(NewsNation) — Hunter Biden appeared Wednesday on Capitol Hill for a closed-door deposition, marking a critical phase for Republicans in their impeachment inquiry into his father and their family’s business affairs.
Hunter Biden took questions from members of three different House committees as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, which alleges he profited from his son’s business dealings during his time as vice president.
There is no direct evidence supporting those claims.
“I am here today 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,” Hunter Biden said in his prepared opening statement. “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.”
Additionally, Hunter Biden criticized the GOP-led inquiry as a “baseless and destructive political charade” based on “MAGA-motivated conspiracies.”
“For more than a year, your committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad. You have trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism — all the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face. You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn’t any,” he said.
Hunter Biden made two appearances on Capitol Hill over the last few months to defy the subpoena for Wednesday’s deposition and fought for it to be held in a public hearing; however, the deposition was not recorded.
House Democrats claim Republicans lack evidence and have lost their key witness, a former FBI informant accused by federal prosecutor of concocting a bribery scheme involving the Biden family.
House Republicans promised to conduct further interviews and issue additional subpoenas beyond Wednesday’s proceedings. They have also pledged to release the transcript of the deposition.
On Tuesday, House Republicans issued a subpoena to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting records related to special counsel Robert Hur‘s investigation into classified documents kept by the president.
While the investigation didn’t result in criminal charges, lawmakers are expected to scrutinize the special council’s description of the president as an “elderly man with poor memory.”
Wednesday’s deposition of Hunter Biden comes after the president’s brother appeared for an interview last week, during which he denied the allegations. Similar outcomes are expected from Hunter Biden’s deposition.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, House Oversight Republicans wrote, “Joe Biden has tarnished his position of public trust by allowing his family to put his power, protection, and influence up for sale. He spoke, dined, met, and had coffee with his family’s foreign associates as they funneled millions to the Bidens. This public corruption cannot be tolerated.”
In response, California Congressman Robert Garcia from California wrote, “House Republicans didn’t want a public hearing with Hunter Biden. They want to conduct their questioning in secret. Unfortunately for them, me and other members of the @OversightDems team will be in the deposition tomorrow so we can call out all their lies. The truth matters.”
Hunter Biden also faces federal charges for not paying taxes and for lying on gun purchase forms.