House Republicans on Wednesday subpoenaed Hunter Biden and James Biden — the president’s son and brother — as well as Biden family business associate Rob Walker as their impeachment investigation ramps up.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Kentucky Republican, issued the subpoenas for testimony related to the family’s financial dealings.
The committee also requested transcribed interviews from other Biden family members, including James Biden’s wife, Sara Biden; Hallie Biden, the widow of President Biden’s son Beau; her older sister, Elizabeth Secundy, and Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen.
The subpoenas were issued after financial records earlier this year turned up evidence that the Biden family, including Hallie and Sara Biden, received more than $1 million in payments from accounts related to Mr. Walker. Records also revealed that Hallie Biden received a $25,000 payment from Mr. Walker’s account in March 2017.
Mr. Walker, a former Clinton administration official, worked with Hunter and James Biden on a joint venture with Chinese Energy firm CEFC known as Sinohawk Holdings.
Mr. Comer said the subpoenas are necessary to get to the bottom of allegations the Biden family benefited from influence peddling and shady business dealings, much of it dating to Joseph R. Biden’s tenure as vice president in the Obama administration.
“Unlike the many lies President Biden told the American people about his family’s business schemes, bank records don’t lie. These records reveal how the Bidens sold Joe Biden around the world to the benefit of the Biden family, including Joe Biden himself to the detriment of U.S. interests,” Mr. Comer said in a statement.
The White House responded by accusing Mr. Comer of engaging in a “partisan political smear” to divert voters’ attention from the House’s struggles to avert a looming government shutdown. If Congress cannot pass legislation to keep the government funded past Nov. 17, it would trigger a partial shutdown.
“With just over a week to go until House Republicans again thrust the country into a harmful and chaotic government shutdown, the most extreme voices in their party like James Comer are trying to distract from their repeated failures to govern,” White House spokeswoman Sharon Young wrote in a memo.
“Instead of using the power of Congress to pursue a partisan political smear against the president and his family, extreme House Republicans should do their jobs,” she wrote.
Mr. Comer said he intends to send additional subpoenas and interview requests later this week. The subpoenas and additional testimony will be part of the impeachment inquiry, which is being led by Mr. Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, Missouri Republican.
The subpoenas issued Wednesday came one day after the special counsel overseeing the probe into whether Hunter Biden committed gun and tax crimes testified behind closed doors before the House Judiciary Committee. Hunter Biden last month pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges.
In September, Mr. Comer subpoenaed personal and business bank records belonging to Hunter Biden and James Biden. Mr. Comer said last week those bank records revealed that President Biden received $40,000 in “laundered” funds from CEFC.
The Oversight Committee says the financial records allegedly show Biden family members set up more than 20 shell companies, most of which date back to Mr. Biden’s tenure as vice president. Republicans on the committee say the shell companies were part of an effort to hide payments from foreign adversaries.
All told, the panel says the Biden family received more than $24 million from foreign nations over roughly five years.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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