House GOP schedules interviews with Biden family business associates as Hunter Biden testimony remains difficult to obtain

By Annie Grayer, CNN

House Republicans are zeroing in on interviews with Biden family business associates as testimony from the president’s son remains difficult to obtain.

The lengthy process of seeking to punish Hunter Biden for not complying with a congressional subpoena, which kicks off Wednesday, means that Republicans are likely far off from getting to interview the witness at the center of their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The allegations at the core of their investigation stem from unproven claims that the president was involved or financially benefited from his son’s foreign business dealings, making the president’s son a crucial witness for their probe.

In the meantime, Republicans have begun interviewing other business associates affiliated with the Biden family, but have already withheld a key interview transcript until further notice.

Republicans on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees will vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for not complying with a congressional subpoena to appear for a closed-door deposition last month. At the time, Hunter Biden instead held a news conference outside the Capitol and said he would only testify in public.

In the contempt resolution which outlines the Republican argument, House Oversight Chairman James Comer wrote, “with the possible exception of President Biden, Mr. Biden is the most important witness possessing information about President Biden’s involvement in his son’s business dealings.”

If the contempt resolution passes out of committee, it is referred to the full House for a contempt vote. If that vote succeeds, the Department of Justice, which is already pursuing two criminal cases against the president’s son, would have to determine whether to prosecute the president’s son for evading a congressional subpoena.

Hunter Biden’s first court appearance in his criminal tax case where he faces nine criminal charges has been scheduled for Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles.

While the process to obtain Hunter Biden’s testimony plays out, House Republicans have started chipping away at the long list of Biden family business associates they want to interview, and are in the process of scheduling more in the coming weeks. With the probe into the president moving methodically and a number of Republicans still skeptical about impeaching the president, senior Republicans now believe that targeting Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will be an easier lift for impeachment as the border crisis becomes a defining campaign issue.

The House Oversight panel is expected to interview New York art dealer Georges Bergès on Tuesday to discuss Hunter Biden’s artwork, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Republicans have long raised questions over whether any buyers of Hunter Biden’s artwork had foreign business interests and were trying purchasing the art as a means to get closer to his father. Hunter Biden’s artistic debut sparked ethics concerns for the White House as some critics raised eyebrows over the high-priced pieces and whether they posed a conflict of interest. CNN previously reported that the White House was involved in forming an agreement between Bergès’ gallery and the president’s son in an effort to address any ethics concerns.

CNN reached out to Bergès’ legal team for comment. At every turn in the Republican led probe, the White House and Hunter Biden have denied any wrongdoing.

Last month, the committee also interviewed a trustee at Americore who sued James Biden, the president’s brother, for not repaying a $600,000 loan, a source familiar with the interview told CNN. Republicans have sought to connect James Biden’s work with Americore to a personal $200,000 loan repayment check he wrote to Joe Biden in 2018.

But, Republicans have yet to release the transcript of that interview.

“The House Oversight Committee is committed to providing transparency to the American people in all of our investigations and oversight. The Committee will release the transcript of Carol Fox’s transcribed interview once all interviews explaining how James and Joe Biden received money from Americore are complete,” a Republican Oversight Committee spokesperson told CNN.

A spokesperson for House Oversight Democrats criticized the move, telling CNN, “Chairman Comer claims he is committed to transparency but continues to refuse to provide the American public with transcripts.”

Comer told CNN’s Jake Tapper last month he planned to release the transcripts of any interview his committee does.

“We will release the transcripts,” Comer said on CNN.

House Republicans are in communication with James Biden’s attorneys to schedule a time for the president’s brother to come in, a source familiar with the negotiations told CNN.

The House Oversight Committee is also in communication with Hunter Biden business associate Rob Walker to schedule an interview. Walker worked closely with the president’s son on a number of foreign business deals.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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