Hunter Biden defies Republican subpoena, slams ‘Trump attack machine’

President’s son delivers emotion-charged public statement protesting his father’s innocence of corruption allegations.

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden talks to reporters outside the US Capitol.

The president’s son Hunter Biden has dramatically defied a congressional subpoena, delivering an emotion-charged public statement on Capitol Hill grounds protesting his father’s innocence of corruption allegations and insisting he would only answer questions in public.

In what were his longest and most detailed public remarks on scandals that have dogged his foreign business ventures and private life for years, the President’s son kept Republicans and journalists waiting until the last minute as to whether he would fulfil a 9.30am local time deposition request from the House of Representatives Oversight committee.

He would not, it turned out, prompting top Republicans to flag contempt of Congress proceedings, which could put the Biden-controlled Justice department in the invidious position of having to lay contempt charges against the First Son.

“Here I am, Mr Chairman, taking up your offer when you said we can bring these people in for depositions or committee hearings, whichever they choose, well, I chose; I’m here to testify at a public hearing,” Hunter Biden teased Republicans who were waiting inside for him, referring to earlier remarks by Republicans that a public hearing might suffice.

The Republican-led House Oversight committee last month issued subpoenas for Hunter Biden, the president’s brother James and business associate Rob Walker to appear before the committee in closed door hearing on ¬December 13, to answer questions over whether his foreign ventures amounted to influence peddling on behalf of his father.

“My father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practising lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not with my investments at home or abroad, and certainly not as an artist,” the younger Biden told the assembled throng of media, accusing Republicans of lying and cherry picking bank statements to paint a sinister impression of the First family.

“No matter how many times it is debunked, they continue to insist that my father’s support of Ukraine against Russia is the result of a non-existent bribe,” he added, referring to years long speculation Joe Biden as vice president in 2016 had a Ukrainian prosecutor fired because he was investigating Burisma, on the board of which Hunter was sitting.

The legally binding congressional request followed months of investigations by House committees which had unearthed evidence showing the Biden family was paid more than $US24m via at least 20 shell companies related to Hunter Biden from entities in China, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Kazakhstan, during and after Joe Bide was vice-president.

“I was extremely irresponsible with my finances … But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond absurd, it’s shameless,” the First Son conceded, referring to a vote expected later on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) in the House of Representatives to establish a formal impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.

“They ridiculed my struggle with addiction, belittled my recovery and they have tried to dehumanise me all to embarrass and damage my father,” he added, flanked by his lawyer Abbe Lowell, slamming what he called the “Trump attack machine” for pursuing him.

Republicans seized on Hunter Biden’s stipulation that his father was not ‘financially’ involved in his businesses. “Exactly how was Joe Biden involved? Evidence shows Joe Biden met with Hunter’s business associates and his name was at the centre for the family business strategy,” Republican committee chairman James Comer and Jim Jordan said in a public statement issued a little later.

“Today’s obstruction by Hunter Biden reinforces the need for a formal vote,” they added, referring to the impeachment inquiry vote that wasn’t guaranteed to pass given Republicans’ tiny majority in the lower House and unanimous Democratic Party opposition.

This is an investigation of public corruption at the highest levels of government.

Hunter Biden does not get to dictate the terms of our subpoena. pic.twitter.com/pZtITG14A8

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) December 13, 2023

Democrats have long maintained the Republican push for impeachment, first canvassed by former GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was a baseless, politically motivated attempt to damage the president, resting on allegations going back to 2016 which had never been substantiated.

The Justice department would not be obligated to charge Hunter, who could ultimately be pardoned by his father as president, but it did levy contempt charges against former Trump advisers Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, creating a potentially awkward precedent.

Donald Trump’s adult children complied with depositions requests before Democrat controlled committees.

The threat of a contempt charge will add to Hunter Biden’s mounting legal woes, which already include two sets of indictments for tax and gun crimes, filed separately in California and Delaware, expected to reach trial next year.

Focus on Hunter and Joe Biden’s relationship comes as the older Biden struggles to gain momentum for his 2024 presidential re-election bid, which has been marred by growing questions about his fitness, in addition to Republican accusations of corruption.

More than two-thirds of Americans said the President had either acted illegally or unethically when it came to the overseas business dealings of his son, according to an AP-Norc poll conducted in October.