Hunter Biden Refuses to Appear at Public House Hearing This Week

(Bloomberg) -- Hunter Biden has rejected an invitation to testify at a public congressional hearing into business activities that are the focus of a faltering GOP impeachment inquiry of his father, President Joe Biden.

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The younger Biden’s decision not to appear as one of four invited witnesses before the Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday was conveyed last week by his lawyer, Abbe Lowell.

Lowell informed the panel’s chairman, James Comer, that his client had a court date the next day in California, but also fired a broadside at the investigation itself: “Your blatant planned-for-media event is not a proper proceeding but an obvious attempt to throw a Hail Mary pass after the game has ended.”

Comer, a Kentucky Republican, wrote back that “the committee will proceed forward — with or without Mr. Biden.” Hunter Biden faces federal charges in Los Angeles regarding tax evasion allegations.

On Monday, a lawyer for another invited witness, Devon Archer, a onetime business partner of the younger Biden, said his client wouldn’t be there, but was willing to appear at a later date.

There are signs of waning election-year interest even from some House Republicans on the Biden impeachment effort. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the investigation would continue, but hasn’t committed to ever holding an impeachment vote.

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