U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is insisting that Hunter Biden provide private testimony to his committee.
Comer did so in a letter that he sent to Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, on Friday, Dec. 1. The letter can be read in its entirety here.
As the leader of the House Oversight Committee, Comer has been one of the House members who has been leading the investigation into the Biden family. As part of this investigation, Comer has subpoenaed Hunter Biden, seeking testimony from him.
Comer's letter to Lowell comes after Lowell, on behalf of Hunter Biden, offered to have Hunter Biden testify before the committee publicly.
In his letter to Lowell, Comer rejects Lowell's offer. Comer said that, while Hunter Biden will have to testify publicly at some point, initially this testimony will take place behind closed doors, in accordance with precedent.
"Pursuant to the terms of the subpoenas, the Rules of the House of Representatives, and the respective Committee rules, this testimony will occur initially in a deposition setting, as has been the consistent practice of Committees of theHouse of Representatives in recent Congresses - during both Republican and Democrat majorities - as well as these Committees during this inquiry," Comer wrote.
He added, "We also appreciate your confirmation that Mr. Biden is willing to testify at a public hearing. We look forward to his testimony in a hearing at the appropriate time."
Comer goes on to accuse Lowell of having made "several baseless and misleading assertions" in the letter that Lowell previously sent to Comer. And, Comer spends a good amount of space correcting the record.
"Your letter is merely an extension of your coordinated campaign to discredit the allegations against Mr. Biden, distort the truth, and attack the integrity of witnesses against Mr.Biden," Comer writes.
He later adds, "Mr. Biden’s attempt to avoid sitting for a deposition pursuant to the terms of the subpoenas - by offering instead to testify at a public hearing - amounts to a demand that he receive special treatment from the Committees."
Currently, Hunter Biden is scheduled to provide private testimony to Comer's committee on Dec. 13, 2023.
Previously, Lowell and Biden have said that Hunter Biden is "eager" to testify "in a public forum."
But, Lowell and Hunter Biden have suggested that Biden is less willing to provide this testimony behind closed doors.
So, it remains unclear as to whether Hunter Biden is going to show up on Dec. 13.
