Former prosecutor accused of limiting questions about Joe Biden denies politics played a role in Hunter probe

FIRST ON FOX: The former assistant U.S. attorney who allegedly worked to ‘limit’ questions about Joe Biden denied that politics played a role in the Hunter Biden investigation during her interview at the House Judiciary Committee, according to a transcript reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf, though, testified that she would "not be permitted to answer most of the questions you have for me" due to the ongoing nature of the federal criminal investigation into the first son. 

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

Wolf, who recently left the Justice Department—a decision that "long predated" allegations against her, was subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee to appear for a deposition. 

Wolf appeared before the House Judiciary Committee last week for a voluntary transcribed interview after the Justice Department negotiated terms with the panel. 

Fox News Digital reviewed a transcript of her interview Thursday night. 

After her interview, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said Wolf "refused to answer most of our questions." 

"She refused to answer based on instructions she was given from the Justice Department," Jordan said.

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley, who led the IRS’ portion of the Hunter Biden probe, and Joseph Ziegler, a special agent within the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division, 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.

But during her interview, Wolf testified that "at no time did politics play a role in or in any way impact my work as a federal prosecutor." 

Wolf also said that prosecutorial decisions were "never made in a vacuum and were always guided by principles of justice and fairness." 

JORDAN SAYS FORMER PROSECUTOR WHO ALLEGEDLY SCUTTLED HUNTER INVESTIGATION 'REFUSED' TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

"My voluntary appearance here today is not without an overwhelming feeling of frustration and disappointment because as much as I would invite the opportunity to explain the decisions made and accurately describe the actions taken, I will not be permitted to answer most of the questions you have for me," Wolf said. "It should come as no surprise to the committee that as a former DOJ employee, I am significantly constrained by and must strictly adhere to the authorization provided by the Department of Justice, as well as those obligations independently imposed by the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure, including rule 6e, and the relevant laws governing disclosure of tax information." 

Wolf explained that, "in light of the ongoing nature of the investigation," she was "legally obligated at this time to largely remain silent as to those allegations, beyond stating the truth, which is, at all times while serving as an AUSA, I acted consistently with the Justice Manual, DOJ policy directives, and my statutory legal and ethical obligations." 

"I followed the facts where they led and made decisions in the best interests of the investigation," Wolf said. "This includes, but is by no means limited to, policies and rules governing politically sensitive investigations, election year sensitivities, attorney search warrants, search warrant filter requirements, and professional conduct rules barring contact with represented parties." 

But when faced with specific questions by investigators, Wolf repeatedly said she could not answer or speak to "particulars or details about anything" relating to the ongoing Hunter Biden probe, led by now-Special Counsel David Weiss, and repeatedly said she was "not authorized" to discuss the matter. 

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

But according to a Fox News Digital review of the transcript, investigators did not ask her about that specific allegation. 

Shapley and Ziegler also alleged that in October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and "agreed that probable cause had been achieved." 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."

LESLEY WOLF, PROSECUTOR ACCUSED OF WORKING TO 'LIMIT' QUESTIONS ABOUT 'BIG GUY' IN HUNTER PROBE, OUT AT DOJ

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

During her interview, Wolf did acknowledge that "Political Figure 1"--a term used in several communications between Hunter Biden investigators--was, in fact, a reference to then-Vice President Joe Biden. 

Wolf was asked about an email exchange with FBI Special Agent Joshua Wilson, in which she stated: "There should be nothing about political figure 1 in here." 

Wolf said "Political Figure 1" is "described as former Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., now President Biden," but would not specifically elaborate on why she gave that directive. 

Wolf was asked: "To the extent you didn't--you asked the agents to take out political figure 1, there was no political motivation in requesting that?" 

"I refer you back to my opening statement where I said at no time there was politics playing a role in those decisions." 

Wolf's testimony came as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden, which was formalized last week. 

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.

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 was subpoenaed as part of the inquiry as well but defied his subpoena to appear for a deposition at the House Oversight Committee last week. 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.

Weiss also indicted Hunter Biden on federal gun charges in Delaware. The president's son pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys are working to dismiss the charges altogether. 

Biden’s House Democrat challenger embraces progressives’ Medicare-for-All bill

President Biden's House Democrat challenger for the White House is endorsing the progressive policy of "Medicare-for-All."

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., threw his hat behind the controversial state-provided free healthcare policy in a recent interview amid his challenge against Biden for his job.

Phillips said he was signing on to the bill led by House Progressive Caucus chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., with his staff saying the congressman would sign onto the bill Wednesday.

DEAN PHILLIPS CALLS BIDEN POSSIBLY ‘UNELECTABLE’ IN 2024 AFTER GOP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Phillips, a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus who has long been considered a centrist, had not signed onto the proposal before.

His signature on the bill shows him moving toward the progressive wing of the party. The congressman told Politico that his policy shift did not have anything to do with his presidential bid against Biden.

However, Phillips' endorsement of the policy puts him in stark contrast to Biden amid his White House challenge against the president.

Biden refused to endorse socializing healthcare during the 2020 presidential election — even as his eventual running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, did. Prior to his election, he indicated during an MSNBC interview that he would veto Medicare-for-All legislation as president over its price tag.

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's campaign for comment.

Phillips also said he has his issues with the plan, such as prohibiting almost all private health insurance.

The Democratic congressman said his "journey" to endorsing the plan was "a long one." Phillips said he took his healthcare access for granted until he saw uninsured children battling cancer after his daughter's Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis almost 10 years ago.

The issue entered his mind again in 2016 when he opened up coffee shops and found it "profoundly disappointing" that he could not afford health insurance for his part-time employees.

Phillips also took another look at the policy after being elected in 2018 to represent the district that headquarters UnitedHealth Group.

"I started to recognize this massive disconnect between the behemoths in the health insurance business and then the people that I represented, who were telling me the most horrifying stories about having their coverage denied or having to take on medical debt or going bankrupt," Phillips told Politico.

"I have a progressive heart, a pragmatic head, and want to work with people on both sides of the aisle to achieve better outcomes for the country that both improve care and lower costs," he added. "Those are the best combinations of progressive and conservative principles I could possibly imagine, and that makes this proposition remarkably centrist."

Phillips declined to say how "Medicare-for-All" would be paid.

Fox News Digital reached out to Phillips' campaign for comment.

Hunter goes shopping with Joe Biden days after defying congressional subpoena

Hunter Biden was photographed Monday afternoon shopping in Delaware with his father, President Biden, just days after he defied a congressional subpoena to attend a closed-door deposition.

Hunter and the president together visited a jewelry store in Greenville, Delaware, and, hours earlier, were spotted at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, for mass. The president's embattled son has faced heavy criticism and calls to be held in contempt of Congress in recent days after he refused last week to sit for the deposition requested by House investigators.

"Hunter Biden today defied lawful subpoenas and we will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings," House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a joint statement on Dec. 13. "We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden."

"As our committees were today prepared to depose Hunter Biden, he chose to make a public statement on Capitol Hill instead where he said his father, Joe Biden was not financially involved in his family’s business dealings," they continued. "Exactly how was Joe Biden involved? Evidence shows Joe Biden met with Hunter’s business associates and his name was at the center of the family business strategy."

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

Hunter ultimately refused to sit for the deposition in a press conference last week, where he accused Republican lawmakers of attempting to "dehumanize" him and embarrass his father. The younger Biden said his father had never been financially involved in his business dealings, including his work with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings or Chinese firms.

And after he defied the subpoena, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were "proud" of their son for "continuing to rebuild his life." The White House has repeatedly said that President Biden did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of his son's business dealings.

Later that evening, the House voted along party lines to formalize its impeachment inquiry into the president over his family's business dealings. 

NOTORIOUS MOBSTER STUNNED BY LATEST HUNTER BIDEN ALLEGATIONS: ‘MIND-BLOWING'

Since taking control of the House, Republicans led by Comer have pursued a sprawling investigation into the Biden family and whether the president participated in questionable deals Hunter was involved in. The probe gained momentum this month after Comer released subpoenaed bank records showing an entity owned by Hunter had made "direct monthly payments to Joe Biden."

In addition, in June, the House Ways and Means Committee, which has also participated in the investigation, released 2017 messages in which Hunter Biden excoriated Chinese business partner Henry Zhao for not fulfilling a "commitment" and said his father was sitting beside him.

"I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight," Hunter Biden wrote in a WhatsApp message to Zhao, the CEO of Beijing-based asset management firm Harvest Fund Management, on July 30, 2017, according to documents released by House Republicans.

FORMER UKRAINE PROSECUTOR MAKES EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS AGAINST JOE AND HUNTER BIDEN IN NEW INTERVIEW

Days after that message, on Aug. 4, 2017, Chinese firm CEFC Infrastructure Investment wired $100,000 to Hunter Biden’s law firm Owasco, according to a 2020 report published by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Days later, on Aug. 8, 2017, CEFC Infrastructure Investment sent $5 million to Hudson West III, a firm Hunter Biden opened with Chinese associates.

And the 2020 Senate report revealed that, beginning on Aug. 14, 2017, Hunter Biden initiated a string of 20 wire transactions from Owasco to Lion Hall Group, a consulting firm linked to President Biden's brother, James Biden, and his wife, Sara. The transactions continued through Aug. 3, 2018, and totaled $1.4 million.

The payments between Hunter Biden and his father, which Comer released earlier Monday, were sent from an account linked to Owasco.

Last week, Fox News Digital reported that a bank investigator raised concerns about Hunter Biden’s receipt of an additional $5 million wire from a Chinese company in August 2018 to his bank account, Hudson West III.

Hunter Biden transferred $400,000 to his Owasco PC account. Funds were then transferred to a business account belonging to James Biden and later transferred to a personal account belonging to James Biden and Sara Biden.

Comer claims they used those funds to then cut a check to Joe Biden for $40,000. That check was labeled as a "loan repayment."

State of the Race: How House Republican impeachment inquiry could impact Biden in 2024 election

This week's vote entirely along party lines by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to formally launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden immediately impacted the president's 2024 re-election campaign.

A fundraising email sent hours later by Vice President Kamala Harris instantly caught fire.

A source familiar with the Biden re-election team's thinking told Fox News that the email was the most lucrative that has been sent so far this month.

"It was the best performing fundraising email the vice president has signed this cycle," the source added.

HOUSE VOTES TO AUTHORIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The impeachment vote formalized an inquiry that began in September to investigate whether the president financially benefited from some of his family's business dealings.

POLL: SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS

Three Republican-led House committees are looking into connections between the president and his son Hunter Biden's business dealings from 2014-2017, during the elder Biden's final three years as vice president, and after he left office.

Hunter Biden reiterated this week that his father was not involved in his dealings as a board member of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, or in his partnership with a Chinese private businessman.

Republican investigators have so far not found any solid evidence that Biden personally benefited, but they argue there's more to uncover.

While the vote to formalize the inquiry is apparently boosting Biden's 2024 re-election fundraising, it may also pay dividends in other ways.

It could energize the base of a party that polls suggest is anything but energized by the president's re-election drive. 

The Biden campaign launched a blistering broadside against House Republicans early this week, ahead of Wednesday's vote, accusing them of doing the bidding of Biden's likely GOP challenger next November - former President Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination.

"The only, single fact in this entire sham impeachment exercise is that it’s a nakedly transparent ploy by House MAGA Republicans to boost Donald Trump’s presidential campaign," Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler charged in a memo.

The memo spotlights a quote that went viral from Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, who said the impeachment inquiry would give the former president "a little bit of ammo to fire back."

But the impeachment inquiry also provides plenty of downsides for Biden's re-election effort. 

Republicans for years have viewed Hunter Biden's controversies as a political liability for his father. And now, a formal impeachment investigation - with public hearings - could give the Biden campaign lots of headaches.

"It keeps the negative story about his family in the news," longtime Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News. "The impeachment inquiry highlights potential wrongdoing on the part of the president’s son and brother and tries to link it directly to him."

Republicans can also leverage the impeachment proceedings - as well as Hunter Biden's legal cases - to deflect attention away from Trump's extremely serious court cases.

Trump made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments — including in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County court in Georgia — on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss.

"It tries to distract from the serious legal issues Trump is facing and basically at the end of the day," said Ryan, a veteran of multiple GOP presidential campaigns.

He emphasized that inquiry "shows voters both candidates are facing investigations. It muddies the waters. It tries to make things murky even though the criminal trials that President Trump is facing are much different than the Republican-led inquiry in the House."

Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who's running a long-shot Democratic primary challenge against the president, made a similar argument.

"I don’t see the evidence of it, but yes, when your own son and your own brother are clearly, at the very least unethical and at worst, doing illegal things — my goodness, of course the country pays attention to it," Phillips said in an interview with the news website Semafor. "People do believe that it perhaps makes him unelectable — somehow, it conflates him with the Trump family’s indiscretions." 

But Democratic strategist Chris Moyer, who served on a handful of presidential campaigns, disagreed.

"No one is Donald Trump when it comes to corruption, breaking the law, and violating his oath of office," he argued, when asked if the inquiry lessens the sting of Trump’s own legal controversies.

Biden became the second straight president to face an impeachment inquiry as his re-election was underway, following Trump.

Veteran political scientist Wayne Lesperance spotlighted that "perhaps the biggest casualty of the recent vote is the impeachment process itself. Long gone are the days when impeachment was a last resort for members of Congress who have exhausted all other options of holding the President accountable."

Lesperance, the president of New Hampshire-based New England College, said that "the frequency with which impeachment has occurred in recent years has reduced the process to yet another partisan tool for whichever party is in power. The real loser in these processes has become the American people, who continue to lose faith in their beleaguered system of government."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Biden scrambles to win over swing state Black voters as support from the traditionally blue bloc falters

President Biden's re-election campaign is launching a targeted effort to shore up support from Black voters in two swing states as his backing from the traditionally blue voting bloc continues to falter.

The effort, centered around an ad that will run in Georgia and North Carolina, comes after a bad month for Biden that saw his likely general election opponent, former President Trump, make significant gains among Black voters. Democratic strategists and liberal political pundits have also warned that Black enthusiasm for Biden's re-election was waning.

The ad, titled "Compete," shows Patrick Brown, a Black farmer from North Carolina, praising Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for what he said was the administration's investment in Black farming communities.

DEMOCRATS BLEEDING THE NON-WHITE, WORKING CLASS VOTE, BOOK SAYS: ‘LOOK IN THE MIRROR’

"Joe Biden gets it. He is invested in us, getting us access to land, broadband, capital and infrastructure, so we can compete. It means a lot to have a president that listens. The laws the Biden-Harris administration has passed directly address our community," Brown said.

According to a CNN poll released last month, Biden and Harris face significantly weaker support from Black voters despite winning the group by a large margin in 2020. It found that just 73% of Black voters favor Biden in the 2024 election, compared to the 92% he received in the last election.

The poll also found that 23% of Black voters favor Trump, a huge jump from the 8% support he received in 2020.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE BLOWS UP WHEN PRESSED ON BIDEN CONNECTION TO HUNTER'S BUSINESS DEALINGS: ‘NO EVIDENCE!’

A separate New York Times poll, also released last month, found similar views from Black voters, including 22% support for Trump.

"Black voters are more disconnected from the Democratic Party than they have been in decades, frustrated with what many see as inaction on their political priorities and unhappy with President Biden, a candidate they helped lift to the White House just three years ago," Times reporters Maya King and Lisa Lerer wrote in another report.

They were not alone in their assessment. 

SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL

Just weeks later, MSNBC host and liberal Black activist Al Sharpton warned, "There is a lack of enthusiasm among young voters, particularly young Black voters, the Biden campaign needs to take seriously. You need to really build a ground game movement from the bottom-up, rather than poo-poo it and be in denial."

In a Politico report published after Thanksgiving, Democratic strategists warned that Black voters were questioning their loyalty to the Democrat Party, including one who told the outlet that some Black business owners were frustrated over its focus on racial issues. 

"We’re treating them like their only issue is racial issues, and not all of us, but to some extent some of us have moved past that," said Marcurius Byrd, who founded Young Democrats of the Central Midlands in South Carolina, and worked on Marianne Williamson's campaign. He also said Black people were becoming "more educated."

McKenzie Watson, a strategist who does advocacy for people with disabilities, said people were having a hard time and suggested the party should focus on fixing their home, and less so on other countries. 

BIDEN FACES GRIM RE-ELECTION ODDS AS HE TRAILS LEADING GOP CANDIDATES IN TWO KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES: POLL

"We have people here who are suffering, who are struggling to keep a roof over their head," she said. "We have people that are struggling to have food on the table for their kids, to buy a house. It’s a lot of struggling that is going on here in the nation.… I support Ukraine and my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine. But it’s kind of like you need to fix your home. Your people here are suffering here as well."

In a statement, Biden campaign manager Quentin Fulks said the president's administration was "delivering for Black Americans and rural communities" through investment in things like infrastructure, internet access, health care and pathways to land ownership.

"We are ensuring every voter understands the choice in front of them: While MAGA Republicans push an extreme agenda that would harm Black and rural communities and take our country backward, a second term for President Biden and Vice President Harris would build on the work they’ve already accomplished for Black Americans and continue to deliver on the issues that matter most to our community," he added.

Fox News Digital asked the Biden campaign whether the push targeting Black voters was related to his flailing poll numbers among the voting bloc, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News' Hanna Panreck and Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Karine Jean-Pierre blows up when pressed on Biden connection to Hunter’s business dealings: ‘No evidence!’

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blew up Thursday when pressed by a reporter on President Biden "lying" about past interactions with his son Hunter's business associates, declaring there was "no evidence" the president did anything wrong.

Jean-Pierre also lashed out at House Republicans over the vote to approve an official impeachment inquiry against Biden, accusing them of "wasting their time," but the interaction began with New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asking why Biden interacted with so many of his family's business associates, which contributed to the inquiry's launch.

"What we're seeing from House Republicans is wasted time. And it is certainly, you know, a baseless political slant. That's what we're seeing. And they're leaving. House Republicans are leaving this week to go, you know, enjoy a nice holiday. Right? As most Americans should. But what happened to the funding to Ukraine?" Jean-Pierre responded. 

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

She listed a number of other policy topics, including the border and potential government shutdown next year, and claimed Republicans had not done anything to help Democrats address those problems.

"There's been zero evidence, zero evidence. You can ask me about engagement and what the president has done with his family in conversation. But there's no evidence," Jean-Pierre said. 

Nelson attempted to push back, but Jean-Pierre stopped him.

"Wait, wait. But there's no evidence. There is no evidence that the president has done wrongdoing. There's none. Absolutely none. None. And that is just a fact. You've heard it from Republicans themselves. So they're wasting their time. Instead of doing the work on behalf of the American people, they go after the president's family. But that's a waste of time," she said.

WATCH: WHITE HOUSE SAYS BIDEN ‘PROUD’ OF HUNTER DESPITE MOUNTING LEGAL ISSUES, SUBPOENA DEFIANCE

Nelson noted that there was an easy counter to her claim, that there was evidence to show Biden had interacted with those associates, and that he was "lying" about it.

"The president is not lying about anything as it relates to what House Republicans are trying to do. It is baseless. It is a political stunt. And it has not proven that the president has done anything wrong, anything wrong. And so they are wasting their time. They are wasting the American people's time," Jean-Pierre responded.

"What they should be doing is the things that I just listed. They're going to go home, but they haven't taken care of what — We need to make sure that we are helping Ukraine. There's going to be potentially a shutdown next month. They have done nothing, nothing to avert that shutdown," she said before moving on to another reporter.

SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL

Last week, Biden was pressed during a press conference about why he interacted with "so many" of his son and brother's foreign business associates, but he denied having any such interactions, despite evidence to the contrary. 

"I'm not going to comment. I did not, and it's just a bunch of lies," Biden responded. "They're lies. I did not. They're lies." 

One of Hunter's former business associates reacted to President Biden's comments by telling Fox News Digital that his claim was "complete malarkey" and said there is "plenty of evidence" to refute his denial. 

Dance company featured in Jill Biden’s Christmas video promotes ‘prison abolition,’ ‘defund the police’ groups

The New York City tap dancing troupe enlisted by first lady Jill Biden for a Christmas video promotes controversial far-left ideologies, including abolishing prisons and defunding the police.

The first lady got lit up on Twitter over her Wednesday video featuring Dorrance Dance performing a "playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite" in the White House.

However, outside the candy-coating, Dorrance Dance promotes controversial policies, including "prison abolition."

FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN BLASTED OVER ‘BIZARRE’ WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS VIDEO: ‘UNITED STATES OF BANANAS’

Dorrance Dance's "take action for justice [and] change" website page pushes readers to join their local Black Lives Matter or Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) chapters while including a quote from SURJ directly below it on their website.

"In this moment, we know there are thousands of white people who are looking for direction and a way to show up alongside black communities and communities of color. Welcome," the quote reads. "You are needed. Here are a few ways to start showing up – not just in words but in action."

The quote was pulled from SURJ's May 2020 Medium article, "5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence."

On the same page, Dorrance Dance pushes readers to "get involved" in "prison abolition" work while pointing users to far-left organizations, including M4BL – which advocates for defunding the police.

Additionally, the organization pushes website users toward the organization Critical Resistance, which "seeks to build an international movement to end the prison industrial complex (PIC) by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe," as well as INCITE! – a "network of radical feminists of color organizing to end state violence and violence in our homes and communities."

INCITE! also pushes allegations of "genocide" against the Israeli government on their homepage, which reads "free Palestine" at the top and pushes a digital poster for download reading, "feminists of color rise up free Palestine."

Additionally, Dorrance Dance's "educate yourself" page provides resources for "those who are investigating or have questions about white privilege, systemic racism, white fragility, and anti-racism for the very first time."

Biden's video of Dorrance Dance was bashed online after it was posted on Wednesday.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the first lady shared the video from the official @FLOTUS account, along with a caption.

"A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy!" the first lady's post read.

But social media observers didn't seem to be enjoying the musical content.

The video was filled with smiling dancers in brightly colored costumes, prancing and tapping all over the White House, but many viewers described the video as nothing remotely close to a Christmas theme.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment from the first lady on Dorrance Dance's support of the controversial policies.

The White House also did not answer Fox News Digital's questions on whether the first lady was aware of Dorrance Dance's support of these policies when she enlisted them for the video or how much the performance potentially cost taxpayers.

Dorrance Dance also did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Just 1 in 4 Michigan Democrats enthusiastic about Biden being the nominee: poll

President Biden is experiencing a collapse in enthusiasm among Democratic voters in Michigan, according to a new poll. 

Just 27% of Democrats in the Great Lake State say there are "enthusiastic" for Biden as their party's presidential nominee, according to the Washington Post-Monmouth poll. 

Approximately 51% of Democratic voters in the state say they would be "satisfied" with Biden as the Democratic nominee, and 19% say they would be "dissatisfied" or "upset."

HUNTER BIDEN FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFYING SUBPOENA WITH PRESS CONFERENCE 'STUNT': 'HOLD HIM IN CONTEMPT'

By contrast, approximately 45% of Michigan Republicans report being "enthusiastic" about former President Trump as their party's nominee.

Approximately 31% of GOP voters in the state say they would be "satisfied" to have Trump as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.

About 21% of Michigan Republicans say they would be "unsatisfied" or "upset" with Trump leading the party into the election.

SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are increasingly unsatisfied with the prospect of a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024.

Approximately 56% of U.S. adults report they would feel "very" or "somewhat" dissatisfied with Biden as the Democratic nominee. 

Meanwhile, about 58% of U.S. adults say they would feel dissatisfied with Trump representing the GOP.

Approximately 42% of respondents said they view Biden favorably, compared to 36% for Trump.

The Post-Monmouth poll surveyed 1,066 potential voters in Michigan between Dec. 7 and Dec. 11. Its reported margin of error is +/-4.4%. 

The Associated Press-NORC poll surveyed 1,074 US adults selected via the NORC's AmeriSpeak Panel. It was conducted between Nov. 30 and Dec. 4 and reports a margin of error of +/-4%.

Biden’s impeachment inquiry response urges GOP to address ‘important priorities,’ like the border crisis

President Biden on Wednesday said the southern border needs to be addressed as record numbers of migrants continue to overwhelm authorities while criticizing House Republicans over their impeachment inquiry into the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden. 

In a statement released by the White House, Biden responded to the Republican-led House formally approving the impeachment inquiry. 

"The American people need their leaders in Congress to take action on important priorities for the nation and world," the president said, before saying Congress should do more on a host of issues, including on Ukraine, Israel, the border, and the economy.

On the border specifically, Biden said, "We have to address the situation at our southern border, and I am determined to try to fix the problem. We need funding to strengthen border security, but Republicans in Congress won’t act to help."

Republicans have long called for increased border measures, arguing the record number of migrants poses a security threat as border authorities cannot properly screen them. 

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS

Last week, a 49-51 Senate vote to issue billions of dollars in military and security aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific fell short because Republicans wanted the president to focus on the border. Biden has asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund the wars in Ukraine and Israel and other security needs. 

On Wednesday, Biden noted that he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week.

"He came to America to ask us for help. Yet Republicans in Congress won’t act to help," he said. 

HUNTER BIDEN CASE MOVE TO LOS ANGELES MAY BE EVIDENCE THE FEDS ‘FOUND SOMETHING’: DERSHOWITZ

Biden has signaled his willingness to make some compromises at the border, but has not said what policies he would embrace. He's accused Republicans of wanting a political issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election more than bipartisan compromise. 

"Republicans think they get everything they want without any bipartisan compromise," Biden said last week. "Now they're willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process."

The president also accused the GOP of attacking his family amid a probe into his son. Hunter Biden on Wednesday defied a subpoena and refused to testify in front of House lawmakers about his business activities. 

He has maintained that his father was not involved in those deals. 

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"They belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service," the younger Biden said at a news conference on Capitol Hill. "For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here." 

President Biden said Republicans were "choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts."

WATCH: White House says Biden ‘proud’ of Hunter despite mounting legal issues, subpoena defiance

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were "proud" of their son, Hunter, despite his defiance of a subpoena to testify before Congress and his mounting legal issues.

"When it comes to the president and the first lady, they are proud of him continuing to rebuild his life. They are proud of their son," Jean-Pierre said when asked during the White House press briefing whether Biden had watched Hunter's press conference outside the U.S. Capitol earlier in the day announcing his decision not to comply with the subpoena issued by House Republicans.

"The president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say. And I think what you saw was from the heart, from his son," she added.

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When asked if Biden was okay with Hunter defying the subpoena, Jean-Pierre refused to "get into the specifics" surrounding the president's view.

She also wouldn't say the last time Biden and Hunter had spoken, noting those were "private" conversations.

Jean-Pierre was later pressed on Biden previously stating that people who defied congressional subpoenas should be prosecuted, comments he made in 2021 amid a probe into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, but she declined to comment.

HUNTER BIDEN FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFYING SUBPOENA WITH PRESS CONFERENCE ‘STUNT’: ‘HOLD HIM IN CONTEMPT!’

"I don't have anything to add to what you have, what you just quoted me from the president. I just don't have anything to add," she said.

At his press conference Wednesday morning, Hunter offered to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee, but declined to show for his scheduled closed-door deposition for which he was subpoenaed. 

He maintained that his father "was not financially involved" in the business dealings for which House Republicans are investigating him, and said there was "no evidence because it did not happen." 

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In his statement, Hunter blasted "MAGA" Republicans who he said "invaded" his privacy, "attacked" his family and "ridiculed my struggle with addiction."

Hunter is also facing a number of federal charges in California after being indicted last week.

The nine charges allege a "four-year scheme" when he did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.