WASHINGTON, D.C. – JANUARY 20: Vice-President Joe Biden and sons Hunter Biden (L) and Beau Biden walk in the Inaugural Parade January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the US. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have blocked a Republican-backed subpoena to compel Hunter Biden to testify as a witness.
“Democrats just denied our motion to subpoena Hunter Biden,” the Republican members of the committee wrote on Twitter. “They refuse to hold Hunter accountable for his shady business dealings that make us more dependent on China for renewable energy. It’s past time for accountability.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) made a motion to subpoena Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, as a witness at its hearing about making all U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicles electric.
“I just made a motion to subpoena Hunter Biden as a witness for the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s hearing on electrifying [the USPS],” Biggs wrote on Twitter. “Hunter sold a U.S. cobalt mine to a Chinese company. Cobalt is necessary for electric car production. Hunter’s expertise is invaluable!”
Last week, House Republicans on the Oversight and Reform Committee called him to testify, according to a letter issued by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), and Democrats on the committee blocked a motion to issue a subpoena.
It came as White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on April 5 that Biden has “never spoken” with his son about “his overseas business dealings.”
Recent reports from The Washington Post and other media outlets belatedly verified emails and documents on a laptop that formerly belonged to Hunter Biden. Reports about the younger Biden’s laptop first surfaced in October 2020, with just days to go before the 2020 general election, although big tech firms quickly moved to suppress them.
A November report from The New York Times alleged that Hunter Biden was the part-owner of a venture involved in the $3.8 billion purchase by a Chinese company of one of the largest cobalt deposits in the world. Cobalt is a key component used in electric vehicles and other electronics.
“A lot of stories about Hunter Biden are surfacing this week. So to ensure the independence of the investigation, would the president support the appointment of a special counsel?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Psaki.
“Well first, the president has never had a conversation with the Department of Justice about any investigations into any member of his family,” she said in response to Doocy’s question.
“He said that during the campaign, and he will continue to abide by that. So I point you to the Department of Justice for any additional steps they would take. They would make those decisions independently.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware is investigating Hunter Biden for reported possible tax fraud, lobbying crimes, and money laundering.
Over the past weekend, Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, told ABC News that the president believes Hunter Biden didn’t break the law.
“Of course the president’s confident that his son didn’t break the law. But, most importantly, as I said, that’s a matter that’s going to be decided by the Justice Department, by the legal process. It’s something that no one at the White House has involvement in,” Klain said in response to a question from ABC host George Stephanopoulos.
Hunter Biden didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.
