Hunter Biden slammed an impeachment investigation into his father as “shameless,” refusing to speak at a secret hearing with Republican senators.
The president’s son has been summoned for closed-door testimony.
However, he reaffirmed Wednesday morning that he would only answer to Republicans in a public session.
It occurred as the Republican-controlled House prepared to vote later Wednesday on formalizing the impeachment investigation on President Joe Biden.
House Republicans claim that the president was aware of and benefited from his son’s illegal business operations.
Hunter Biden was summoned to testify on Wednesday morning, but after delivering a few brief statements near the Capitol, he hopped into his car and sped away.
He blasted House Republicans for conducting a “absurd” inquiry of his father based on “distortions, manipulated evidence, and lies.”
“When I was in the grip of my addiction, I was extremely irresponsible with my money.” But to say that this is grounds for an impeachment investigation is ludicrous. “It’s heinous,” he said.
“There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business, because it did not happen,” he said.
Rep. James Comer, one of the impeachment process’ leaders, indicated later Wednesday that Republicans would file contempt of Congress charges against Mr. Biden.
And he supported the Republicans’ desire for a secret hearing, claiming it was part of the House’s “standard investigative” procedures.
Republicans have led a months-long probe of the president, but no substantial evidence of wrongdoing has been found.
The investigation has focused in part on Hunter Biden, who is also facing federal tax and firearms allegations. He has entered a not-guilty plea. The impeachment investigation has centered on his work for firms in other countries, including Ukraine and China.
House Republicans have also claimed that the US Justice Department “impeded, delayed, and obstructed” a multi-year criminal investigation against the president’s son.
Since initiating the probe, the three Republican committees in charge have met with Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service officials and collected thousands of pages of records.
Hunter Biden said House Republicans lied, invaded his privacy, and assaulted his wife, children, and friends while speaking outside on a grass patch with the Capitol dome visible over his shoulder.
“They have turned the light of my father’s love for me into darkness.” “They have no sense of shame,” he told reporters.
He further said Republicans “do not want an open process” in which their “baseless” investigation will be made public.
“All we want is the facts,” Mr Jordan said to reporters. “They should have been here today.”
On Wednesday evening, House legislators are scheduled to vote on formalizing the impeachment investigation on President Biden. In a post on X, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the impeachment vote would take place.
“The facts don’t lie,” he stated in his blog post. “It’s time to get the American people answers.“
Despite a very slim majority in the chamber in which they can only afford to lose three votes, House Republican leaders have expressed confidence that they have the votes needed to formalize the impeachment probe.
Democrats and even some Republicans have slammed the impeachment probe, which the White House has described as a “political stunt” aimed at harming the president’s re-election chances.
However, it comes as hardline conservatives put increasing pressure on Mr. Biden to resign. In September, ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy initiated the investigation, claiming Republicans had discovered a “culture of corruption” surrounding Mr Biden.
Republicans convened one session relating to the investigation, during which an expert witness called by Republicans stated that there was insufficient evidence to impeach Mr. Biden.
Between 2014 and 2019, the Biden family and its business connections got more than $24 million (£19 million) from foreign sources in China, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine, according to the oversight committee.
Republicans now have “the strongest legal standing to pursue needed information and enforce subpoenas,” Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole said on Tuesday.