Comer says impeachment inquiry moving to 'next phase,' with Hunter Biden testifying at public hearing
Hunter Biden was deposed for hours on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry against his father
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the impeachment inquiry against President Biden will move into its "next phase," including Hunter Biden testifying publicly during an open hearing.
However, late Wednesday, Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell seemed to cast doubt on that, saying in a statement, "The transcripts of witnesses who have been called to date, including Hunter’s, makes it obvious that there is nothing left to ask, answer, say or do. This illegitimate inquiry should have ended long before their star witness was indicted for lying but it wasn’t. Now that Hunter has put this partisan conspiracy to the lie that it is — on the record and under oath — this political charade should finally come to an end."
Hunter appeared on Capitol Hill for his closed-door deposition at the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first son testified that he "did not involve" his father in his businesses, while blasting House Republicans for having "hunted" him in a "partisan political pursuit" and impeachment inquiry against his father. He also said Republicans have no evidence against his father, the president, "because there isn't any."
Comer, R-Ky., made a public statement Wednesday afternoon, saying that Hunter’s appearance "was a great deposition for us."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter, however, thought the deposition went well for him. On his way out of the hearing room Wednesday, he told reporters he thought the hearing went "great."
A source with direct knowledge of the deposition told Fox News Digital that Hunter "first made clear in his opening statement and emphasized throughout the deposition, Joe Biden was not involved in, did not benefit from, and took no official actions to benefit any of his business ventures."
Regarding the infamous "10 held by H for the big guy?" email, the source said Hunter told the committee that his associate who sent the message, James Gilliar, was "out of his mind for even suggesting Joe Biden get involved in their joint venture."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Hunter discussed his addiction at length," the source said, adding that Hunter "admitted that he was high or drunk when he sent the ‘sitting here with my father’ WhatsApp message, sent it to the wrong recipient, and is now embarrassed by the message."
That text was sent to a business partner for Chinese energy firm CEFC.
The source said Hunter also testified that his dad "was not sitting next to him."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., arrives for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing titled "Unsuitable Litigation: Oversight of Third-Party Litigation Funding" in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
But Comer said after the deposition that "it proves several bits of our evidence that we've been conducting throughout this investigation."
Comer added that "there are also some contradictory statements that I think need further review."
"So this impeachment inquiry will now go to the next phase, which will be a public hearing," Comer said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Comer stressed that Hunter and his attorney have "demanded" a public hearing following the deposition.
"Just as I said, when we said we were going to do the deposition first, we will have a public hearing next," he explained. "So I think that the public hearing hopefully will clear up some discrepancies between some of the statements that were made between some of the associates and what we heard today."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indeed, Lowell said back in November 2023, "Hunter is eager to have the opportunity, in a public forum and at the right time, to discuss these matters with the Committee."
Hunter Biden, son of President Biden, departs a House Oversight Committee meeting at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Comer said "all in all," he is "very optimistic, very excited about this deposition."
"I look forward to releasing the transcripts as soon as both sides agree to that," Comer said, hinting that the first son’s transcript of his deposition could be released to the public by the end of the week. "Hopefully that'll be within the next two or three days."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}JOE BIDEN 'ENABLED' FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO 'DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,' TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES
During his opening statement Wednesday, obtained by Fox News, Hunter testified that he was present "to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business."
"Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never," he stressed. "You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn’t any."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first son said he hopes his testimony will "put an end to this baseless and destructive political charade."
"You have wasted valuable time and resources attacking me and my family for your own political gain when you should be fixing the real problems in this country that desperately need your attention," he testified.
FLASHBACK: GOP-LED COMMITTEES RELEASE INTERIM REPORT ON HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA PROBE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter's testimony comes after his uncle, President Biden's younger brother James Biden, testified last week as part of the impeachment inquiry. James Biden testified that President Biden "has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest" in his business ventures.
Hunter Biden arrives for a closed-door deposition in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Projec)
House Republicans have heard testimony from a number of the first son's former business associates, like Tony Bobulinski, who testified before the committees earlier this month that Joe Biden was involved in the family's business ventures. He also testified that he personally met with him.
Days before Bobulinski's testimony, another former business associate, Rob Walker, testified that Joe Biden met with the chairman of Chinese energy firm CEFC that his brother and son did business with.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After Walker's testimony, the House Oversight Committee said it was able to "now confirm Joe Biden met with nearly every foreign national who funneled money to his son."
House Democrats and the White House have criticized the inquiry as baseless, but Republicans insist they have just scratched the surface of the investigation into Biden family businesses.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Chad Pergram and David Spunt contributed to this report.