Why Hunter Biden offered to testify in House probe, and why Republicans said no
Biden said he would testify in the House GOP's impeachment inquiry, but not behind closed doors


Hunter Biden offered Tuesday to testify publicly in the House Republican impeachment inquiry targeting his father, President Joe Biden. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who is overseeing that nebulous investigation as chair of the House Oversight Committee, rejected Biden's offer, saying Republicans expect him to testify behind closed doors on Dec. 13, as demanded in a Nov. 8 subpoena. "Hunter Biden is trying to play by his own rules," Comer wrote. "That won't stand with House Republicans." He added that Biden can "testify in a public setting" after the deposition.
Biden's offer came in a blistering three-page letter from his lawyer, Abbe Lowell. "We have seen you use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public," Lowell told Comer. "If, as you claim, your efforts are important and involve issues that Americans should know about, then let the light shine on these proceedings." He quoted Comer publicly inviting Biden to "come in front of the committee" anytime, and accused him of manipulating "Hunter's legitimate business dealings and his times of terrible addiction into a politically motivated basis for hearings to accuse his father of some wrongdoing."
Public testimony by Hunter Biden would be a "dramatic and high-profile showdown carrying risks for both sides," The Washington Post reported. Biden is not only the central figure in House Republicans' so-far-fruitless efforts to tie President Biden to questionable private business dealings by his son and brother; he's also fighting federal gun charges. Hunter Biden's offer to testify publicly is part of an aggressive counterpunch strategy that started when he hired Lowell last year, Politico reported Tuesday and Politico's Jonathan Lemire recapped on MSNBC.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
House panels do typically "insist on a private deposition before allowing a public appearance," Politico reported. "The Jan. 6 select committee denied several requests to testify publicly, including one from Rudy Giuliani."
But Democrats noted pointedly that Comer's only public Biden impeachment hearing so far didn't go well for him. "The reason GOP don't want a public hearing on Hunter Biden," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote, is that "they're scared of getting humiliated for not having an actual case (again), so they need to hide."
The top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin (R-Md.), called the GOP's rejection of Biden's offer to testify publicly "a frank confession that they are simply not interested in the facts and have no confidence in their own case."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
North America is 'dripping' into Earth's mantle
Under the radar Things are rocky below the surface
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
8 essentials for the perfect picnic
The Week Recommends Celebrate warmer weather by dining al fresco
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku medium: April 14, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Could Trump's tariff war be his undoing with the GOP?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The catastrophic effects of the president's 'Liberation Day' tariffs might create a serious wedge between him and the rest of the Republican party
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Is Elon Musk's DOGE job coming to an end?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Plummeting popularity, a stinging electoral defeat and Tesla's shrinking market share could be pulling the tech billionaire out of Trump's presidential orbit
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump purports to 'void' Biden pardons
Speed Read Joe Biden's pardons of Jan. 6 committee members are not valid because they were done by autopen, says Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Do rowdy town halls signal a GOP backlash?
Today's Big Question Some remorse, but Trump backers would not change their votes
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Budget: Will the GOP cut entitlements?
Feature Republicans are pushing for a budget to cut Medicaid
By The Week US Published
-
DOGE cuts could mean a reduced US footprint in Antarctica
In the Spotlight About 10% of the National Science Foundation has been laid off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
House passes framework for big tax and spending cuts
Speed Read Democrats opposed the GOP's plan for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in spending cuts, citing the impacts it will have on social programs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
GOP: Is Medicaid on the chopping block?
Feature
By The Week US Published