FrumCA

Attorney and legal analyst Jonathan Turley used Joe Biden's own words against the president's son, Hunter Biden, on Saturday to call out the hypocrisy of him failing to comply with a House subpoena.

The subpoena is part of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his alleged involvement in his son's foreign business dealings. House Republicans claim that Joe Biden was not only involved with Hunter Biden's dealings, but benefited from them, despite providing solid evidence. The White House has repeatedly denied that the president had any involvement in his son's dealings.

Last month, Hunter Biden refused to show up to a closed-door meeting after House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, and House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, issued subpoenas for a deposition from the president's son. Instead of appearing, Hunter held a press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and said he would only testify if it was done publicly.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden showed up to a House Oversight Committee meeting on Wednesday where House Republicans were seeking to bring a resolution that would hold the president's son in contempt of Congress for defying his subpoena.

Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School who testified during Bill Clinton's impeachment inquiry in 1998 and at an impeachment hearing for Donald Trump in 2019, criticized the president for giving his son special treatment in an opinion piece for The Hill published on Saturday.

"The stunt caused pandemonium and infuriated members of Congress. Hunter demanded that they yield to his demands," he wrote. "Once again, Democrats unanimously voted to protect him, even though they had demanded the same depositions in the past."

Turley then pointed to when President Biden called for accountability from those who defied congressional subpoenas from the January 6 House select committee, which investigated the events surrounding the U.S. Capitol riot led by supporters of Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.

"Indeed, President Biden himself said that such defiance could never be tolerated in others. When asked about Trump supporters defying subpoenas he declared, 'I hope that the committee goes after them and holds them accountable criminally,'" Turley wrote, adding, "Those people, however, are not Bidens."

Jordan, a Trump ally, was among those who defied a subpoena from the January 6 select committee. While it never held Jordan in contempt, the day Hunter Biden did not show up for his subpoena, Comer and Jordan released a joint statement saying that they were moving to hold the president's son in contempt.

The House Oversight and Judiciary committees voted on Wednesday to approve contempt of Congress charges against Hunter Biden. The resolutions were sent to the House floor where they are expected to be voted on this week.

In a letter to the House Oversight and Judiciary committees on Friday, Hunter's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said that his client would comply for a deposition if a new "proper" subpoena was issued, adding that the original subpoena has "no compulsory effect" since it was issued before the full House authorized the president's impeachment inquiry.

Newsweek reached out Lowell via email for comment.

A 'Cynical Demand'
"Hunter's demand for a 'valid' subpoena is a cynical demand. He has a valid subpoena and he is already in contempt," Turley told Newsweek via email on Sunday.

"There are institutional considerations that weigh against re-issuing the subpoena. This was a valid subpoena issued by multiple committees with independent subpoena authority. Few members relish Hunter and his team turning them into dancing bears for their public amusement. The contempt of Congress is already a completed act for Hunter. Even if he were to testify, he knowingly and publicly committed this violation," he said.

Turley continued: "The House can simply call Hunter's bluff and hold a vote. I imagine that his team may already have a plan for him to agree to appear and take the Fifth. Otherwise, he may hope that his last minute change will give the Justice Department, yet again, cover for declining to act."

Despite, Lowell's effort to get a new subpoena issued, Comer and Jordan said in a joint statement on Friday, "For now, the House of Representatives will move forward with holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress until such time that Hunter Biden confirms a date to appear for a private deposition in accordance with his legal obligation."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/attorney-uses-joe-biden-s-own-words-against-hunter-biden-in-scathing-rebuke/ar-AA1mXDcf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=7c8a8ca36143460baf1947a806512bda&ei=24

mikee

Hypocrisy is Hunter Biden showing up being willing to testify in open hearings (so nobody can lie about what he said behind closed doors), and Jim Jordan not complying for 600+ days and hearing only crickets from the GOP.

FrumCA

You got it backwards. To paraphrase the late, great Bobby Bowden - "You've got a good engine, son. But your hands aren't on the steering wheel."

dlwhawaii Loc: Sunny Wailuku, Hawaii

Hey frumca, what part of Hunter Biden showing up for an OPEN HEARING in response to a "legal" subpoena do you NOT understand? Because of the GOP's notoriously bad habit of bending the truth as they see it, he refused to participate in a CLOSED HEARING. Scared the hell out of the GOP, because he, unlike Jim Jordan, actually SHOWED UP prepared to testify.

FrumCA

Your spin on this is typical left-wing nonsense and pure BS. What don't YOU understand is that Biden defied a subpoena to be deposed at a closed-door hearing. Then, faced with contempt of congress charges, he suddenly reversed course and offered to sit for a closed-door deposition if the GOP followed through with issuing a fresh subpoena against him.

DennyT Loc: Central Missouri woods

To all those taking a hard line on H Biden not appearing for the subpoena - where were you when Jordan ignored a subpoena?

FrumCA

I was watching you left wingers piss and moan about the entire 1/6 debacle.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

“Actually showed up prepared to testify” or getting some footage for his documentary? The minute he was confronted by Mace and MGT he ran from the room. If and when he is before the committee pursuant to a subpoena he will assert his fifth amendment protection to not incriminate himself (as he should) because if you are guilty (as all interrogators know) anything you say relative to the investigation will either be an admission or a lie. That is why I was suprised when Matt Whitaker (former acting AG) said Hunter and Jim Biden need to answer questions to clear up all of the questions. They have no duty to assist in the prosecution of themselves. That’s ridiculous no matter how guilty they may be. But he still needs to honor the legal subpoena and either offer testimony or assert the 5th.

FrumCA

Thanks for the insight.

dlwhawaii Loc: Sunny Wailuku, Hawaii

"The minute he was confronted by Mace and MGT he ran from the room." Pure unadulterated Republican BS. "If and when he is before the committee pursuant to a subpoena he will assert his fifth amendment protection to not incriminate himself (as he should) because if you are guilty (as all interrogators know) anything you say relative to the investigation will either be an admission or a lie." A certain orange-faced critter used the 5th more than 400 times during his fraud deposition. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/31/trump-news-pleads-fifth-video-new-york-fraud-deposition
Keep on, keepin' on there, effate.

srg

It's comforting to know that our lawmakers have focused all their attention in a laser focused attempt to address the biggest issue facing our nation today.
Hunter Biden.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

Not talking about Orange faced critters. What I said re: Hunter I’ll stand by and willingly accept any evidence to the contrary. As I stated, for the reasons I stated, he should not answer questions that would incriminate himself so what is your argument. Just do not be under any delusion that he was presenting himself for a deposition.

dlwhawaii Loc: Sunny Wailuku, Hawaii

Are you actually stating that he was there and NOT ready for an OPEN DEPOSITION?

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Five years of 'quid pro quo impeachment payback' ... they need to lock him up already.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

Absolutely what I was saying. His attorney knew they would not be prepared for a hearing when he just appears unannounced.