House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced Friday that the full House will vote next week on whether to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.
“Floor Vote Announcement: Next week the House will vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for repeatedly defying subpoenas,” Scalise posted to Twitter Friday morning. “Enough of his stunts. He doesn’t get to play by a different set of rules. He’s not above the law.”
The floor vote would need a simple majority to hold the first son in contempt for refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas. Criminal contempt of Congress is punishable by a fine of $100,000 and up to a year in prison, though the Biden-appointed U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, is unlikely to prosecute the case. (RELATED: Democratic Party Donors Bought ‘Vast Majority’ Of Hunter Biden’s Art, Comer Says)
🚨🚨 Floor Vote Announcement: Next week the House will vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for repeatedly defying subpoenas.
Enough of his stunts. He doesn’t get to play by a different set of rules. He’s not above the law.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) January 12, 2024
The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees advanced resolutions Wednesday to hold Hunter Biden in contempt after he failed to appear for a closed-door deposition on Dec. 13. The two committees, along with the Ways and Means Committee, are also leading an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden focused on his alleged involvement with his son’s overseas business dealings.
Instead of appearing for his Dec. 13 deposition, Biden staged a press conference on Capitol Hill in which he defended his father and attacked his political opponents. He also repeated his offer to testify publicly.
Hunter: “Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma. Not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman. Not my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an… pic.twitter.com/NWgBrfm7ux
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 13, 2023
“Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma. Not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman. Not my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist,” he said.
Biden made a surprise appearance at the Oversight Committee’s markup hearing Wednesday on a contempt resolution and accompanying report. His presence in the crowd caused the hearing to rapidly devolve into a shouting match between Democratic and Republican committee members.
Hunter Biden FLEES committee hearing pic.twitter.com/3hZBtf1KDA
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 10, 2024
He dashed out of the markup session after sitting in the crowd with defense counsel Abbe D. Lowell and his financier, Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris. (RELATED: Hunter Biden’s Fixer Is Reportedly Backing Documentary About His Life)
“The Republican chairs today, then, are commandeering an unprecedented resolution to hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions,” Lowell told reporters in the hallway after he and his client left the hearing.
“The Republican chairs today, then, are commandeering an unprecedented resolution to hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions.”
— Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, on House GOP hearing to hold Biden in contempt of Congress pic.twitter.com/UKnHu4RfRS
— The Recount (@therecount) January 10, 2024
Hunter Biden subsequently flew back to California for his arraignment Thursday on nine federal tax charges.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.