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Republicans have long alleged that the Biden administration and Democrats have weaponized the Justice Department to target their political foes. But House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer took that logic a step further on Friday, claiming that special counsel David Weiss’ investigation into Hunter Biden, which has resulted in two indictments that could see the president’s son facing decades in prison, is actually meant to protect him.
“My concern is that Weiss may have indicted Biden to protect him from him having to be deposed in the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday,” Comer told Jake Tapper on CNN. “This whole thing has been about a cover-up.”
“You indict him on the least little thing — the gun charge and not paying taxes?” the Kentucky Republican asked. “Look what he’s done. Anybody else in America would already be in prison.”
To be clear, Biden is facing up to 17 years in prison on charges of tax evasion brought by Weiss this week in California, as well as up to 25 years in prison over gun charges filed in Delaware in September. Biden has pleaded not guilty to the latter.
Abbe Lowell, Biden’s attorney, said that Biden paid his taxes in full two years ago and that Weiss brought the additional charges to shield himself from “enormous political pressure” after the collapse of a plea deal with Biden in July. Weiss has denied that he “reneged” on the plea agreement.
Ahead of an intense election year, Republicans have been doggedly pursuing a House investigation, spearheaded by Comer and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, into what they call the Biden family’s “shady business dealings.” They have accused Biden and his father of influence peddling, even though their monthslong investigation has so far produced no evidence of the sort. Republicans have threatened to hold Biden in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t appear for a closed-door deposition on Wednesday; Biden has said he would only testify if the hearing is public.
The House investigation goes hand in hand with House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, which continues to move forward. Comer told NBC News that this was what the American public wanted: Over the Thanksgiving break, he said, caucus members “heard from people at Walmart, people on Main Street who were like, ‘Find out the truth about Joe Biden’s knowledge and involvement in his family shady business.’”