Leaders of the House impeachment inquiry seeking Hunter Biden’s testimony aimed to counter his preference for a public hearing on Friday. They responded to Biden’s attorneys, stating that he had already agreed to a deposition in response to an earlier subpoena.
The letter from House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) followed a previous letter from Biden’s attorneys, expressing his willingness to testify publicly but not in a closed-door setting. This caused a stir within the GOP, with some Republicans supporting the idea of a public hearing.
“We appreciate your confirmation that Mr. Biden is available and willing to testify on December 13,” wrote the two chairs to Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell. “This testimony will occur initially in a deposition setting, as has been the consistent practice of Committees of the House of Representatives in recent Congresses—during both Republican and Democrat majorities—as well as these Committees during this inquiry. We also appreciate your confirmation that Mr. Biden is willing to testify at a public hearing. We look forward to his testimony in a hearing at the appropriate time.”
Lowell had expressed distrust in Comer and Republicans, accusing them of distorting facts and misinforming the public in prior depositions. Lowell proposed opening the proceedings to the public, emphasizing transparency.
“We have seen you use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public. We therefore propose opening the door,” Lowell wrote in a letter to Comer on Tuesday. “If, as you claim, your efforts are important and involve issues that Americans should know about, then let the light shine on these proceedings.”
The letter from the GOP chairs did not directly address Lowell’s allegations but focused on arguing that their inquiry served a valid legislative purpose. It also assured that the deposition would be videotaped and the transcript released soon.
While Comer had previously stated his panel would prioritize Hunter Biden’s testimony, he expressed concerns about a public format, citing the need to review thousands of pages of bank records containing private information. Democrats and even some Republicans supported the idea of public testimony, emphasizing transparency and the opportunity to ask tough questions. But the Republican leadership stand firm against the notion of a public hearing. Instead, they persist in advancing their inquiry within a private setting.
