(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter was on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a deposition as House Republicans continue their impeachment inquiry into his father and their family’s business affairs.
Republicans allege the president profited from Hunter Biden’s business dealings when he was vice president.
There is no direct evidence to support their claims, even as GOP lawmakers conducted dozens of interviews and obtained more than 100,000 pages of documents.
As he took questions from members of three different House committees, Hunter Biden criticized the impeachment inquiry as a “baseless and destructive political charade” based on “MAGA-motivated conspiracies.”
Along with the congressional investigations, Hunter Biden also faces federal charges for not paying taxes and for lying on gun purchase forms.
GOP Questions Hunter Biden
Sept. 12, 2023: Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., directed the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, which the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees are tasked with overseeing. While more moderate members of McCarthy’s conference questioned if there was enough evidence to launch an inquiry, others, such as Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, pushed for one.
McCarthy accused the Biden family of operating under a “culture of corruption.”
“I do not make this decision lightly. Regardless of your political party or who you voted for, these facts should concern all Americans,” McCarthy said.
Hunter Biden subpoenaed
Nov. 8, 2023: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued subpoenas to Hunter Biden and the president’s brother James Biden as well as several other family members. Hunter Biden was ordered to appear for a closed-door deposition Dec. 13.
Biden Impeachment Inquiry Starts
Dec. 13, 2023: Hunter Biden appeared on Capitol Hill but defied the House Republicans’ subpoena, telling reporters at a news conference that he is willing to testify in a public hearing. He maintained that his father was not involved in any of his business dealings.
Later that day, House Republicans formally approved their impeachment inquiry into the president on a 221-212 party-line vote.
Surprise committee hearing appearance
Jan. 10: Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance at a House Oversight Committee hearing where lawmakers debated whether to hold him in contempt of Congress. A committee source told NewsNation members were not aware Hunter Biden would be in attendance until the very last minute. However, he didn’t stay and walked out of the hearing as Greene spoke.
Hours later, the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees sent contempt charges to the full House.
Contempt plans canceled
Jan. 16: House Republicans canceled plans for a procedural vote on the contempt charges, saying they were still negotiating with Hunter Biden’s attorneys.
Deposition agreement reached
Jan. 18: Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, announced Hunter Biden agreed to sit before them for a deposition on Feb. 28.
FBI informant charged for making false statements
Feb. 15: Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, is charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record. Prosecutors alleged he lied when he claimed the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had paid $5 million each to Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. Smirnov’s assertions were called “fabrications” by the Department of Justice.
This claim has been a central point of focus for the House GOP’s impeachment inquiry. They allege that Joe Biden, as vice president, conditioned a $1 billion loan to Ukraine on the firing of state prosecutor Viktor Shokin, a move which would benefit Burisma.
In court documents, prosecutors said Smirnov said he had been getting information about Hunter Biden from Russian intelligence officials, and his interaction with them was extensive and recent.
Smirnov’s attorneys have said he is presumed innocent. He has pleaded not guilty.
President’s brother James meets with lawmakers
Feb. 21: James Biden met with lawmakers and staff members from both sides of the aisle in an eight-hour closed-door interview. In his opening statement to lawmakers, he said, in part, “With my appearance here today, the committees will have the information to conclude that the negative and destructive assumptions about me and my relationship with my brother Joe are wrong.”
Hunter Biden deopsition
Feb. 28: Hunter Biden answered questions at the deposition, saying that it is an “uncontestable fact” that he did not involve the president in his business matters.
“Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist,” he said in a prepared opening statement. “Never.”
House Republicans vowed to conduct further interviews and issue additional subpoenas beyond Wednesday’s proceedings. Coming out of the deposition late Wednesday, Comer said it helped back several pieces of evidence the committees gathered thus far.
“But there are also some contradictory statements that I think need further review,” he added.
NewsNation’s Tom Dempsey, Kellie Meyer, Taylor Delandro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
