House Republicans reportedly have delayed a vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena while they negotiate to have President Joe Biden’s son appear for a closed-door deposition.
The House was on schedule to vote Thursday on the contempt charge and forward it to the Department of Justice for prosecution, but Politico, citing two people familiar with the decision, reported the House Rules Committee scrapped the idea during its Tuesday meeting.
A spokesperson for the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability told Politico they are working with Hunter Biden's attorneys to schedule his appearance.
"Negotiations are ongoing this afternoon, and in conjunction with the disruption to member travel and canceling votes, the House Rules Committee isn’t considering the contempt resolution today to give the attorneys additional time to reach an agreement," the spokesperson said.
Hunter Biden, 53, was subpoenaed by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and House Judiciary Committee in November for a closed-door deposition Dec. 13 on his foreign business dealings in relation to the impeachment inquiry into his father. But he defied the subpoena opting instead for a news conference on Capitol Hill, saying he would only testify in a public hearing.
He then made a brief appearance Jan. 10 with attorneys at an Oversight hearing on the resolution to hold him in contempt, which the committee later approved.
On Friday, Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell notified House leaders his client would appear for a closed-door deposition if he was issued new subpoenas, claiming the previous subpoenas were invalid because they were issued before the impeachment inquiry was approved by the House.
Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, replied in a lengthy letter Sunday to Lowell that his assertions have no merit but they will issue new subpoenas.
“Our willingness to issue these subpoenas is rooted entirely in our interest in obtaining Mr. Biden’s testimony as expeditiously as possible,” Comer and Jordan wrote.
Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings are central to the impeachment inquiry, which alleges a expansive influence peddling scheme involving the president and members of his family.
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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