Hunter Biden refuses to appear privately for deposition with GOP investigators

WASHINGTON — Hunter Biden on Wednesday defied a congressional subpoena to appear privately for a deposition before Republican investigators who have been digging into his business dealings, insisting outside the U.S. Capitol that he will only testify in public.

In a rare public statement, the Democratic president’s son slammed a GOP subpoena requesting closed-door testimony, saying it could be manipulated.

“Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say,” Biden said outside the Capitol. “What are they afraid of? I am here.”

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has said Republicans expect “full cooperation” with the private deposition. He has indicated that the House would swiftly charge Biden with a contempt of Congress charge if he did not cooperate.

For months, Republicans have been pursuing an impeachment inquiry seeking to tie President Joe Biden to his son Hunter’s business dealings. So far, they have failed to uncover evidence directly implicating President Biden in any wrongdoing.

But questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business, and lawmakers insist their evidence paints a troubling picture of “influence peddling” in their business dealings, particularly with clients overseas.

“There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said.

Separately, Hunter Biden is facing criminal charges in two states from a special counsel overseeing a long-running investigation. He’s charged with firearm counts in Delaware, alleging he broke laws against drug users having guns in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. Special Counsel David Weiss also filed new charges and nine new tax counts last week, alleging he schemed to avoid paying about $1.4 million in taxes over a three-year period.

Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.