Politics
WATCH: Matt Gaetz Unveils ‘The Most Interesting’ Revelation From Hunter Biden’s Deposition
After Wednesday’s high-stakes deposition of Hunter Biden, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) brought to light a revelation that has stirred skepticism among political circles. Gaetz said that Hunter Biden dubiously claimed that his decision to join the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma was primarily aimed at countering Russian aggression, a rationale previously unheard by the public and political analysts alike.
“Hunter Biden told us that he joined the Burisma board to counter Russian aggression,” Gaetz shared with reporters. “I hadn’t heard that one before. Thank goodness we had Hunter Biden on the Burisma board because that was central to his strategy to stand up to Vladimir Putin,” Gaetz added, his tone laced with a mix of sarcasm and disbelief.
This emerges amidst the broader context of the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, with Hunter Biden’s testimony marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing investigation. The inquiry has centered around the Biden family’s foreign business dealings, with Republicans seeking to establish a direct link between Joe Biden and his son’s business activities.
WATCH:
Gaetz continued:
“It is a mirage to believe that Hunter Biden was engaged in international business. This was a bribe masquerading as an international business transaction–nothing more, nothing less.”
However, testimony from Biden family business associates has so far contradicted these allegations, consistently stating that the President was not involved in his family’s foreign business endeavors.
Hunter Biden, in a preemptive statement before his deposition, categorically denied ever involving his father in his business transactions, setting the stage for a highly anticipated testimony. Despite the gravity of the moment, the proceedings were not videotaped, with both sides agreeing to release transcripts at a later time.
The impeachment inquiry has been a contentious topic within the GOP, with growing doubts about whether the evidence presented will be sufficient to convince a divided majority of the merits of proceeding with the impeachment. Gaetz’s comments today highlight the ongoing challenges Republicans face in navigating the complex and politically charged waters of the impeachment inquiry.
“For more than a year, your Committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad. You have trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism — all the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face,” Hunter said in his opening statement, according to POLITICO.
“You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn’t any.”
James Comer (R-KY) said on Wednesday, “We have a lot of questions for Hunter Biden specifically revolving around the 100-plus suspicious activity reports he got, specifically around what some of his associates have testified that Joe Biden communicated frequently with all of these shady characters.”
Hunter served on the board of Burisma from 2014 to 2019. The association attracted much controversy due to potential conflicts of interest and allegations of influence-peddling, given Joe Biden’s role as Vice President of the United States during part of this time.
Many have argued that Hunter’s position at Burisma was an attempt to leverage his father’s political influence for the benefit of the company.
Joe Biden, in his capacity as Vice President, advocated for the firing of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, citing concerns shared by numerous Western countries and international organizations about Shokin’s effectiveness and alleged corruption.
