies that the Committees have no valid legislative purpose for these subpoenas. Any such assertion is incorrect,” the Republican lawmakers stated, citing a Supreme Court ruling on the authority given to Congress for investigative purposes.
“You also suggest that there is no evidence to support a finding that Mr. Biden’s business dealings implicate the official actions of his father. This is contrary to the facts already established through the investigation,” the letter continues.
Comer and Jordan proceed to lay out the evidence for the impeachment inquiry such as testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business associate Devon Archer who recalled roughly 20 instances where Joe Biden spoke with his son’s foreign business partners. (RELATED: House Republicans Launch Website With Everything You Need To Know About The Biden Impeachment Inquiry)
Archer and Biden were both board members of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, a company that paid Hunter Biden over $80,000 per month for his work, according to bank records released in August by the Oversight Committee. Archer further recalled how the Biden family “brand” protected Burisma from legal scrutiny during Joe Biden’s vice presidency.
The House Ways and Means, Judiciary and Oversight Committees are leading the impeachment inquiry into President Biden based on his alleged role in Hunter Biden’s foreign business ventures and testimony from two IRS whistleblowers accusing Department of Justice (DOJ) officials of giving Hunter Biden special treatment during its ongoing criminal probe into his taxes and firearm possession.
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 29: Rep. James Comer (R-KY) attends a news conference with House Republican leadership at the U.S. Capitol November 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House Republican leadership spoke on a range of issues, including their impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Joe Biden. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
To date, the committees have uncovered more than $24 million received by Biden family members and business associates from foreign sources.
Comer has released additional bank records showing how $40,000 of money originating in China ended up in Joe Biden’s bank account. The $40,000 check was sent to Joe Biden by his sister-in-law Sara Biden, the wife of Hunter Biden’s uncle and business partner James Biden, who was subpoenaed alongside Hunter Biden to appear for a closed-door deposition in December. (RELATED: Bank Investigator Flagged Chinese Money Sent To Hunter Biden That Funded Check To Joe Biden, Comer Reveals)
Sara Biden classified the check as a loan repayment and the White House insists Joe Biden received the money as a loan repayment.
Rob Walker, another former business associate of Hunter Biden, told the FBI in 2020 that Joe Biden met with his son’s Chinese business associates shortly after his vice presidency, according to a transcript of his FBI interview released by the Ways and Means Committee. Walker was also subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee last month to appear for a deposition. (RELATED: Here’s All The Evidence Connecting Joe Biden To Hunter Biden’s Foreign Business Dealings)
Lowell wrote a letter Tuesday to the Republicans offering to have Hunter Biden testify publicly and skip the deposition. Comer, Jordan and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith countered with a demand for the first son to conduct the deposition before testifying publicly.
“Your letter is merely an extension of your coordinated campaign to discredit the allegations against Mr. Biden, distort the truth, and attack the integrity of witnesses against Mr.Biden,” the lawmakers added.
The Ways and Means Committee released documents in September as evidence backing up the IRS whistleblower allegations. Hunter Biden is suing the IRS for what his legal team believes to be illegal disclosures by the whistleblowers.
Lowell also suggested special counsel David Weiss, the lead prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case, investigate the whistleblowers for alleged illegal disclosures.
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – JULY 26: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, arrives to the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on July 26, 2023 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden is in court to review a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors on misdemeanor tax charges. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Weiss and other DOJ officials have testified before the Judiciary Committee to address the IRS whistleblower accusations and the nature of the Hunter Biden investigation, according to transcripts reviewed by the Daily Caller. Witness testimony and documents have confirmed key allegations brought forth by the IRS agents.
“Mr. Biden’s attempt to avoid sitting for a deposition pursuant to the terms of the subpoenas—by offering instead to testify at a public hearing—amounts to a demand that he receive special treatment from the Committees. Mr. Biden will not succeed in attempting to dictate to the Committees how they conduct their investigation,” Comer and Jordan’s letter concludes.
“The Committees’ investigation will proceed apace without interference or obstruction. Please confirm by December 4, 2023, your client’s attendance at the deposition scheduled for December 13, 2023, in the Rayburn House Office Building.”
Hunter Biden was indicted in September on three federal gun charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at an arraignment in October.
Lowell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Henry Rodgers contributed to this report.