Biden-appointed judge torches DOJ for defying subpoenas after prosecuting Trump advisor

A President Biden-appointed judge slammed the Justice Department’s apparent hypocrisy on Friday for allowing attorneys involved in the Biden family investigation to defy subpoenas — even though former Trump advisor Peter Navarro is sitting in prison for doing the same thing.

District Judge Ana Reyes ripped the DOJ at a status conference for not letting DOJ lawyers Mark Daly and Jack Morgan provide testimony as part of the House Judiciary Committee's investigation into the Biden family and the impeachment inquiry into the president. 

"There’s a person in jail right now because you all brought a criminal lawsuit against him because he did not appear for a House subpoena," Reyes said during a hearing on the Judiciary Committee’s lawsuit, according to Politico, seemingly referring to Navarro. 

HUNTER BIDEN CLAIMED HE DIDN'T 'STAND TO GAIN ANYTHING' IN CONTROVERSIAL BURISMA ROLE DESPITE MAKING MILLIONS

Navarro was sent to prison in March for four months, charged and convicted with contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with a congressional subpoena demanding his testimony and documents relating to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro said he could not cooperate with the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack because Trump had invoked executive privilege, an argument that lower courts have rejected.

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon also received a four-month sentence for similar contempt of Congress charges but was allowed to stay free pending appeal.

"I think it’s quite rich you guys pursue criminal investigations and put people in jail for not showing up," but then direct current executive branch employees to take the same approach, Reyes blasted. "You all are making a bunch of arguments that you would never accept from any other litigant."

"And now you guys are flouting those subpoenas. . . . And you don’t have to show up?" Reyes continued. 

She said that the DOJ’s position would delight defense attorneys up and down the country.

"I imagine that there are hundreds, if not thousands of defense attorneys . . . who would be happy to hear that DOJ’s position is, if you don’t agree with a subpoena, if you believe it’s unconstitutional or unlawful, you can unilaterally not show up," Reyes said. 

HUNTER BIDEN ATTORNEY SLAMS 'ABNORMAL WAY' SPECIAL COUNSEL WEISS HANDLED CASE AFTER JUDGE DENIES DISMISSAL

Daly and Morgan, two attorneys with the Justice Department’s tax division, were subpoenaed for their "firsthand knowledge of the irregularities in DOJ’s investigation that appear to have benefited Hunter Biden," according to Courthouse News Service. 

The committee says the pair were members of a team that recommended what charges to bring against Hunter Biden for suspected tax crimes in 2014 and 2015 when he served on the board of Ukrainian company Burisma. 

That team initially agreed Hunter Biden should be charged but then reversed course and suggested he should not be charged.

Following the reversal, the Justice Department allowed the statute of limitations for those charges to lapse. The committee argues looking into this timeline is crucial to its investigation.  

Justice Department attorney James Gilligan tried to argue that the decision to defy the subpoena came after lengthy deliberations "at a high level."

He also argued that Daly and Morgan are current government employees, whereas Navarro and Bannon were no longer part of the government when their testimony was demanded, but Reyes seemed unimpressed by that reasoning. 

But her criticism wasn’t all directed at Biden’s DOJ.

Reyes scoffed at a Trump-era Office of Legal Counsel opinion contending that executive branch employees could defy such subpoenas if Justice Department lawyers were not allowed to be present.

She was also astonished that Gilligan wouldn't commit to instructing Daly and Morgan to testify if the committee were to drop its insistence that government counsel not be in the room for their depositions.

"I cannot answer that now," he said. To which Reyes responded, "Are you kidding me?"

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.  

House Judiciary Committee suing DOJ officials for testimony on Hunter Biden tax case

The House Judiciary Committee is suing Justice Department officials Mark Daly and Jack Morgan to enforce subpoenas for their testimony related to the Hunter Biden tax investigation as part of the broader House impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

Daly and Morgan were both involved in the Hunter Biden tax investigation and in early decisions not to prosecute, Republicans have alleged. 

According to the lawsuit, "The Committee intends to ask Daly and Morgan about these decisions, including why they initially agreed with bringing charges for the 2014 and 2015 tax years, why they then reversed their opinion just a few months later, what additional (if any) information they received that changed their minds, and whether they were in any way pressured to change their views by other people inside or outside of DOJ, and if so, by whom."

IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS: HUNTER BIDEN INDICTMENT IS A 'COMPLETE VINDICATION' OF INVESTIGATION, ALLEGATIONS

The committee subpoenaed Daly and Morgan in September 2023 and February 2024, according to the lawsuit. However, the lawsuit says Daly and Morgan did not comply "because their employer, DOJ, directed them not to appear." 

The suit names both men in their official capacity as DOJ employees. 

The Justice Department told Fox News that it is "committed to working with Congress in good faith." 

"We took the extraordinary step of making six supervisory employees available to testify on appropriate topics last year," a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News. "It is unfortunate that despite this extraordinary cooperation from senior DOJ officials, the Committee has decided, after waiting for months, to continue seeking to depose line prosecutors about sensitive information from ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions." 

HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO TAX CHARGES BROUGHT BY SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS

The DOJ spokesperson added, "We will continue to protect our line personnel and the integrity of their work." 

The Justice Department said it will review the committee's filings "and respond in court." 

House Republicans have been investigating whether politics played a role in prosecutorial decisions in the Hunter Biden investigation. 

Special counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden in December, alleging a "four-year scheme" when the president's son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.

Weiss filed the charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. 

The charges break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

In the indictment, Weiss alleged that Hunter Biden "engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020."

HOUSE COMMITTEES FORMALLY RECOMMEND TO HOLD HUNTER BIDEN IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS

Weiss said in "furtherance of that scheme," the younger Biden "subverted the payroll and tax withholding process of his own company, Owasco, PC by withdrawing millions" from the company "outside of the payroll and tax withholding process that it was designed to perform."

The special counsel alleged that Hunter Biden "spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills," and that in 2018, he "stopped paying his outstanding and overdue taxes for tax year 2015."

Weiss alleged that Hunter Biden "willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time, despite having access to funds to pay some or all of these taxes," and that he "willfully failed to file his 2017 and 2018 tax returns on time."

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler said the tax charges against Hunter Biden were a "complete vindication" of their yearslong investigation into the president’s son.

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler approached Congress earlier this year, alleging that prosecutorial decisions made throughout the federal investigation into the president’s son were impacted by politics.

Shapley, Ziegler and other IRS officials who testified before Congress, including Michael Batdorf, have said they were frustrated that the Justice Department did not charge Hunter Biden for failing to pay federal income tax for 2014 and 2015. They alleged that Weiss had allowed the statute of limitations to expire for tax charges against Hunter Biden from 2014 and 2015 in Washington, D.C.

Shapley, who led the IRS portion of the probe, said that Hunter Biden should have been charged with tax evasion for 2014, and for filing false tax returns for 2018 and 2019. With regard to the 2014 tax returns, Shapley said that Hunter Biden did not report income from Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. 

Fox News Digital first reported in December 2020 that Hunter Biden did not report "approximately $400,000" in income he collected from his position on the board of Burisma Holdings when he joined in 2014. 

House Republicans move to strengthen protections for DOJ whistleblowers

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are eyeing stronger protections for whistleblowers who come out publicly against the Department of Justice (DOJ).

A new bill led by Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., and backed by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is aimed at trying to ensure an expedient and impartial process for DOJ whistleblowers.

"Unfortunately, the FBI and DOJ have a long history of quieting whistleblowers by pulling security clearances, delaying investigations and ending their careers. The Protect Whistleblowers from Retaliation Act will ensure those who come forward to do the right thing are able to do so without fearing for their future," Langworthy told Fox News Digital.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND TRANSCRIPT OF BIDEN’S INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL COUNSEL AS PART OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Jordan told Fox News Digital "dozens" of DOJ whistleblowers have approached his committee "with allegations of political bias and misconduct."

"These whistleblowers risked their careers and their livelihoods to speak out to shine a light on the problem and to restore public trust in the FBI. Regrettably, loopholes in existing whistleblower protection laws have allowed FBI senior leadership to retaliate against many of these whistleblowers," Jordan said.

DOJ DEFENDS SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT ON BIDEN'S MEMORY: 'CONSISTENT WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENT,' NOT 'GRATUITOUS'

The bill would affirm the DOJ Inspector General’s office as the sole investigator for whistleblower retaliation investigations and would require those investigations be completed within 240 days.

It would also block the DOJ from implementing personnel practices involving the removal of security clearances.

Earlier this month, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced a 90-day pilot program to encourage whistleblowers to come forward with new and important information.

BIDEN, NOT SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR, BROUGHT UP SON'S DEATH IN QUESTIONING

The House Judiciary Committee has been investigating allegations of whistleblower retaliation within the FBI, in particular, since Republicans took the majority in January 2023. Its select subcommittee on weaponization of the federal government held a hearing in May of last year about alleged whistleblower retaliation within the bureau.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment on Langworthy and Jordan’s accusations.  

Special Counsel Robert Hur to testify publicly on findings from Biden classified records probe

Special Counsel Robert Hur is expected to testify on Capitol Hill on his findings following months of investigating President Biden's mishandling of classified records.

Hur will testify publicly at the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday at 10 a.m. 

Hur, who released his report to the public in February, did not recommend criminal charges against Biden for mishandling and retaining classified documents and stated that he wouldn't bring charges against Biden even if he were not in the Oval Office.

Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan and other countries, among other records related to national security and foreign policy, which Hur said implicated "sensitive intelligence sources and methods."

BIDEN RETAINED RECORDS RELATED TO UKRAINE, CHINA; COMER DEMANDS 'UNFETTERED ACCESS' AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Hur did not recommend any charges against the president but did describe him as a "sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory" – a description that has raised significant concerns for Biden's 2024 re-election campaign.

Biden has blasted Hur since the release of his report, saying his "memory is fine" and that he is the "most qualified person in this country to be president."

Biden also fired back at Hur for suggesting he did not remember when his son Beau died.

"How dare he raise that?" Biden said at the time. "Frankly, when I was asked a question, I thought to myself, what's that any of your d--- business?"

SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN 'SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,' BRINGS NO CHARGES

"Let me tell you something... I swear, since the day he died, every single day... I wear the rosary he got from Our Lady –" Biden stopped, seemingly forgetting where the rosary was from.

In his report, Hur wrote: "He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died."

But two sources familiar with the investigation said it was Biden who brought up Beau's death in the interview – not the special counsel. 

Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., have demanded the Justice Department turn over the transcript and any recordings of Biden’s interview. 

The three committee leaders are leading the impeachment inquiry against Biden. They subpoenaed the materials last month. 

The Justice Department has not turned over transcripts or audio recordings of Hur’s interview with the president despite the subpoena compelling their production by March 7, a House Judiciary spokesman said.

"We received a small production from DOJ, but not the transcripts or audio that we need and requested," a House Judiciary spokesman told Fox News on Friday. "Our staff has all necessary clearances to review the contents of the President’s interview, which dealt with materials found in unsecured areas like garages, closets and commercial office space. We are evaluating next steps."   

A spokesperson from the Justice Department said, "The Department has been in touch with the Committees and anticipated responding to their subpoenas today." 

In a response obtained and viewed by Fox News, the DOJ added: 

"We urge the Committee to join us in seeking to avoid conflict when there is, in fact, cooperation." 

"Given this record, we are disappointed that the Committee chose to serve a subpoena less than three weeks after Mr. Hur’s report was transmitted to Congress and only seven business days after the Department made clear it was working expeditiously to respond in good faith to congressional requests on this matter. This compressed time frame is not reasonable given the standard interagency review process the Department explained to the Committee." 

"Your subpoena is premature and unnecessary given the amount of information the Committee has already received and the Department’s proactive efforts to prepare for responding to congressional requests on this matter."

Comer told Fox News Digital after the report was released that he wants "unfettered access to these documents to determine if President Biden’s retention of sensitive materials were used to help the Bidens’ influence peddling."

Jordan, Comer and Smith are concerned that "Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings."

House GOP gunning for testimony from Biden Special Counsel Robert Hur, sources say

The House Judiciary Committee is in talks to have Special Counsel Robert Hur potentially testify on Capitol Hill after releasing his report on President Biden’s handling of classified documents, Fox News Digital has learned.

Two sources told Fox News Digital that House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s committee is looking at late February or early March for possible dates for Hur to testify.

House Republicans appear poised for a lengthy probe into Hur’s findings after he released a 388-page report clearing President Biden of wrongdoing despite having "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials."

SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN 'SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,' BRINGS NO CHARGES

Hur said Biden came off "as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" and that "it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him-by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness."

Republican lawmakers have argued that Hur’s decision not to recommend charges against Biden is an example of the two-tiered justice system in the U.S. It’s also spurred speculation over whether the 81-year-old president is unfit for office.

Jordan, R-Ohio, along with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday calling for him to release the transcripts and recordings of Biden’s interview with the special counsel’s office.

BIDEN RETAINED RECORDS RELATED TO UKRAINE, CHINA; COMER DEMANDS 'UNFETTERED ACCESS' AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

In the letter, they accused Biden of lying at a press conference after the report’s release when he said, "I did not share classified information. I did not share it" when asked whether he disclosed the sensitive information to his ghostwriter. 

"As explained to Mr. Hur in October, there is concern that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings," they wrote.

"Further, we seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence (emails, text messages, or witness statements) directly linking the President to troublesome foreign payments."

COMER DEMANDS ANSWERS ON WHETHER BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS MENTION COUNTRIES RELATED TO FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS

The Judiciary Committee’s discussion with Hur is likely to come within days of Hunter Biden’s closed-door deposition in front of Jordan and Comer’s panels, the sources said.

The president’s son is sitting down with impeachment inquiry investigators on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and DOJ for comment on Hur’s potential testimony.

House GOP probing if Biden was involved in Hunter’s ‘scheme’ to defy subpoena, potential ‘impeachable offense’

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are investigating whether President Biden was involved in his son Hunter Biden’s "scheme" to defy his subpoena for deposition earlier this month — conduct, they say, "could constitute an impeachable offense." 

The House Oversight Committee, House Judiciary Committee, and House Ways & Means Committee are investigating "whether sufficient grounds exist to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden for consideration by the full House." The House formalized the inquiry earlier this month. 

JORDAN SAYS HUNTER BIDEN MADE A 'HUGE CHANGE' BY SAYING HIS FATHER WAS 'NOT FINANCIALLY INVOLVED' IN BUSINESS

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Wednesday penned a letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, to White House Counsel Edward Siskel, notifying him of the additional area of their investigation. 

"In light of an official statement from the White House that President Biden was aware in advance that his son, Hunter Biden, would knowingly defy two congressional subpoenas, we are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the President engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress," Comer and Jordan wrote to Siskel. 

The subpoenas were both for Hunter Biden's deposition — one from Comer and one from Jordan. The two chairmen planned to hold the deposition in the same room, at the same time. 

The president’s son was subpoenaed to appear for a deposition before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees earlier this month. Hunter Biden defied that subpoena, and instead, appeared on Capitol Hill and delivered a public statement before the press.

"On December 13, Mr. Biden did not appear for the deposition as required by the Committees’ subpoenas. Instead, Mr. Biden appeared on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol with his attorney and Representative Eric Swalwell," they wrote. "Mr. Biden gave a lengthy public statement to an assembly of reporters in which he made several statements that are relevant to the House’s impeachment inquiry, including representations about his business activities, assertions about President Biden’s awareness and ‘financial’ involvement in these activities, and attacks on the Committees’ inquiry." 

Hunter Biden "indicated that he would only testify in a public forum, a demand for special treatment that the Committees had previously rejected." 

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT 'FINANCIALLY' INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

"Although Mr. Biden professed an interest in answering questions about his actions, he departed the Capitol grounds without taking any questions. The committees subsequently recorded Mr. Biden’s non-appearance at his deposition," they wrote. 

But later that day, Comer and Jordan pointed to a statement made by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She was asked whether the president had watched his son’s public statement. 

"White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that President Biden was ‘certainly familiar with what his son was going to say,’" they wrote. "Ms. Jean-Pierre declined, however, to provide any further details about the President’s actions on whether the president approved of his son defying congressional subpoenas." 

They added, though, that Jean-Pierre’s statement "suggests the President had some amount of advanced knowledge that Mr. Biden would choose to defy two congressional subpoenas." 

The chairmen pointed to the criminal code, citing the section which it states that it is unlawful to "corruptly…endeavor to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any investigation or inquiry is being had by…any committee of either House or any joint committee of Congress." 

"Likewise, any person who ‘aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures’ the commission of a crime is punishable as a principal of the crime," they wrote. 

"In light of Ms. Jean-Pierre’s statement, we are compelled to examine the involvement of the President in his son’s scheme to defy the Committees’ subpoenas," they wrote. "The Committees have accumulated substantial evidence that Hunter Biden’s business endeavors have improperly included his father, and the President has made false claims about his knowledge and involvement in these schemes." 

WHITE HOUSE, HUNTER BIDEN’S TEAM KEEP SHIFTING GOALPOSTS IN DENYING DAD’S INVOLVEMENT WITH BUSINESSES

Comer and Jordan also said that just days before Hunter Biden was scheduled to appear for his deposition, the president "claimed he had not interacted with any of his son’s business partners." 

"This is false," they wrote. "The President has met with, spoken to, and received money sourced from his son’s foreign business partners." 

Comer and Jordan said that in light of the evidence they have collected, "the fact that the President had advanced awareness" that his son would defy the subpoenas "raises a troubling new question that we must examine: whether the President corruptly sought to influence or obstruct the Committee’s proceeding by preventing, discouraging, or dissuading his son from complying with the Committee’s subpoenas." 

"Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense," they wrote.

The chairmen demanded all documents and communications sent or received by the White House regarding Hunter Biden’s deposition, including communications with Hunter Biden, law firm Winston & Strawn LLP, and Kevin Morris. 

They also demanded all documents and communications sent or received by employees of the White House Executive Office regarding the president’s statement about his family’s business associates on Dec. 6, 2023. 

Comer and Jordan gave Siskel until Jan. 10, 2024 to produce the information. 

DOJ prosecutor accused of limiting questions on Biden during Hunter probe expected to appear for deposition

The assistant U.S. attorney who is accused of limiting questions related to President Biden during the federal investigation into Hunter Biden is expected to be deposed at the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning, all while the whistleblowers who made the allegations against her testify at a separate committee.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf was subpoenaed last month for a deposition. She is expected to sit behind closed doors at the House Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DAD,' 'BIG GUY' DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Over at the House Ways and Means Committee, the whistleblowers who put Wolf's work under the microscope will sit for a closed-door hearing during the committee’s executive session on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Gary Shapley, who led the IRS’ portion of the Hunter Biden probe, and Joseph Ziegler, a 13-year special agent within the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division, are expected to speak to the panel.

Shapley and Ziegler have alleged political influence surrounding prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden investigation, which began in 2018.

Shapley alleged that Wolf sought to block investigators from asking questions related to President Biden throughout the years-long federal investigation into his son, Hunter Biden.

Specifically, Shapley alleged that Wolf worked to "limit" questioning related to President Biden and apparent references to Biden as "dad" or "the big guy."

Wolf allegedly said there was "no specific criminality to that line of questioning" relating to President Biden, which Shapley said "upset the FBI."

COMER, JORDAN DEMAND HUNTER BIDEN APPEAR FOR DEPOSITION, SAY HE WILL NOT RECEIVE 'SPECIAL TREATMENT'

In October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and "agreed that probable cause had been achieved," Shapley testified. However, Shapley said Wolf ultimately would not allow a physical search warrant on the president’s son.

Shapley said Wolf determined there was "enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze."

Wolf allegedly said that "optics were a driving factor in the decision on whether to execute a search warrant," Shapley said, adding that Wolf agreed that "a lot of evidence in our investigation would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden, but said there is no way we will get that approved."

Wolf also allegedly tipped off Hunter Biden’s legal team ahead of a planned search of his storage unit.

The whistleblowers’ testimony before Ways and Means and Wolf’s deposition at Judiciary comes as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., are leading the investigation as the House gathers evidence and considers whether to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden.

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

The committees are investigating the alleged politicization of the federal probe into Hunter Biden. They are also investigating the Biden family’s foreign business dealings and whether the president was involved or benefited directly from those ventures.

President Biden has repeatedly denied having any involvement in his son’s business dealings.

Hunter Biden defied his subpoena to appear for a deposition at the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Instead, he made a public statement on Capitol Hill, blasting the Republican impeachment inquiry and saying his father was "not financially involved" in his business dealings.

Comer and Jordan have threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.

Hunter Biden's public statement Wednesday came just days after he was charged out of Special Counsel David Weiss' investigation.

Weiss alleged Hunter Biden was engaged in a "four-year scheme" when the president's son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports. Weiss filed the charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The charges break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that were since paid.

Weiss also indicted Hunter Biden in September with federal gun charges, to which the president's son has pleaded not guilty. Biden's defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, this week moved to dismiss those charges altogether.

Weiss's investigation is ongoing.

House could have articles of impeachment against Biden ready in first half of 2024

The House of Representatives could be faced with a decision on whether to impeach President Biden in the first half of next year, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, suggested on Monday.

"We want to talk with those last several witnesses, but we want to make that happen as quickly as possible. We think we can do that relatively quick," Jordan said when asked by Fox News Digital about a timeline for drafting articles of impeachment.

"That'll be a key focus when we come back. We hope to get a couple done here in December, and then a couple more in January and make a decision as a body if we move forward with actual articles."

It comes as House GOP leaders are strongly considering holding a vote to formalize the ongoing impeachment inquiry into the president.

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

Jordan, along with Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., is investigating whether Biden and his family profited off of his time as vice president. A cornerstone of Jordan's probe is Biden's push to firde a former Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma, an energy company for which his son Hunter Biden served on the board of.

During a sit-down with reporters to discuss the investigation, Jordan would not directly answer whether he would seek comments from the president himself.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 'SOON'

"We want to talk to the people who were directly in business with Hunter Biden," Jordan said, listing off various business associates of the president’s son like Tony Bobulinsky and Eric Schwerin, as well as the president’s brother James Biden and Kevin Morris, a Los Angeles lawyer who reportedly lent millions of dollars to Hunter. 

The Judiciary Committee is expected to hear from Lesley Wolf, a prosecutor who was involved in the Justice Department’s criminal probe of Hunter Biden, in a closed-door deposition later this month.

Jordan did tell reporters that he expects a decision "one way or another" on whether to impeach Biden happening before mid-2024, an election year.

HOUSE GOP DISCUSSING VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"Oh yeah, I think there'll be a decision one way or the other before that," he said when asked by Fox News Digital about getting articles of impeachment together in the first six months of next year. "I think plenty of time before that."

Jordan then distanced himself from concerns over whether it would be perceived as a repeat of Democrats’ first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in early 2020.

"I don't think about the politics of it…I've said all along, we're an impeachment inquiry. We will look at the facts, the evidence, follow the Constitution. And if articles are warranted, then we will take that step," Jordan said. "It shouldn't be driven by politics…we're going to look at the facts, and I think the facts are pretty compelling."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.

House adjourns in disarray as support for Jordan looks weaker than expected

House Republicans are adjourning for the weekend after their designated candidate for speaker, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, appears to be well short of the support needed for a chamber-wide vote to give him the gavel.

GOP leaders are looking at potentially scheduling another member-wide conference on Monday and a full House vote sometime after that, two sources told Fox News Digital. But those sources stressed that plans are still very much tentative.

It's the second time GOP lawmakers have gathered to pick a speaker-designate in three days. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., won an internal vote on Wednesday but stepped back from the race on Thursday night after it became clear he did not have enough support for a House floor vote. 

Jordan won 124 votes against his rival in the race, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., who won 81.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CHOOSE SCALISE AS THEIR CANDIDATE FOR SPEAKER AFTER MCCARTHY'S OUSTER

After the first ballot, Jordan called for a second round in which lawmakers were asked whether they will support Jordan on the House floor. 

He managed to win 152 votes on that round, but 55 Republicans still said they would vote against him. A GOP candidate for speaker would need to reach 217 votes to win a House-wide vote with no Democratic support.

Jordan is virtually guaranteed to get zero help from Democrats – he's made his career in Congress as one of the GOP's most effective attack dogs and previously served as head of the hardline-right House Freedom Caucus. He's also playing a central role in the impeachment inquiry of President Biden.

He's expected to have a hard time winning moderate support within his own conference, as well.

‘UNMITIGATED S---SHOW’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS FUME OVER SPEAKER VACANCY AMID ISRAEL CRISIS

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., an ally of ousted ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., indicated he would be one of those steadfastly opposing Jordan on the floor.

"Our Congress is still without a Speaker of the House, because 8 Republicans joined all the Democrats to plunge our nation into chaos," Gimenez said on social media immediately after the vote, referencing McCarthy's removal. "I'm still OK. Only Kevin."

DEMS MOUNT PRESSURE ON 18 REPUBLICANS IN BIDEN-WON DISTRICTS AHEAD OF NEW HOUSE SPEAKER VOTE

But even those in Jordan's corner are not fully on the same page, it seems.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., one of Jordan's fellow Freedom Caucus members, said Republicans should not adjourn for the weekend.

"I know it's frustrating. I know tensions are high. I know people are a little worn out, but we should, we should be in there and we should get this thing done," Donalds told reporters after the vote. "I don't think we should leave until then. But again, that's a decision for Jim Jordan and I'm going to respect that decision."

He added that he was "surprised" at the level of support Jordan received, adding, "I thought it would be higher."

Trump endorses Jim Jordan for speaker of the House: ‘Complete & Total Endorsement’

Former President Trump gave Rep. Jim Jordan his "complete & total endorsement" for speaker of the House, saying he is "respected by all."

"Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C., representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District.," Trump posted on his TRUTH Social overnight. "Respected by all, he is now Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee."

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"As President, I had the honor of presenting Jim with our Country’s highest civilian award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom," Trump continued. "So much is learned from sports, and Jim was a master!"

Trump, praising Jordan’s wrestling record, said that "while attending Graham High School, he won State Championships all four years, a rarity, and compiled an amazing 156-1 record. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jim became a two-time NCAA Division l Wrestling Champion."

"He won his 1985-86 NCAA Championship Matches in his weight class," Trump posted. "Jim has a masters degree in Education from Ohio State University & a Law Degree from Capital University."

He added: "He is STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment. Jim, his wife, Polly, & family are outstanding - He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!"

Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced his bid for speaker of the House on Wednesday after Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster, following a successful motion to vacate.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., also announced his bid for speaker of the House.

Trump’s comments come just hours after he told Fox News Digital that if Republicans cannot rally enough support for Jordan or Scalise, he would accept the speakership himself for a "short period." 

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"I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress," Trump told Fox News Digital. "If they don’t get the vote, they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer-term, because I am running for president." 

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"They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party, until they come to a conclusion — I’m not doing it because I want to — I will do it if necessary, should they not be able to make their decision," Trump said.

Trump did not specify who had asked him, although a number of GOP lawmakers have said he is their preference for speaker.

Trump stressed that if Republicans cannot come to a consensus, he would take the speakership for a short "30, 60, or 90-day period." 

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"I would only do it for the party," he said, stressing that his focus is on his presidential campaign. 

Jordan has gained support across the Republican conference — including from top House committee chairmen.

"Jordan’s efforts have shown that he can unite moderates and conservatives across the conference to get the 218 votes needed to become speaker," a congressional source told Fox News Digital.