WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans issued criminal references Wednesday against the president Joe Bidenson and brother, accusing them of making false statements to Congress as part of the Republican Party’s year-long campaign impeachment inquiry.
Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees sent a letter to the Justice Department recommending the process of Biden Hunter and James Biden and accusing them of making a “conscious effort” to undermine the House investigation.
A representative for Hunter Biden’s legal team and a lawyer for James Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The president’s son criticized the Republican Party’s impeachment inquiry into a closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill in February as a “house of cards” built on “lies.” James Biden testified during a private interview earlier this year that Joe Biden “never had any involvement” in the business dealings of members of the Biden family.
The referrals to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Special Counsel David Weiss add to the legal challenges facing Hunter Biden, who is now on trial in a federal court in Delaware on three felony counts stemming from the purchase of a gun in October 2018. The 54-year-old was accused by prosecutors of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer by making a false claim on the application, saying he was not a drug user and carrying the weapon illegally for 11 days.
On Capitol Hill, Republicans continued their broad investigation into Hunter Biden, separate from the federal case, which seeks to link the Democratic president to his son’s business. Both Hunter and James Biden had hours-long interviews with lawmakers, even though they were unable to uncover evidence directly implicating Joe Biden in any wrongdoing.
Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said testimony from IRS whistleblowers shows that Hunter Biden lied to Congress at least three times in his Feb. 28 testimony.
“I think the Department of Justice needs to look at this and act accordingly. When you lie to Congress, it is a serious violation of the law. It’s a crime,” said Smith, R-Mo. “The president’s son should be treated no differently than any other American.”
The Justice Department, which will ultimately decide whether to accept criminal charges, declined to comment.
The focus on the Biden family resulting from Hunter Biden’s federal trial and impeachment inquiry has proven to be a political and personal liability for the president. The process is unfolding as the 2024 White House election looms, and Joe Biden’s allies worry about the toll this will take on him. He is deeply concerned about the health and sustained sobriety of his only living son.
Since former President Donald Trump’s conviction on charges in New York, Republican leaders have attacked the Justice Department for what they say is a “two-tier” justice system that targets conservatives. They downplay the department’s current case against Hunter Biden and the fact that other prominent Democrats have faced federal investigation during Joe Biden’s presidency.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that if Garland “wants to demonstrate that he is not running a two-tier justice system and targeting the president’s political opponents, he will open criminal investigations into James and Hunter Biden,” under the false statements and perjury statutes.
The false statements in question, according to the House committee chairmen, include references made by Hunter Biden about the position he held at a corporate entity that received millions of dollars from foreign clients. The president’s son also “relayed a completely fictitious account” of text messages between himself and his Chinese business partner in which Hunter Biden allegedly invoked his father’s presence with him as part of a negotiating tactic, according to the Republican Party investigation.
There is also a focus on James Biden’s statements about whether the president, as a private citizen, met with a former Biden family business partner.
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
