The Republicans were preparing to practice one of their favorite sports this Wednesday: hitting the president of the United States through his son, Hunter Biden. What they did not expect is that Hunter himself would appear in the House of Representatives committee that was debating accusing him of contempt. With his coup d'état, he demonstrates that he is available to appear in public and give the explanations that are required, but not “in a basement” behind closed doors so that his words can then be manipulated, as he said. Democratic spokesperson.
The surprising appearance of Hunter Biden attracted all the spotlights and left Republicans baffled. They wanted to present him as someone who refuses to attend to a summons and who hides, but it turns out that he was not hiding: he was there. The Democrats, prepared for the occasion, counterattacked the Republican attempts to accuse him of contempt by saying that even they themselves would vote in favor if at the same time the numerous Republican officials and parliamentarians who disregarded similar subpoenas in the commission that investigated the assault on the Capitol.
Furthermore, the Democratic spokesman, Jared Moskowitz, recalled that the president of the commission, James Comer, had invited Biden to attend his election in an open or closed-door appearance. When Comer, visibly nervous, tried to deny that he had said that, the Democrats took out a large poster with the quotation marks of his words from last October 31 when he gave the choice between appearance or deposition behind closed doors.
“I am hearing (…) about the fear of the witness to appear before the commission. It's interesting. He is here. He doesn't seem very afraid,” Moskowitz said. Democrats offered to have Hunter Biden appear at that time and take all questions in public, but Republicans rejected it. A mess arose in the commission. With their strategy, the Democrats dismantled the propaganda campaign on behalf of Biden's son that the Republicans had mounted. The president's son was in the room for less than half an hour. He stood up when Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump's faithful shield, was going to intervene, who said that he was a “coward” for not staying to watch her insult him without being able to reply. Hunter's departure stole the spotlight from Taylor Greene.
His communication success will not prevent Hunter Biden from being accused of contempt. If the commission, with a Republican majority, approves the resolution against him as expected, it would go to the full House for consideration. And if the House votes to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, it will be up to the Justice Department to decide whether to prosecute him.
“It is clear that Republicans are not interested in knowing the facts or they would allow Hunter to testify publicly,” Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement Friday. “Instead, House Republicans continue to play politics by seeking an unprecedented contempt motion against someone who since the first request has offered to answer all their appropriate questions.”
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Hunter Biden was summoned to Congress on December 13 to testify behind closed doors. He showed up at the doors of the Capitol and said he wouldn't do it. At the time of his summons, in addition, the commission to investigate the president for a possible political process (impeachment) had not even been approved by the full House, so the obligation to comply with his requirements was less clear.
The president's son said in December that he refused to appear behind closed doors to avoid “distortions, manipulated evidence and lies” in the “illegitimate investigations” of House committees. “There is no justice or decency in what these Republicans are doing. “They have lied over and over again about every aspect of my personal and professional life, so much so that their lies have become the false facts that too many people believe,” he said that day.
Hunter Biden is charged with three crimes in Delaware for the illegal purchase and possession of a gun when he was addicted to drugs and another nine in California for tax fraud, after a plea deal to which he was willing to admit was derailed. minor crimes that would not have led to his imprisonment.
“For six years, MAGA Republicans [las siglas del lema de Donald Trump, Make America Great Again], they have questioned my character, invading my privacy, attacking my wife, my children, my family and my friends. They ridiculed my struggle with addiction. They have belittled my recovery and attempted to dehumanize me, all to shame and harm my father, who has dedicated his entire life to public service. For six years, I have been the target of Trump's relentless attack machine screaming, 'Where's Hunter?' Well, here is my answer: here I am,” he said then. Today, without speaking, the message was the same: there it was.
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