Comer says impeachment inquiry moving to ‘next phase,’ with Hunter Biden testifying at public hearing

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the impeachment inquiry against President Biden will move into its “next phase,” which will include Hunter Biden testifying publicly during an open hearing.

Hunter Biden appeared on Capitol Hill for his closed-door, deposition at the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday.

HUNTER BIDEN TESTIFIES HE ‘DID NOT INVOLVE’ HIS FATHER IN HIS BUSINESSES, CALLS IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ‘BASELESS’

The first son testified that he “did not involve” his father in his businesses, while blasting House Republicans for having “hunted” him in a “partisan political pursuit” and impeachment inquiry against his father. He also said Republicans have no evidence against his father, the president, “because there isn’t any.” 

Comer, R-Ky., made a public statement Wednesday afternoon, saying that Hunter’s appearance “was a great deposition for us.”

Hunter Biden, however, thought the deposition went well for him. On his way out of the hearing room Wednesday, Hunter Biden told reporters he thought the hearing went “great.”

Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arrives for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing titled “Unsuitable Litigation: Oversight of Third-Party Litigation Funding” in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“It proves several bits of our evidence that we’ve been conducting throughout this investigation,” Comer said. “But there are also some contradictory statements that I think need further review.”

Comer added: “So this impeachment inquiry will now go to the next phase, which will be a public hearing.”

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Comer stressed that Hunter Biden and his attorney have “demanded” a public hearing following the deposition.

“Just as I said, when we said we were going to do the deposition first, we will have a public hearing next,” he explained. “So I think that the public hearing hopefully will clear up some discrepancies between some of the statements that were made between some of the associates and what we heard today.”

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs a House Oversight Committee meeting at Capitol Hill on January 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

But Comer said “all in all,” he is “very optimistic, very excited about this deposition.”

“I look forward to releasing the transcripts as soon as both sides agree to that,” Comer said, hinting that the first son’s transcript of his deposition could be released to the public by the end of the week. “Hopefully that’ll be within the next 2 or 3 days.” 

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During his opening statement Wednesday, obtained by Fox News, Hunter Biden testified that he was present “to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business.”  

“Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never,” he stressed. “You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn’t any.” 

The first son said he hopes his testimony will “put an end to this baseless and destructive political charade.” 

“You have wasted valuable time and resources attacking me and my family for your own political gain when you should be fixing the real problems in this country that desperately need your attention,” he testified. 

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Hunter Biden’s testimony comes after his uncle, President Biden’s younger brother James Biden, testified last week as part of the impeachment inquiry. James Biden testified that President Biden “has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest” in his business ventures. 

Hunter Biden arrives for a closed door deposition on February 28, 2024 in Washington DC. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Projec)

House Republicans have heard testimony from a number of the first son’s former business associates, like Bobulinski, who testified before the committees earlier this month that Joe Biden was involved in the family’s business ventures. He also testified that he personally met with him. 

Days before Bobulinski’s testimony, another former business associate, Rob Walker, testified that Joe Biden met with the chairman of the Chinese energy firm CEFC that his brother and son did business with. 

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After Walker’s testimony, the House Oversight Committee said it was able to “now confirm Joe Biden met with nearly every foreign national who funneled money to his son.” 

House Democrats and the White House have criticized the inquiry as baseless, but Republicans insist they have just scratched the surface of the investigation into Biden family businesses.