Lawmakers clash over Hunter Biden inquiry in shadow of father's presidential campaign

WASHINGTON − House lawmakers squabbled for hours, hurling accusations of lying and Russian subversion, but broke no new ground about Hunter Biden’s overseas business deals at a hearing that is part of the impeachment inquiry against his father, President Joe Biden.

Hunter Biden boycotted the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing after testifying at a closed-door deposition. So did his business associate, Devon Archer. That left three witnesses, who each had their credibility challenged, including one who served time in prison − and one who testified from prison.

Republicans threatened to recommend the Justice Department investigate criminal charges against witnesses in the inquiry. Lawmakers accused Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James Biden, of committing perjury in their depositions.

“The scam is simple,” said the chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. “The Biden family promises they can make a foreign partner’s problems go away by engaging the U.S. government.”

But the top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, said the hearing represented the failure of the impeachment inquiry. He said the two GOP witnesses failed to describe any presidential wrongdoing.

“With any luck, today marks the end of perhaps the most spectacular failure in the history of congressional investigations, the effort to find a high crime or misdemeanor committed by Joe Biden and then impeach him for it,” Raskin said. “The comedy of errors comes crashing to an end.”

Bobulinski describes meeting Joe Biden in Los Angeles in 2017

The GOP's goal was to expose President Biden’s alleged connections to his son’s and brother’s business deals. The president has repeatedly denied being involved in or benefitting from their business with companies in Ukraine, China and elsewhere.

One witness was Tony Bobulinski, the proposed CEO for a company he and Hunter Biden tried to launch with a Chinese company called CEFC. Bobulinski testified that Hunter Biden arranged for a meeting at the Beverly Hilton with Joe Biden in May 2017, after the elder Biden finished his term as vice president.

Bobulinski said he spoke with Joe Biden for 45 to 60 minutes about his background and family, although the business never got off the ground.

“This wasn’t a handshake, a two-second discussion about the weather,” Bobulinski said.

Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden's lawyer, wrote in a letter to the committee explaining his refusal to participate in the "planned-for-media event," that Joe Biden made a "handshake hello" to Bobulinski in a hotel lobby.

"Far from the 'smoking guns' you claim, the 'evidence' does not amount to even the droplets from a water pistol," Lowell wrote.

Democrats called Bobulinski a spurned business associate of Hunter Biden trying to smear the president’s name. Former President Donald Trump invited Bobulinski to a news conference and to sit in the audience at a 2020 debate with Joe Biden.

“You are a completely uncredible witness,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif.

Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson for investigations, called again on the House to drop the impeachment inquiry.

“That hearing was embarrassing for House Republicans. A total waste of time,” Sams said in a statement after the hearing. “It’s time to move on from this sad charade.”

Testifying against the Bidens from prison

Another witness was Jason Galanis, a prospective business associate of Hunter Biden, who testified from a federal prison in Alabama. Galanis was sentenced to 15 years for defrauding union pension funds and a Native American tribe, and was ordered to pay $80 million restitution.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, asked Galanis about a call Hunter Biden arranged in May 2014 while they were at a party with a Russian oligarch, Yelena Baturina, the wife of a former mayor of Moscow. Jordan asked if the call was an example of Hunter Biden providing access to his father.

“I don’t think there’s any question that was the intent of the call,” Galanis said.

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., criticized Galanis for scamming union pensions.

“How low can you get?” Lynch asked.

GOP accuses Hunter Biden, uncle Jim Biden of lying to commitee

Republican lawmakers accused Hunter Biden and the president's brother, Jim Biden, who was also involved in overseas deals, of lying to the committee and potentially committing perjury.

In their depositions, Hunter Biden confirmed his father met Bobulinski at the hotel while Jim Biden repeatedly denied the two met.

“In short, Mr. Chairman, someone seems to be lying to the committee," said Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., who suggested recommending the Justice Department investigate.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also accused Hunter Biden of lying to the committee about who he was referring to as "chairman" in a text message. Hunter Biden said he was talking about a Chinese businessman but Bobulinski said he was talking about his father.

"Hunter Biden lied to this committee," Greene said.

Former investigator describes Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani searching for 'dirt' on President Biden

Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur who investigated the Bidens for the Trump campaign, was the Democratic witness. Parnas was sentenced to 20 months in prison for convictions on campaign finance, wire fraud and false statements for trying to influence the campaign.

But Parnas has turned on Trump and his campaign lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who hired him to look for “dirt” on the Bidens in Ukraine.

“In nearly a year traveling the world, interviewing officials in different countries, I found precisely zero evidence of the Bidens’ corruption in Urkaine,” Parnas said. “No credible sources ever provided proof of criminal activity.”

Parnas also testified Trump, Giuliani and Republican lawmakers relied on Russian disinformation in making an accusation the Bidens were involved in a $5 million bribery scheme in Ukraine. A Trump-appointed prosecutor has charged informant Alexander Smirnov with lying to the FBI about the bribery scheme and with having connections to Russian intelligence figures.

Smirnov's bribery claims had been a cornerstone of the Republican impeachment effort.

More: Dems want answers: Why did GOP use Russia's Alexander Smirnov in Biden impeachment probe?

"They knew that the information was not vetted," Parnas said.

A spokesperson for Giuliani, a co-defendant with Trump in Georgia on racketeering charges they tried to steal the 2020 election, dismissed Parnas as a convicted felon.

“Parnas is desperate to generate headlines in order to sell his book, and Democrats on Capitol Hill are using him to protect the Bidens,” said Ted Goodman, a Giuliani spokesperson.

Hearing rekindles disputes about Ukraine from 2020 campaign

Comer accused Democrats of calling Parnas in order to revive accusations about Trump urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden before the 2020 election, which led to Trump’s first impeachment. Parnas helped arrange Trump’s notorious call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging him to investigate Biden in exchange for weapons to defend against Russia.

“If Democrats wish to spend their time beclowning themselves with another Russia collusion hoax for the sake of protecting Biden, they can do so,” Comer said.

Raskin said Republicans on the committee held the hearing to benefit Trump as he campaigns again for president.

“My GOP colleagues continue to cry ‘Russia hoax’ like cult members selling flowers at the airport,” Raskin said. “But we do have loyal sycophants still in the room and one day I look forward to their testimony about how they got sunk into this religious cult.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden business deals spark contentious House hearing