Hunter Biden, ex-associates invited to public hearing to discuss ‘inconsistencies’ in testimony
WASHINGTON — House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer invited Hunter Biden and three of his former partners Wednesday to testify at a public hearing set for March 20 to study “inconsistencies” in their impeachment inquiry testimony.
President Biden’s 54-year-old son sat for a closed-door deposition before the Oversight and Judiciary committees last week — insisting that his father was innocent of corruption allegations but acknowledging that he met Hunter’s associates from China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine while vice president.
A press release said the hearing would be titled, “Influence Peddling: Examining Joe Biden’s Abuse of Public Office.”
“Following interviews with key witnesses, this hearing will afford Americans the opportunity to hear from
Hunter Biden and his business associates about Joe Biden’s involvement in the Bidens’ domestic and international business dealings,” the statement said.
“The hearing will also examine inconsistencies among the witnesses’ testimonies in order to get the truth for the American people.”
“During our deposition and interview phase of the investigation, Hunter Biden confirmed evidence about Joe Biden’s involvement, yet his testimony conflicts with other witnesses’ testimonies,” said Comer (R-Ky.). “Given the President son’s repeated calls for a public hearing, I fully expect Hunter Biden to appear for a scheduled Oversight Committee hearing on March 20, alongside Biden family business associates.”
The panel also invited Devon Archer, Tony Bobulinski and Jason Galanis to testify publicly about details of Joe Biden’s alleged involvement in business ventures, which in some instances also involved first brother James Biden.
Hunter Biden refused to appear for an initial interview with committees leading the impeachment inquiry into his father in December, citing his insistence on a public hearing.
The first son later relented to Republican demands for a closed-door interview.
It was not immediately clear whether Hunter Biden would attend the hearing. His attorney Abbe Lowell did not respond to a request for comment.
Galanis, who alleged in a recent impeachment inquiry interview that Joe Biden greeted Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina during a 2014 speaker phone call with his son, quickly accepted the offer.
“Jason Galanis is willing to testify at this hearing to provide his firsthand knowledge of then-Vice President Joe Biden helping his son Hunter Biden in his business dealings,” his attorney Mark Paoletta told The Post.
Galanis is serving a federal prison sentence in Alabama related to a financial fraud scheme.
Representatives for Bobulinski and Archer, who previously gave closed-door depositions describing their interactions with Joe Biden, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did the White House or Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the House committee’s top Democrat.
