Comer warns Garland over handling of potential Hunter Biden contempt resolution
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) warned U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland that if he doesn’t hold Hunter Biden, the president’s son, to the same level as Republicans who were held in contempt of Congress, he could face impeachment.
“With respect to Merrick Garland, look, we know how he’s treated two Republicans that were held in contempt of Congress,” Comer told Newsmax’s Chris Salcedo Monday. “Now, he’s going to have an opportunity to hold the same type of justice with a Democrat that disavowed a lawful subpoena.”
Salcedo asked Comer if Garland would further his grounds for impeachment if Hunter Biden was not treated the same as Peter Navarro, the former economic adviser to former President Trump who was convicted of contempt of Congress in September, in part for failing to appear for a deposition.
Comer responded with, “I think so.”
On Monday, the committee released text of a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to appear for a closed-door deposition, which is part of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
The Oversight and House Judiciary panels are set to hold markups Wednesday to consider the contempt of Congress resolution, which Comer and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) vowed to move forward with after Hunter Biden failed to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13.
The president’s son said he would appear at a public hearing, and his legal team said a closed-door testimony would be misrepresented by House Republicans. House Republicans said the public format was not enough for the investigation, and a closed-door testimony was standard.
House Republican’s impeachment inquiry into President Biden is examining Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and the Department of Justice’s handling of a tax crime investigation into the president’s son. Both Hunter Biden and the President have denied President Biden was involved in any wrongdoing.
Comer’s recent comments drew criticism from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) as Congress heads toward another government shutdown deadline.
“We are 10 days from a government shutdown. What are Republicans focused on? Threatening to impeach AG Garland because Hunter Biden agreed to testify publicly under oath in front of Congress instead of doing a closed door deposition," Lieu posted on X, formerly Twitter. “House Republicans are not serious people.”