This Wednesday, after systematically refusing, Hunter Biden finally went to Congress and testified behind closed doors before the different committees carrying out the impeachment investigation against his father, Joe Biden.
Although it is still not known precisely what the president's son declared, what the questions were, or how Republicans carried out the interrogations, Hunter's initial statement was leaked to the media, where he called the impeachment investigation against his father a "MAGA conspiracy."
"I am here today 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," Hunter Biden testified earlier Wednesday, who dismissed evidence presented by Republicans in recent months about Joe Biden's relationship with his controversial businesses abroad.
NEW: Hunter Biden in opening statement says "I did not involve my father in my business" and tells House Republicans "You have built your entire partisan house of cards on lies" pic.twitter.com/kZfA3lY93c
— Matt Viser (@mviser) February 28, 2024
"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," Hunter continued.
"You read this fact in the many letters that have been sent to you over the last year as part of your so-called impeachment investigation. You heard this fact when I said it weeks ago, standing outside of this building. You heard this fact from a parade of other witnesses — former colleagues and business partners of mine, including my uncle — who have testified before you in similar proceedings. And now, today, you hear this fact directly from me," the president's son stated.
"Committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad. You have trafficked in innuendo, distortion and sensationalism — all the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face," he stated. "You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn't any."
During his carefully read statement, Hunter took the opportunity to praise his father, whom he highlighted for helping him with his personal problems that he says he is working to overcome.
He especially asked that his father not be blamed for the mistakes he made throughout his life.
Additionally, Hunter Biden briefly referenced records of his text messages, emails and other communications that the committees have obtained in recent months. He said Republicans have taken out of context all the information they obtained from his abandoned computer in a Delaware repair shop.
"Republicans have taken my communications out of context, relied on documents that have been altered, and cherry-picked snippets of financial or other records to misrepresent what really happened," Hunter Biden said. "Examples of this include a few references to my family in emails or texts that I sent when I was in the darkest days of my addiction."
"If you try to do that again today, my answers will reveal your tactics and demonstrate the truth that my father was never involved in any of my businesses," he said.
Meanwhile, Republicans have already reacted to Biden's closed-door testimony, giving conclusions to the press and announcing that a public hearing will be held.
"I think this was a great deposition for us. It proved several bits of our evidence that we've been conducting throughout this investigation," said James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the House Oversight Committee leading the investigations against the Biden family. "But there were also some contradictory statements that I think need further review."
"So, this impeachment inquiry will now go to the next phase, which will be a public hearing," Comer added.
🚨BREAKING🚨
Following Hunter Biden’s deposition, Chairman Comer announces the next phase is a public hearing.
“I think this was a great deposition for us. It proved several bits of our evidence that we've been conducting throughout this investigation.
“But there were also… pic.twitter.com/ZtsqcyCED2
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) February 28, 2024
Likewise, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who was present at the hearing, said that Hunter Biden declared that he joined the Ukrainian company Burisma to counter alleged aggression by Russia. Gaetz said the statement surprised him because Republicans had never heard anything about it and will now investigate what exactly the testimony means.
Furthermore, following the president's son's statement, Gaetz stated: "It is a mirage to believe that Hunter Biden was engaged in international business. This was a bribe masquerading as an international business transaction--nothing more, nothing less."
NEW: @RepMattGaetz — Hunter Testified He Joined Burisma’s Board to Counter Russian Aggression
Hunter's stated purpose is a new claim that indicates a bizarre and unofficial foreign policy never before revealed to the American people. (1/2)pic.twitter.com/h1BYG72n4N
— Wendell Husebø (@WendellHusebo) February 28, 2024
