President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden said in a letter that he plans to testify to the House Oversight Committee after receiving a subpoena from the GOP-led panel earlier this month, Committee Chair James Comer confirmed.
Biden offered to testify Dec. 13, which was the date suggested in the subpoena. Biden did so under the condition that the testimony be made in public, which appears to have angered Comer.
“Hunter Biden is trying to play by his own rules instead of following the rules required of everyone else. That won’t stand with House Republicans. Our lawfully issued subpoena to Hunter Biden requires him to appear for a deposition on December 13," Comer wrote. “We expect full cooperation with our subpoena for a deposition but also agree that Hunter Biden should have opportunity to testify in a public setting at a future date.”
The Oversight Committee has been leading an investigation into Biden's business transactions. The committee is investigating whether Biden's business dealings compromise U.S. national security and President Biden’s ability to lead with impartiality.
Committee Republicans have called Hunter Biden's finances complex as it says he used "corporate bank accounts of third-party associates to receive wires from foreign companies and foreign nationals." They claim Biden used his dad's name and position of trust to gain leverage while Joe Biden served as vice president.
The White House has denied any wrongdoing by the president.
Last month, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to three federal firearms charges. Two of the charges stem from a false statement he allegedly gave a gun dealer in Delaware in 2018. In a federal indictment, the Department of Justice claimed he knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement and intended to deceive a gun dealer.
House Republicans subpoena Biden's son and brother
The subpoenas are part of House Republicans' impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Special counsel David Weiss said in the indictment that Biden provided a written statement on Form 4473 certifying he was not an unlawful user of any narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious.
In a third charge, Weiss alleged that Biden knowingly possessed a firearm while unlawfully using a narcotic.
In August, House Republicans released a transcript of testimony given by Biden's business associate Devon Archer.
Although Archer shot down allegations of bribery or that then-Vice President Joe Biden had any involvement in Hunter Biden's business dealings, his testimony claimed that Hunter Biden peddled influence and a family "brand."
