Hunter Biden offers to testify in House inquiry

Hunter Biden is willing to testify publicly on 'any date in December we can arrange', his lawyer says

A lawyer for Hunter Biden has told the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee that the president's son is willing to testify before Congress.

But Hunter Biden requested that it be a public hearing to "let the light shine on these proceedings", his counsel Abbe Lowell said on Tuesday.

The letter follows a flurry of legal summons issued this month by Republicans on the Oversight Committee.

Its chairman said Mr Biden's ask "won't stand with" Republicans, however.

James Comer, the Republican chairman of the Oversight Committee, accused the president's son of "trying to play by his own rules" in his request for a public hearing.

Republicans' original legal summons required Hunter Biden appear before Congress to first provide private testimony, or a deposition, under oath on 13 December.

"We expect full cooperation with our subpoena for a deposition but also agree that Hunter Biden should have the opportunity to testify in a public setting at a future date," Mr Comer added.

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House Republicans continue to investigate the Biden family's finances, and they opened an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden in September as part of that effort.

They allege they have uncovered evidence of the president's knowledge of and role in his family members' domestic and foreign business dealings.

They have not yet shown President Biden committed an impeachable offence or provided any evidence of wrongdoing.

The panel escalated its probe on 8 November by sending subpoenas to Hunter Biden, as well as six of his relatives and two former associates.

Hunter Biden's attorney, Mr Lowell, slammed the inquiry on Tuesday in a three-page letter that requested the testimony be public.

He called Republicans' investigation "an 'impeachment first, justification later' crusade" and said they had previously used "closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public".

He said that was why Hunter Biden's team proposed "opening the door", stating that he and his team would make their client available on "any date in December that we can arrange".

"If, as you claim, your efforts are important and involve issues that Americans should know about, then let the light shine on these proceedings," Mr Lowell said.

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Mr Lowell's letter appears to be part of a more aggressive and, at times, litigious strategy used by Hunter Biden's team since the president's son was indicted on federal gun charges in September.

It is unclear what effect it may have on the impeachment inquiry in Washington, however.

Republicans are expected to decide early next year whether to pursue articles of impeachment against President Biden.

If Republicans do pursue a vote, it seems unlikely to gain much traction as of now. They have a razor-thin majority in the House, Democrats control the Senate and moderates remain sceptical of the effort.