House Republicans outraged by Hunter Biden plea deal
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Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
House Republicans are vowing to push ahead with their investigations in the wake of the news on Tuesday that Hunter Biden has reached a plea deal on tax and gun charges.
Why it matters: Top Republicans have made investigations into Hunter Biden a central part of their strategy as they look to paint the Biden family as corrupt and accuse Democrats of weaponizing government agencies against Republicans.
- House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) asserted on Tuesday that his panel will move forward with their investigation.
- “These charges against Hunter Biden and sweetheart plea deal have no impact on the Oversight Committee’s investigation. We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s schemes are revealed,” he said in a statement.
Zoom in: Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanors for failing to file and pay taxes, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
- He's also entering a probationary agreement on a felony charge of illegally owning a gun while being a drug user.
What they're saying: "This is the epitome of the politicization and Weaponization of Joe Biden’s Department of Justice as they give a slap on the wrist to President Biden’s son - a tax fraud and corrupt pay-to-play criminal,” said House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York.
- “The DOJ brought three weak charges against Hunter to try to trick the American public into thinking they aren’t politically biased,” Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) told Axios. “But Hunter will see zero days in jail even though he has committed many crimes. Trump faces 450 years over a paperwork dispute.”
- And Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) accused Attorney General Merrick Garland of being “compromised and politicized,” telling Axios he is more concerned with accusations of wrongful business dealings with foreign entities and feels “Hunter’s apparent gun and tax crimes are a diversion from the real issues.
The other side: Democrats have largely slammed House Republicans’ focus on Hunter Biden, alleging since they took the majority that their probes are politically motivated.
- U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the prosecutor who oversaw the Hunter Biden investigation, has been running the case since the Trump administration, Axios' Alex Thompson reports.
- To try to avoid appearing to influence the investigation, Biden's Justice Department did not replace him.
