Hunter Biden Walks Out on MTG During Contempt Hearing

Hunter Biden walked out of a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday as Chairman James Comer called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to speak on a resolution to hold the president’s son in contempt of Congress. 

Biden made a surprise, in-person appearance at the hearing and offered to address the committee directly. Last month, Biden had flouted a subpoena from the Oversight Committee ordering him to appear before Congress for a closed-door interview. Biden countered that the committee had offered him the option to deliver his testimony in a public hearing, and would not allow Republicans to subject his testimony to cherry-picking and selective releases. Oversight Republicans weren’t interested in letting Biden speak in public, and moved to hold Biden in contempt in retaliation. 

Biden’s attendance at the hearing prompted Rep. Mike Garcia (D-Calif.) to call for a vote to have Biden sworn in and deliver his statements to the committee. “We object, not in order,” Comer (R-Ky.) countered. 

Republicans were infuriated that Biden crashed the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) suggested that he had been “bribed” to appear, and told the president’s son that he was “the epitome of white privilege, coming into the oversight committee, spitting in our face, You have no balls to come up here.” 

Mace then suggested that Biden should be arrested on the spot, and after it became clear Biden would not be allowed to speak publicly, he left the hearing room as his longtime antagonist, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), was recognized by the committee. 

The hearing was extremely heated. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) called out Republicans for their hypocrisy regarding Biden’s treatment. “If the committee wants to hear from the witness, and the chairman gave the witness that option, then the only folks that are afraid to hear from the witness with the American people watching are my friends on the other side of the aisle,” he said. 

Moskowitz raised the fact that several Republicans on the committee had themselves flouted congressional subpoenas: “Here is the subpoena to representative [Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.)], who did not comply … Here is the subpoena to [Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)], who did not comply with a lawful subpoena. Here is the subpoena to [former Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.)], who did not comply … Here is the subpoena to [Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Az.), who did not comply… and here’s the subpoena to [former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)], who did not comply.” 

“Show that you’re serious and that everyone is not above the law,” Moskowitz declared, adding that he would vote to hold Biden in contempt of Congress if Republicans approved an amendment adding the names he’d listed to the resolution. 

Following his departure from the committee room, Biden told CBS News that he would have testified if called to do so. 

In a statement to reporters outside of the room Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Biden, said despite the fact that Hunter Biden is a private citizen, “Republicans have sought to use him as a surrogate to attack his father. And, despite their improper partisan motives, on six different occasions since February of 2023 we offered to work with the House committees to see what and how relevant information to any legitimate inquiry could be provided.” 

“The Republican chairs today then are commandeering an unprecedented resolution to hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions. The question there is what are they afraid of?” Lowell added. 

As the hearing continued within the chamber, Greene continued the attacks on Biden, accusing him of running away “when it’s my turn to talk.” 

“Not only is he a criminal, but he is a coward,” she said. 
Rep. Garcia countered that Biden leaving during Greene’s speaking time was understandable, given that Greene had once displayed naked, barely censored, photos of Biden in the committee room, which were then aired on national television.

Hunter Biden walked out of a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday as Chairman James Comer called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to speak on a resolution to hold the president’s son in contempt of Congress. 

Biden made a surprise, in-person appearance at the hearing and offered to address the committee directly. Last month, Biden had flouted a subpoena from the Oversight Committee ordering him to appear before Congress for a closed-door interview. Biden countered that the committee had offered him the option to deliver his testimony in a public hearing, and would not allow Republicans to subject his testimony to cherry-picking and selective releases. Oversight Republicans weren’t interested in letting Biden speak in public, and moved to hold Biden in contempt in retaliation. 

Biden’s attendance at the hearing prompted Rep. Mike Garcia (D-Calif.) to call for a vote to have Biden sworn in and deliver his statements to the committee. “We object, not in order,” Comer (R-Ky.) countered. 

Republicans were infuriated that Biden crashed the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) suggested that he had been “bribed” to appear, and told the president’s son that he was “the epitome of white privilege, coming into the oversight committee, spitting in our face, You have no balls to come up here.” 

Mace then suggested that Biden should be arrested on the spot, and after it became clear Biden would not be allowed to speak publicly, he left the hearing room as his longtime antagonist, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), was recognized by the committee. 

The hearing was extremely heated. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) called out Republicans for their hypocrisy regarding Biden’s treatment. “If the committee wants to hear from the witness, and the chairman gave the witness that option, then the only folks that are afraid to hear from the witness with the American people watching are my friends on the other side of the aisle,” he said. 

Moskowitz raised the fact that several Republicans on the committee had themselves flouted congressional subpoenas: “Here is the subpoena to representative [Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.)], who did not comply … Here is the subpoena to [Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)], who did not comply with a lawful subpoena. Here is the subpoena to [former Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.)], who did not comply … Here is the subpoena to [Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Az.), who did not comply… and here’s the subpoena to [former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)], who did not comply.” 

“Show that you’re serious and that everyone is not above the law,” Moskowitz declared, adding that he would vote to hold Biden in contempt of Congress if Republicans approved an amendment adding the names he’d listed to the resolution. 

Following his departure from the committee room, Biden told CBS News that he would have testified if called to do so. 

In a statement to reporters outside of the room Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Biden, said despite the fact that Hunter Biden is a private citizen, “Republicans have sought to use him as a surrogate to attack his father. And, despite their improper partisan motives, on six different occasions since February of 2023 we offered to work with the House committees to see what and how relevant information to any legitimate inquiry could be provided.” 

“The Republican chairs today then are commandeering an unprecedented resolution to hold someone in contempt who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions. The question there is what are they afraid of?” Lowell added. 

As the hearing continued within the chamber, Greene continued the attacks on Biden, accusing him of running away “when it’s my turn to talk.” 

“Not only is he a criminal, but he is a coward,” she said. 
Rep. Garcia countered that Biden leaving during Greene’s speaking time was understandable, given that Greene had once displayed naked, barely censored, photos of Biden in the committee room, which were then aired on national television.