Politics
WATCH: KJP Ignores Questions On Hunter Biden’s Defiance Of Congressional Subpoena
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to answer questions on President Biden’s son, Hunter, and his decision to defy a congressional subpoena on Wednesday. President Biden has previously stated that those who defy congressional subpoenas should be “held accountable” and criminally prosecuted.
Instead of sitting down for a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee — a move that follows precedent set by the Trump impeachment inquiries — Hunter Biden opted to hold a press conference Wednesday where he accused Republicans of conducting a politically motivated investigation. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) will now move to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of congress while House Republicans have officially launched the impeachment inquiry into President Biden as a result of the stunt.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about Hunter Biden’s stunt during Wednesday’s press briefing.
“Is the president OK with his son defying a congressional subpoena?” one reporter asked Jean-Pierre. “I’m just not going to get into specifics on that. I would have to refer you to the president’s, not the president, but Hunter’s personal representatives. He’s a private citizen. I’m just not going to get into it,” she replied.
Jean-Pierre continued to refuse to answer when pressed by multiple reporters, stating that she will not be getting into “the politics” of the move.
President Biden has previously stated that anyone who defies a congressional subpoena should be “held accountable” and criminally prosecuted. A number of Republican and GOP-aligned individuals refused to submit to a subpoena from Nancy Pelosi’s partisan January 6 committee, which defied House Rules by refusing to allow then House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to appoint his own representatives to the panel.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was convicted for refusing to comply with a January 6 committee subpoena, as was former Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro, who was arrested at the airport, shackled, and strip-searched before being convicted earlier this year.
Both Bannon and Navarro have appealed the convictions.
