Hunter Biden appearance contempt hearing

Hunter Biden surprises House Oversight Committee by appearing at hearing on contempt resolution, sparking Republican backlash and chaotic proceedings.

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, made a surprising appearance at a hearing of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. This was in response to a resolution to hold him in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear before the same committee. His unexpected appearance at the hearing, instead of for a private deposition, led to criticism from Republican House members, such as Congresswoman Nancy Mace from South Carolina, who called it a "PR stunt."

Last month, Hunter Biden had refused to testify in a closed-door setting despite being subpoenaed to appear. He and his attorneys expressed concerns that Republicans would distort his comments and offered to appear at a public hearing instead. Representative Mace questioned the motives behind Hunter Biden's appearance, asking, "My first question is, who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today?"

She also emphasized that being the President's son did not grant him immunity or privilege to avoid testifying in private, calling his actions "the epitome of white privilege." She further questioned, "What are you afraid of?" Hunter Biden sat in with his lawyer but did not speak to the committee and left the hearing room when Representative Marjorie Taylor Green was given time to speak. Green, who had previously displayed nude photos of the president's son in a hearing, called him a "coward" in response to his departure.

Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, spoke with reporters and stated that Hunter Biden was not evading Congress but had chosen a hearing where Republicans could not distort or misuse his testimony. Lowell also accused Republicans of targeting his client as a surrogate for attacking the president.

The committee continued without Hunter Biden, and the hearing devolved into lengthy disagreements between members over various issues. The committee did not vote to hold the younger Biden in contempt of Congress, postponing the vote for a later time.