Hunter Biden concedes after contempt resolutions pass, but his lawyer argues current subpoenas are 'legally invalid'



Hunter Biden is reversing course, telling House Republicans he will sit for a closed-door deposition.

In a letter written to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R) and House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R), Hunter's attorney said his client will provide his testimony for a deposition — only if the lawmakers issue new subpoenas.

According to attorney Abbe Lowell, the current subpoenas — which Hunter defied, resulting in both House committees passing contempt resolutions — are "legally invalid."

"I write to make you aware (if you are not already) that your subpoenas were and are legally invalid and cannot form a legal basis to proceed with your misdirected and impermissible contempt resolution. And you two, of all people, should know that is the case," Lowell wrote in an eight-page letter on Friday.

Essentially, Lowell argued the subpoenas are not enforceable because they were issued before the House initiated an official impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The subpoenas were issued in November, while the impeachment inquiry was opened in mid-December, more than a month later.

This may sound like Hunter is, once again, trying to dictate the rules for his testimony. Previously, he committed to testify before a public hearing only — despite the subpoenas requiring him to sit for a closed-door deposition.

But, unfortunately for Republicans, there is recent legal precedent supporting Lowell's argument.

In 2019, the Democrat-controlled House issued subpoenas related to their investigation of then-President Donald Trump before holding a House vote to open an official impeachment inquiry. The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel later issued a report noting the "subpoena first, impeachment inquiry resolution second" process was backward and legally improper, according to Lowell.

Therefore, Hunter will only comply if the committees issue new subpoenas, Lowell said.

"If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition," he wrote in the letter.

The House is scheduled to vote on the contempt resolutions next week. If they pass, the Justice Department will have the final say whether or not Hunter is prosecuted.

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Fox News anchor totally dismantles Democrat's narrative defending Hunter Biden from contempt charges



Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) believes Republicans are hypocrites for pursuing contempt charges against Hunter Biden, but Fox News anchor John Roberts on Wednesday poked holes through Moskowitz's claims.

The interview took place after Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance at a House Oversight Committee hearing focused on holding him in contempt.

Moskowitz's argument is twofold. First, he claimed Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R) invited Hunter to testify publicly, but he is now "reneging the invitation" and only wants the testimony to take place in a "basement" to produce a transcript Americans will "never see." Second, he claimed GOP lawmakers who defied the Jan. 6 committee must be held in contempt if Hunter faces the same punishment.

Roberts quickly disarmed the narrative.

"First of all, you said a transcript that will never see the light of day. These transcripts will be released to the public. I mean, that's part of the deal — it was the same thing with the Jan. 6 committee," the anchor responded.

"And in terms of whether or not Comer ever said, 'Look, you can do it behind closed doors, you can do it in public' — the subpoena was specifically for a behind-closed-doors deposition, which Hunter Biden continues to refuse to do. So legal experts are saying it's not what Comer may or may not have said in public, it's what the subpoena says," Roberts pointed out.

His narrative totally undercut, Moskowitz conceded that Hunter's attorneys are those in a position to battle the subpoena.

Moskowitz, however, did commit to support the contempt resolutions against Hunter — which will go to a full House vote — only if the GOP congressmen who defied the Jan. 6 committee receive equal punishment.

But this is misleading. First, because those subpoenas were issued by a committee in the 117th Congress, they expired when the Congress ended on Jan. 3, 2023, and thus they are no longer enforceable. Second, Congress, by virtue of not bringing contempt charges against the GOP lawmakers, chose not to punish them, though they were referred to the House Ethics Committee.

Putting a nail in the coffin, Roberts played clips of Democrats previously defending closed-door depositions as necessary when the Jan. 6 committee was conducting its investigation.

"A lot of critics are saying, Congressman, 'Rules for me, but not for thee,'" Roberts noted.

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'You have no balls': Hunter Biden abruptly leaves contempt hearing after Nancy Mace confronts him directly



Chaos erupted on Capitol Hill when Hunter Biden made a surprise visit to a House Oversight Committee hearing.

The committee met on Wednesday for markup of a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for ignoring congressional subpoenas last month. It was after Chairman James Comer (R) delivered his opening remarks that Hunter walked into the hearing room with two of his attorneys, Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris.

Hunter's unscheduled appearance prompted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to ask Comer to recite the committee rules that prevented Hunter from immediately testifying.

And then Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) had her opportunity to speak.

"My first question is: Who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today?" she began before addressing Hunter directly.

"You are the epitome of white privilege coming into the Oversight Committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed," she said. "What are you afraid of? You have no balls to come up here."

UNTHINKABLE MOMENT: All Hell Breaks Loose As Nancy Mace Mercilessly Insults Hunter Biden To His Face www.youtube.com

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) immediately interrupted Mace and demanded that Comer hold a vote to allow Hunter to testify, which would have violated committee rules.

"Are women allowed to speak in here, or no?" Mace shot back as several lawmakers talked over one another. "I think that Hunter Biden should be arrested right here, right now, and go straight to jail. Our nation is founded on the rule of law and the premise that the law applies equally to everyone no matter what your last name is."

After decorum was restored, Mace was permitted to finish her speech. She concluded by telling Hunter, "You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes."

Hunter then abruptly left the hearing when Greene was recognized to speak after Moskowitz spent five minutes defending Hunter and slamming Comer.

After leaving the hearing room, Lowell spoke briefly with the media and accused Republicans without evidence of being motivated by "improper partisan motives" in their investigation into allegations of Biden family corruption.

Lowell also accused Republicans of being "afraid" to hear from Hunter, which isn't true. The House Oversight and Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas — thus showing their desire to hear from Hunter on the record — but the first son, of course, defied those lawful requests.

It's not clear exactly why Hunter decided to show up at Wednesday's hearing. Republicans undoubtedly feel that Hunter meant to taunt them, which is how many they felt last month when he appeared on the Senate side of the Capitol during the scheduled time for the deposition that he ignored.

If the House committees pass contempt resolutions, they will then go to the full House for a vote. If the House votes to hold Hunter in contempt, the matter will be referred to the U.S. attorney’soffice. The Justice Department, then, will have the final say whether Hunter is prosecuted for contempt.

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