Proving the theory that “no one is above the law,” Republican House committee members leading the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden have recommended that James and Hunter Biden be charged with perjury for their false statements before the panels.
The Oversight Committee Chairman, James Comer, the Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Jason Smith, and the Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jim Jordan, sent a letter to Special Counsel David Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland. In the letter, they stated that Hunter and James deliberately provided “provably” false statements to hinder the Joe Biden impeachment investigation.
The false testimony “directly relates” to Joe Biden’s role in foreign influence peddling. House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “False testimony to the U.S. Congress is a felony, and Chairmen Comer, Smith, and Jordan have compiled the evidence.” Johnson also noted that Garland could prove he was not using the powers of his office in a weaponized, two-tier system of justice if he agreed to investigate the pair.
Top Democrat of the Oversight Committee, Jamie Raskin (D-MD), called the letter an effort to offer “gotcha accusations” because the pair could not recall exact details of old text, financial transactions, and conversations relating to Joe Biden.
James Biden is facing a potential criminal referral based on his February 21 testimony before the lawmakers that his brother did not meet with Hunter’s business partners in 2017. Hunter Biden and Tony Bobulinski, another of Hunter’s business partners, confirmed that the meeting occurred despite James’ denials.
Hunter faces perjury charges for his interview on February 28, when he downplayed his role in Rosemont Seneca Bohai, LLC, and lied about his positions with the firm. The committees reported receiving documents indicating that Hunter Biden was the firm’s corporate secretary. The president’s son also provided a completely fabricated story about text messages exchanged between himself and his Chinese business partner. In these messages, Hunter Biden mentioned his father being present with him as a negotiation strategy, as per the GOP investigation.
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, also stated that IRS whistleblowers’ testimony indicates Hunter Biden lied to Congress at least three times during his February 28 deposition.
The committee’s letter to Garland and Weiss emphasized that the false statements were examples of a planned effort to protect Joe Biden from the impeachment investigation. “Every instance implicates Joe Biden’s knowledge of, and role in, his family’s influence peddling.”
Hunter Biden’s deposition resulted from a heated effort by Republicans to obtain his testimony, marked by moments of defiance from the president’s son. In January, the Oversight and Judiciary Committees pushed resolutions to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress after he ignored a congressional subpoena to answer questions privately.
Hunter Biden and his lawyer briefly attended the hearing organized to discuss the contempt resolution, creating disorder. The subpoena had required him to appear before lawmakers on December 13, and he did go to Capitol Hill on that date. However, instead of participating in the deposition, Hunter Biden gave a statement criticizing Republicans and their investigation.
He accused Republicans of conducting an illegitimate investigation built on distortions, manipulated evidence, and lies. He emphasized that his father was not financially involved in his business activities in any capacity, whether as a practicing lawyer, a board member of Burisma, a partner with a Chinese private businessman, an investor, or an artist.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, stated that the referrals were a desperate effort by Republicans to twist his client’s s testimony, aiming to “divert attention from their unsuccessful impeachment inquiry” and disrupt Hunter’s trial.
The referrals to Attorney General Merrick Garland and special counsel David Weiss add to Hunter Biden’s legal troubles. He is currently on trial in a federal court in Delaware, facing three felony charges related to buying a gun in October 2018. Prosecutors accuse the 54-year-old Hunter Biden of lying to a gun dealer, falsely claiming he was not a drug user on the application, and illegally possessing the gun for 11 days.
A growing majority of Americans believe that President Biden should be impeached if the evidence uncovered by the committees leads to proof that he played a role in foreign influence peddling. This view was revealed in a Harvard/CAPS poll in late April, with 89% of Republicans, 74% of independents, and 52% of Democrats favoring impeachment if Biden is found guilty.
It’s doubtful that Garland and Weiss will pursue further investigation despite the proof of perjury committed by James and Hunter Biden. Democrats would prefer the obstruction remain unchallenged so they can continue to call the impeachment inquiry “unfounded” and “baseless” despite the mountains of evidence, including financial records, emails, and witness testimony, the committees have uncovered to prove Biden’s guilt.
