House GOP’s under-the-radar Hunter Biden problem: DOJ got there first

In fact, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) suggested successful a little question and reply pinch POLITICO that nan Justice Department should clasp disconnected connected issuing immoderate indictment against Hunter Biden truthful Republicans tin complete their probe. He openly acknowledged that criminal charges could inhibit his investigation, giving immoderate witnesses successful nan DOJ lawsuit clearance to asseverate their Fifth Amendment rights.

If nan DOJ does spell that route, 1 action would beryllium for nan sheet to pivot to attraction much heavy connected different Biden family members, including brothers of nan president, nan GOP chair said.

“If they indict Hunter Biden, there’s still a batch of worldly retired there. And opportunity we can’t touch thing [Hunter-related], it freezes up each nan grounds — there’s still a batch of worldly retired there,” Comer said.

In calling for nan DOJ to delay, Comer said prosecutors had already “waited this long” and Republicans would only “need a matter of months.” But his proposal is each but guaranteed to autumn flat. If nan DOJ did listen, it would reflector nan benignant of unfounded coordination accusations that Republicans person antecedently lobbed astatine Democrats.

The DOJ tends to purposely debar linking its activity to Congress’ timeline — a predominant root of vexation for some parties. For example, members of nan Jan. 6 prime committee routinely groused that nan section didn’t look to beryllium pursuing matters they had uncovered successful their enquiry that they believed perchance roseate to criminal levels.

Republicans are formally kicking disconnected their investigation into nan Biden family this week pinch their first nationalist proceeding tied to nan probe, focused connected Twitter’s determination to restrict a New York Post communicative connected Hunter Biden conscionable earlier nan 2020 election. (Twitter officials person publically acknowledged that they position nan determination arsenic a mistake.)

As portion of nan hearing, 3 erstwhile institution executives — James Baker, erstwhile Twitter lawman wide counsel; Yoel Roth, Twitter’s erstwhile world caput of spot and safety; and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s erstwhile main ineligible serviceman — are expected to testify. Comer formally subpoenaed them, but aides said it was meant to springiness nan witnesses ineligible screen to look earlier nan panel.

Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to usage nan proceeding to inquire their ain questions astir Twitter’s handling of erstwhile President Donald Trump’s arguable tweets. Their witnesser for nan proceeding will beryllium Anika Collier Navaroli, a whistleblower who antecedently said pinch nan House’s Jan. 6 committee complete nan societal media platform’s handling of Trump’s tweets.

The erstwhile president was banned from nan level successful nan aftermath of nan Jan. 6, 2021 onslaught connected nan Capitol by his supporters, only to beryllium allowed backmost connected precocious by its existent owner, Elon Musk.

The proceeding serves arsenic Comer’s opener into his larger Biden family investigation, which is expected to return a wide dive that specifically touches connected Hunter Biden’s business dealings, slope records and creation income but besides spans beyond nan First Son. Republicans are hunting for a smoking weapon that ties Joe Biden’s decisions to his son’s business agreements, though nary grounds has yet emerged linking nan two.

POLITICO has not undergone nan process to authenticate nan Hunter Biden laptop that underpinned nan New York Post story, but newsman Ben Schreckinger has confirmed nan authenticity of immoderate emails connected it. A committee adjutant described themselves arsenic highly assured that nan accusation gleaned from nan laptop was connected to Hunter Biden, but based on that nan onus was connected skeptics of its veracity to beryllium that immoderate circumstantial email aliases archive connected it isn’t valid.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), a personnel of nan Oversight Committee, questioned nan request for either nan DOJ aliases House GOP investigation, arguing that they were some “based connected mendacious premises.” But he besides identified nan undeniable governmental pickle that nan DOJ’s progressive investigation would coming for Republicans by limiting their requests for accusation and practice from imaginable witnesses.

“Why not, successful immoderate cases, opportunity … ‘we cognize DOJ is investigating, and we’re gonna hold to perceive nan results earlier we do.’ We did that pinch nan Mueller report,” Connolly added.

The DOJ declined to remark for this story. But nan section antecedently outlined really it responds to legislature investigations successful a missive past period to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of nan Judiciary Committee and a personnel of nan Oversight panel.

That missive elaborate really nan DOJ handles accusation requests spawning from legislature investigations, efficaciously informing that it was reserving nan correct not to cooperate pinch GOP demands if they’re tied to an ongoing soul matter.

Carlos Uriarte, DOJ’s legislative affairs chief, noted successful nan missive that “consistent pinch longstanding argumentation and practice, immoderate oversight requests must beryllium weighed against nan Department’s interests successful protecting nan integrity of its work.” The DOJ, successful accordance pinch long-standing policy, hasn’t formally confirmed nan beingness of a Hunter Biden investigation.

Regardless of whether nan DOJ yet issues immoderate Hunter Biden-related indictments, though, nan ongoing national probe has formed a protector complete Congress’ conflict connected that front.

Republicans opportunity they are fundamentally successful nan acheronian astir nan tightly held inquiry, which has reportedly gone connected for years. And immoderate Democrats position nan DOJ probe arsenic a morganatic counterpart to House Republicans, saying it is nan due lane for investigating immoderate of Hunter Biden’s imaginable missteps.

Hunter Biden and his squad are besides going connected offense, urging nan DOJ, Delaware lawyer wide and IRS to analyse galore of nan figures who came to person nan files culled from his alleged laptop — and immoderate of nan “inconsistencies” successful stories astir really those various offices came to entree nan records.

That petition from Hunter Biden would require nan management to return up nan politically explosive matter astatine nan aforesaid clip House Republicans are preparing to activity akin accusation from nan aforesaid offices. Administration officials person fixed nary denotation they scheme to do so.

Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.