House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) have raised concerns that President Biden might have obstructed the proceedings of Congress. The Republican leaders suggest this could have occurred if the President was aware that his son Hunter Biden planned to defy a congressional subpoena.
In a letter addressed to Edward Siskel, a White House counsel and assistant to the president, Comer and Jordan requested documents and communications from Executive Office of the President employees concerning the deposition of Hunter Biden.
Their suspicion of potential obstruction is based on a statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. They suggest that if proven, it “could constitute an impeachable offense.”
This comes after Hunter Biden defied a subpoena from House Republicans two weeks ago. This subpoena was part of an impeachment probe into the President’s possible involvement with his family’s business dealings. The White House has consistently denied any such involvement, citing instances of numerous Biden administration officials cooperating with the committees.
Hunter Biden had proposed to speak in a public hearing in response to the closed-door deposition request from the House GOP. However, Comer and Jordan insisted on the necessity of a closed-door format first. On December 13, instead of attending the scheduled deposition, Hunter Biden made a public assertion that his father had no financial ties to his businesses.
Comer and Jordan’s letter highlights a statement from Jean-Pierre suggesting that “President Biden was aware in advance that his son, Hunter Biden, would knowingly defy two congressional subpoenas.” This has led them to investigate whether the President was part of a “conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress” as part of their impeachment inquiry.
The Republican leaders also referred to a December 6 statement from President Biden denying claims that he interacted with his son and brother’s foreign business partners. Yet, Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, testified that Biden exchanged casual conversation with some of Hunter Biden’s foreign business partners but did not engage in any business discussions.
In light of these developments, Comer and Jordan have requested the White House to provide all relevant documents and communications by January 10, 2024. They are seeking clarity on whether the President sought to influence or prevent his son from complying with the committees’ subpoenas, which they suggest could be grounds for impeachment.
