Next week the House Judiciary Committee will prepare a resolution to hold Hunter Biden, the embattled son of President Joe Biden, in contempt of Congress after he reportedly defied a subpoena and failed to appear for a deposition.
The younger Biden was due to appear before several committees last month to explain his business dealings. Hunter Biden spoke on the Senate lawn instead, reiterating his willingness to speak with the panels only in a public setting. "We're going to move forward with contempt proceedings. ... There's a process we have to follow, but we plan to do that," House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said on Dec. 13.
After the Judiciary Committee votes on the resolution, it must be weighed before the full House.
A Contempt of Congress resolution is largely a recommendation to the Justice Department, which has discretion as to whether or not it will pursue charges. Hunter Biden is currently facing felony tax charges in California, as well as charges in Delaware that stem from him purchasing a firearm without disclosing the use of a controlled substance.
Some Background
Prior to the subpoena, The Hill revealed, the House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R. Kentucky) said that he would "drop everything" if he wanted to testify in public. Biden believes the deal has been reneged upon with the subpoena announcement.
"For six years, I've been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine shouting. 'Where's Hunter?'" Biden said in a statement to reporters. "Well, here's my answer. I am here."
"Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business. Not as a practicing lawyer. Not as a board member of Burisma. Not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not my investment at all nor abroad, and certainly not as an artist," he said, examining various crucial facets of the GOP investigations. .
"There's no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business, because it did not happen," Biden added.In recent years the Justice Department has acted on about half of the contempt of Congress recommendation that it was asked to consider.
The Justice Department levied convictions against both one-time White House strategist Steve Bannon and White House adviser Peter Navarro.
But it declined to bring cases against Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows or communications head Dan Scavino.
"Hunter Biden's willful refusal to comply with our subpoenas constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney's Office for prosecution. We will not provide him with special treatment because of his last name," Comer and Jordan said in a joint statement.
