Prominent lawyer Jonathan Turley wrote that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) helped Hunter Biden facilitate an “alleged federal crime” by helping the president’s son flout a congressional subpoena.
President Joe Biden’s son stunned the world as he appeared outside of the Capitol Building, in which he made clear that he would only testify under his own rules and would not comply with House investigators’ lawful subpoena that compelled his testimony behind closed doors.
“I’m here today to answer at a public hearing any legitimate questions Chairman Comer and the House Oversight Committee may have for me. I’m here today to make sure that the House committee’s illegitimate investigations of my family did not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence, and lies,” Hunter Biden said.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Hunter Biden lashed out at Republican investigators who have been digging into his business dealings, insisting outside the Capitol he will only testify before a congressional committee in public. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“My father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not my investments at home or abroad, and certainly not as an artist,” he added.
Swalwell reportedly used his official position to reserve the space for Biden’s press conference, which serves as a “curious role” for a former House impeachment manager to play in the obstruction of an impeachment inquiry of three House committees, as Turley wrote.
Turley wrote, “Swalwell did not simply facilitate a crime, he went out of his way to associate himself with it:”
Swalwell surely knew that he was helping Hunter in defying a subpoena and obstructing the investigation into Joe Biden. He not only helped set up the press conference but made sure that he was in the camera frame behind Hunter for every network audience. He presumably utilized congressional staff to assist in this effort.
Photographers take photos as Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, makes a statement to the press outside the U.S. Capitol about testifying publicly to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. Biden’s defense attorney Abbe Lowell, left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., right look on. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In taking these actions, Swalwell encouraged and facilitated the contempt of Congress. While his conduct may not warrant a criminal charge, it certainly warrants action from the House.
During the proceedings leading up to the contempt vote against former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, Swalwell said:
If they don’t force him to answer legitimate questions, they will be ceding Congress’ authority, and we’ll be setting a very, very dangerous precedent that people can just tell Congress what they will and will not answer, and will show no resolve to use our subpoena power to get to the bottom of what’s going on.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) toldBreitbart News Saturday host Matthew Boyle that the House Republican impeachment inquiry is investigating President Joe Biden for bribery, abuse of power, and obstruction of justice.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
