Rep. Comer formally responds to Hunter Biden's public hearing request

• In the previous letter, Biden's lawyer said the president's son was opposed to a deposition mandated by House Republicans' subpoenas against him and James Biden, the president's brother, over fears that the committee will use the closed-door sessions "to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public."
• "A public proceeding would prevent selective leaks, manipulated transcripts, doctored exhibits, or one-sided press statements," the lawyer stated in the letter.

The big picture: Previously, Comer claimed that House Republicans "have so many documents" against the Biden's that they "can bring these people in for depositions or committee hearings, whichever they choose, and we can ask these questions with evidence."

• House Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry into President Biden earlier this year without holding a House vote on the matter. They may soon hold a vote to formally authorize the probe.

• The unilateral inquiry stemmed from Republicans' ongoing probe into the president's alleged involvement with Hunter's business dealings — though it has not yielded evidence he broke the law or benefited financially from his son's dealings.

Go deeper: Former Giuliani associate urges Comer to "abandon" Biden investigation