Hunter Biden offered on Friday to comply with any new subpoena and testify in private before House Republicans seeking to impeach his father over alleged but unproven corruption, an attorney for Joe Biden’s son said.
“If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorised impeachment inquiry, Mr Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition,” Abbe Lowell wrote to James Comer and Jim Jordan, the Republican chairs of the oversight and judiciary committees.
“We will accept such a subpoena on Mr Biden’s behalf.”
Republicans are interested in Hunter Biden’s business dealings and struggles with addiction. Outside Congress, he faces criminal charges over a gun purchase and his tax affairs that carry maximum prison sentences of 25 and 17 years. In Los Angeles on Thursday, he added a not guilty plea in the tax case to the same plea in the gun case.
Biden previously refused to comply with a congressional subpoena for testimony in private, giving a press conference on Capitol Hill to say he would talk if the session were public.
On Wednesday, Comer held a hearing to consider a resolution to hold Biden in contempt of Congress, a charge that can result in a fine and jail time.
The hearing descended into chaos with Biden and Lowell making a surprise appearance, sitting in the audience while Republicans and Democrats traded partisan barbs. The resolution was sent to the full House for a vote. The White House said Joe Biden had not been told of his son’s plan to attend the oversight hearing.
Lowell represented Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and chief White House adviser, when Democrats sought to subject him to congressional scrutiny. In his letter on Friday, Lowell queried the legality of previous subpoenas for Hunter Biden.
Republicans, he said, had not “explained why you are not interested in transparency and having the American people witness the full and complete testimony of Mr Biden at a public hearing”, when Biden had said “repeatedly that he would answer all pertinent and relevant questions you and your colleagues had for him at a public hearing”.
Nonetheless, Lowell said his client was now prepared to testify in private.
In a joint statement in response to Lowell’s letter, Comer and Jordan said Biden had “defied two valid, lawful subpoenas” and charged him with staging “stunts” instead.
They added: “For now, the House of Representatives will move forward with holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress until such time that Hunter Biden confirms a date to appear for a private deposition in accordance with his legal obligation.
“While we will work to schedule a deposition date, we will not tolerate any additional stunts or delay from Hunter Biden. The American people will not tolerate, and the House will not provide, special treatment for the Biden family.”
Steve Scalise, the Republican majority leader, previously said there would be a contempt vote in the House next week, adding: “Enough of [Hunter Biden’s] stunts. He doesn’t get to play by a different set of rules. He’s not above the law.”
Democrats on the House judiciary committee responded by posting a picture of Comer with a hand over his eyes, using an acronym for Donald Trump’s campaign slogan as they said: “Maga Republicans continue to pursue baseless impeachment stunts when a government shutdown is imminent.
“What are they actually doing to better the lives of the American people?”
