Impeachment inquiry expands to whether president obstructed Congress over Hunter Biden testimony

The House impeachment inquiry formally expanded Wednesday to the question of whether President Joe Biden "corruptly sought to influence or obstruct" Congress by keeping his son Hunter from attending a closed-door interview, according to a letter sent to the White House.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said comments made by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre suggesting the president was aware in advance of his son's plan to give a press conference Dec. 13 rather than attend his transcribed interview as required by subpoena necessitated the expansion.

"The fact that the President had advanced awareness that Mr. Biden would defy the Committees’ subpoenas raises a troubling new question that we must examine: whether the President corruptly sought to influence or obstruct the Committees’ proceeding by preventing, discouraging, or dissuading his son from complying with the Committees’ subpoenas," they wrote in a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel.

"Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense," they added. Federal law 18 U.S.C. §1505 criminalizes the obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, and congressional committees. That law carries a range of penalties including fines, and between five and eight years imprisonment.

The lawmakers said Joe Biden's past statements about his family's business dealings have proven to be false, adding more reason to investigate whether there has been a "conspiracy to obstruct" the impeachment inquiry.

"The Committees have accumulated substantial evidence that Hunter Biden’s business endeavors have improperly included his father, and the President has made false claims about his knowledge and involvement in these schemes," the lawmakers wrote. "In fact, just days before Mr. Biden was scheduled to appear for his deposition, the President claimed he had not interacted with any of his son’s business partners.

"This is false. The President has met with, spoken to, and received money sourced from his son’s foreign business partners," they added.

The letter demands the White House turn over by Jan. 10 all documents and communications that were:

• Sent or received by White House employees regarding Hunter Biden's deposition, including but not limited to communications with Hunter Biden and his lawyers; and
• Sent or received by White House employees regarding Joe Biden’s statement about his family’s business associates on December 6, 2023.

You can read the full letter here: