Category: fox-news/politics/executive/white-house

Hunter Biden knew 70% of art buyers, contradicting White House narrative on ‘anonymous’ collectors: Gallerist

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The White House said in July 2021 that a "system" had been "established" to ensure the identities of those who bought Hunter Biden’s artwork would remain anonymous for ethical reasons. 

However, the first son's art dealer testified that a new agreement to stop the disclosure of Biden's art buyers was not set up for several months following that statement and said the first son knew the identities of approximately 70% of those buyers.

George Bergès, the art dealer for Biden, took part in a closed-door, transcribed interview before both the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees earlier this month as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

ART DEALER REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN KNEW 'SUGAR BROTHER' WAS TOP BUYER, MAKING WH ETHICS PLEDGE A 'SHAM': COMER

Fox News Digital reviewed a transcript of Bergès' interview.

House investigators, during his interview, showed Bergès a statement made by then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki on July 9, 2021.

"After careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards," she said. "All interactions regarding the selling of art and the setting of prices will be handled by a professional galleries, adhering to the highest industry standards. Any offer out of the normal court would be rejected out of hand."

Psaki added, "The galleries will not share information about buyers or prospective buyers, including their identities, with Hunter Biden or the administration, which provides quite a level of protection." 

When pressed further, Psaki stressed that "it would be challenging for an anonymous person who we don’t know and Hunter Biden doesn’t know to have influence — so that’s a protection." 

However, Bergès testified that at the time of the White House’s July 2021 statement, he had an agreement with Hunter Biden which called for him, instead, "to disclose to Hunter Biden who the purchasers of his art were." Bergès said that contract was agreed to in December 2020.

Bergès said that it was not until September 2021 that a new agreement with Hunter Biden was created. That agreement stated that "the gallery will not disclose the name of any buyers of artist’s artwork to artist or any agent of artist."

Bergès stressed, though, that there was not a "White House-involved agreement," and that Hunter Biden did know the identities of approximately 70% of the buyers of his art.

HUNTER BIDEN GALLERIST TELLS LAWMAKERS HE NEVER SPOKE TO WHITE HOUSE ABOUT PAINTINGS: SOURCES

Meanwhile, Bergès testified that he had spoken to President Biden both on the phone and in person.

Bergès told lawmakers that he spoke to the president "at the White House wedding during Hunter’s — Hunter’s daughter getting married." 

Hunter Biden’s daughter, Naomi Biden, got married at the White House on Nov. 19, 2022.

As for his phone conversation with the president, Bergès said, "My daughter finished camp, and he called to, you know, wish her, congratulate her for finishing camp and I answered the phone."

Bergès’ testimony comes after the House formalized the impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

The inquiry is being led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.

House Republicans are investigating any foreign money received by the Biden family, whether President Biden was involved in his family’s foreign business dealings and steps allegedly taken by the Biden administration to "slow, hamper, or otherwise impede the criminal investigation into the President’s son, Hunter Biden, which involves funds received by the Biden family from foreign sources."

Republican investigators have suggested they are suspicious over whether Hunter Biden's art career, which began in recent years, has led to any conflicts of interest between wealthy buyers and the White House.

"The Biden White House appears to have deceived the American people about facilitating an ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art," Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement earlier this month, calling the agreement a "sham."

Art dealer reveals Hunter Biden knew ‘sugar brother’ was top buyer, making WH ethics pledge a ‘sham’: Comer

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Hunter Biden's New York City art dealer testified Tuesday that the president's son knew his "sugar brother" lawyer was the top buyer of his paintings, contradicting the White House's previously cited ethics plan to conceal his patrons' identities.

According to the readout of a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee, Georges Bergès, who owns the Georges Bergès Art Gallery in Manhattan, revealed he never worked with the White House on such an ethics pact, and that Hunter knew who bought about 70% of his art work.

According to a July 2021 report by The Washington Post, Biden administration officials "helped craft an agreement under which purchases of Hunter Biden’s artwork — which could be listed at prices as high as $500,000 — will be kept confidential from even the artist himself, in an attempt to avoid ethical issues that could arise as a presidential family member tries to sell a product with a highly subjective value."

WATCH: NANCY MACE SHREDS HUNTER BIDEN FOR HAVING ‘NO B---S’ AFTER SURPRISE VISIT DERAILS HOUSE HEARING

The agreement was frequently cited by then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who now hosts an opinion show on liberal network MSNBC.

Of those purchases Bergès said Hunter was aware of, the most lucrative was from Kevin Morris, the Hollywood lawyer dubbed Hunter's "sugar brother" due to his financial support, help writing a book and lending a private jet to the president's son. He purchased $875,000 worth of artwork in a Jan. 2023 deal.

Bergès testified that Morris only paid 40% commission on the $875,000 purchase, and that the lawyer worked with Hunter to figure out the financial implications. He admitted to never having done an art deal like that before.

HUNTER BIDEN MAKES SHOCKING APPEARANCE AT HIS OWN CONTEMPT HEARING

Another individual he testified Hunter knew of was Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who spent $42,000 on his art work in Feb. 2021, prior to being appointed by President Biden to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad that July. She bought another $52,000 worth in Dec. 2022.

According to The New York Post, Naftali has denied that she purchased the art to gain the president's favor, and that "any insinuation that her purchase of art was unusual or somehow improper" was false.

Bergès' spoke to the committee as part of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden. GOP lawmakers have accused Biden of using his status and name to enrich himself and his family.

HOUSE GOP SAYS HUNTER BIDEN ‘VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW' BY DEFYING SUBPOENA, PREPARE CONTEMPT RESOLUTION

Republican investigators have suggested they are suspicious over whether Hunter's art career, which began in recent years, has led to any conflicts of interest between wealthy buyers and the White House.

"The Biden White House appears to have deceived the American people about facilitating an ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art," Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement calling the agreement a "sham."

"The vast majority of Hunter Biden’s art has been purchased by Democrat donors, one of whom was appointed by President Biden to a prestigious commission after she purchased Hunter Biden’s art for tens of thousands of dollars shortly after Joe Biden’s inauguration. The White House has a lot of explaining to do about misleading the American people," he added.

The White House's arrangement also previously took heat from a former Obama administration ethics chief, who called it a "perfect mechanism for funneling bribes." 

"So instead of disclosing who is paying outrageous sums for Hunter Biden’s artwork so that we could monitor whether the purchasers are gaining access to government, the WH tried to make sure we will never know who they are," Walter Shaub wrote in a 2021 thread on X, following The Washington Post's report. "That’s very disappointing."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Bergès for comment.

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Speaker Johnson speaks with Biden ahead of border, shutdown battle

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spoke with President Biden about the southern border amid the worsening migrant crisis, the House Republican leader’s office said on Wednesday.

"Speaker Johnson spoke with President Biden today. The speaker strongly encouraged the president to use his executive authority to secure the southern border," Johnson spokesman Raj Shah announced.

Shah said Johnson also reiterated topics discussed in a letter he sent Biden in late December similarly calling on him to act unilaterally on the border.

MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING: STATE AGS TO TESTIFY ON IMPACT OF MIGRANT CRISIS, BIDEN-ERA POLICIES

It’s not immediately clear who initiated the call. Johnson’s office told Fox News Digital it had nothing more to add when asked. 

Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House for comment on the conversation.

Johnson wrote to Biden at the time, "You have clearly undermined America’s sovereignty and security by ending the Remain in Mexico policy, reinstating catch-and-release, suspending asylum cooperative agreements with other nations, ignoring existing restraints on the abuse of parole, and halting border wall construction."

HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SETS FIRST MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING

The speaker has made the border crisis a cornerstone of the House GOP majority's priorities this year, leading a delegation of more than 60 lawmakers to Eagle Pass, Texas, earlier this month.

Their conversation comes just over a week before the first of two government funding deadlines. Congress must make a deal on how to avoid a partial government shutdown by Jan. 19, with another deadline coming on Feb. 2.

MAYORKAS TELLS BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT ‘ABOVE 85%’ OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US: SOURCES 

It’s not clear if they discussed that topic or if the conversation was solely about the border.

Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced a deal aimed at avoiding a government shutdown on Sunday.

It would set discretionary government spending levels for the remainder of the fiscal year at $1.59 trillion, and include an added side deal of about $69 billion negotiated between ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Biden in the spring.

Johnson’s deal would offset about $16 billion of that funding for this year.

White House mum on whether Hunter Biden gave advanced notice he would appear at House contempt meeting

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would not say if the White House had advanced knowledge that Hunter Biden would visit Capitol Hill Wednesday to sit in a meeting to consider a resolution that would hold him in contempt of Congress, saying the first son "makes his own decisions."

Hunter Biden unexpectedly appeared with his attorneys at the House Oversight Committee's meeting Wednesday morning to consider the resolution that, if passed, would set up a full House vote on whether to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena for a closed-door deposition as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

The subpoena was for a deposition on Dec. 13. Hunter Biden had offered to testify publicly — an offer rejected by House Republicans, citing the setting for other witness interviews, and vowing to release a transcript of his deposition.

HOUSE GOP PROBING IF BIDEN WAS INVOLVED IN HUNTER'S 'SCHEME' TO DEFY SUBPOENA, POTENTIAL 'IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE'

The president’s son, instead of complying with the subpoena, delivered a public statement on Capitol Hill and did not appear for his deposition.

On Wednesday, Biden, his attorney Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris came to Capitol Hill to sit in the audience as lawmakers on the panel considered whether to pass the resolution out of committee. Biden and his attorneys ultimately left before the vote on the resolution. 

When asked during the White House press briefing if President Biden or his staff was informed that his son would appear for the committee mark-up, Jean-Pierre did not respond, but said he is a "private citizen."

HUNTER BIDEN MAKES SHOCKING APPEARANCE AT HIS OWN CONTEMPT HEARING

"So here's what I'll say. And I've said this many times before: Hunter, as you all know, as a private citizen, he's not a member of this White House," Jean-Pierre said. "He makes his own decisions like he did today about how to respond to Congress."

She went on to refer "any further questions, any additional questions about this process" to Hunter’s attorneys.

When pressed again on whether the White House was informed in advance, Jean-Pierre said: "I don’t have anything — we don’t have anything else to share beyond that."

"He is a private citizen, and he makes his own decisions as it relates to this particular, you know, response, is potentially a response to the Congress," she said. "That’s something that he decides on, and I would refer to his representatives."

Fox News' Peter Doocy went on to press Jean-Pierre, reminding her that last time the first son was on Capitol Hill, on Dec. 13 to defy the subpoena, she told reporters that the president "was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say." 

Doocy pressed again, asking if the president helps his son "skirt congressional subpoenas." 

"That is not even true — that is a jump. That is incredibly disingenuous in that question," she said. "What I will say to you — I'm helping you out. I don't have anything else to share." 

Last month, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan expanded their investigation to probe whether President Biden was involved in his son's "scheme" to defy his subpoena for deposition earlier this month, which, they say, "could constitute an impeachable offense." 

Comer and Jordan pointed to a statement made by Jean-Pierre on Dec. 13, after Hunter Biden defied his subpoena. 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 in a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel last month. "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." 

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

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 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, adding that the president "had advanced awareness" that his son would defy the subpoenas which "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.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee's meeting to consider the resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress stands in recess. The House Judiciary Committee is also considering the resolution. 

If passed out of committee, the resolution would come to the floor for a full House vote. 

Biden’s handling of Defense Sec Austin’s mysterious absence faces backlash from former ambassador: ‘Alarming’

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A former ambassador slammed President Biden's handling of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's mystery ailment and hospitalization, saying it's "alarming" that Biden did not notice he was "out of action" sooner.

The Pentagon alerted the media last Friday that Austin was hospitalized on Jan. 1 and remains under the care of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Officials stated that he underwent an elective medical procedure last month and was hospitalized in the following days. On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced Austin was treated for prostate cancer.

Biden, along with the National Security Council and leaders at the Pentagon, including Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, were not informed for several days that Austin had been admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit for treatment on New Year's Day.

Now, James Gilmore, who served as ambassador to the U.S. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe during the Trump administration, said it's worrisome that Biden is "so detached" from his Defense Department that he did not notice his absence.

DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN HAS NO PLANS TO RESIGN, PENTAGON SAYS

"From my experience as ambassador, I know that our allies need to know that the United States is competent and organized to provide leadership in a time of global conflict," Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia with a background in military intelligence stemming from his military service during the Vietnam War, told Fox News Digital. "The world, allies and adversaries, watches the U.S. and its leadership every day for signs of strength or weakness."

"It is alarming that President Biden is so detached from his Defense Department, that he didn't even know the Secretary was out of action, and that the Defense leadership didn't feel the need to tell him," Gilmore said. "Biden is only an 'autopilot President', who daily shows he is not in control in this time of great danger to our country."

A Biden administration official responded to the critique by saying, "I'm not familiar with him" in a quote to Fox News Digital.

"But if he had nothing to say when Donald Trump outright lied to the American public about his covid case at the height of the pandemic, then I can’t hear him now," the official continued.

The ordeal has led to Trump saying Austin "should be fired immediately" and other Republicans demanding he step down from his post.

"He has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was or might be," Trump said in a previous Truth Social post.

Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks told Axios over the weekend that Austin "has been a disaster since Day One and should be replaced by someone who will focus on making the military ready to fight and win wars instead of advancing woke political causes of the Biden admin."

Rep. Matt Rosendale's, R-Mont., office told Fox News Digital on Monday that the lawmakers was introducing articles of impeachment against Austin because he believes Austin "violated his oath of office" on multiple occasions, citing the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the migrant crisis at the border, and last year’s incident with a Chinese spy craft floating above the continental U.S.

"Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base – home to ICBMs – and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens," the Montana Republican said.

DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN RESUMES DUTIES, WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT FOR DAYS AS PUBLIC KEPT IN THE DARK

Others, such as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said Austin isn't "capable" of leading the Defense Department.

"And he just proved it again by keeping it a secret when he was very sick and in the ICU," Greene posted on X. 

The secret hospitalization has caused headaches for the White House, who told Fox News Digital on Monday morning that Biden has no plans to replace Austin and "continues to have full trust and confidence in the Secretary."

Though still hospitalized, Austin has resumed his duties and is now recovering.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that the White House ordered cabinet officials to "evaluate their current policies for delegating authority when a secretary is incapacitated and to forward those procedures to the White House for review."

Hunter Biden gallerist tells lawmakers he never spoke to White House about paintings: sources

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Hunter Biden’s art dealer told lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday that he has never discussed the paintings with the White House, Fox News Digital has learned.

A source familiar with Georges Bergès’ transcribed interview before the House Oversight Committee said Bergès told lawmakers he’s had no communication with the White House, including about Hunter Biden’s paintings.

Bergès stated that he never told Hunter Biden who any of the buyers were, the source said. 

The gallerist is speaking to the Oversight Committee behind closed doors as part of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden. GOP lawmakers have accused Biden of using his status and name to enrich himself and his family.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CONSIDER HOLDING HUNTER BIDEN IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS

Republican investigators have suggested they are suspicious over whether Hunter Biden’s art career, which began in recent years, has led to any conflicts of interest between wealthy buyers and the White House.

A second source familiar with the interview confirmed to Fox News Digital that Bergès said he did not discuss Hunter Biden’s paintings or anything else with the White House, but said it proved that a widely reported "ethics agreement" between Biden officials and Bergès’ gallery to prevent wrongdoing was a lie.

HOUSE GOP PROBING IF BIDEN WAS INVOLVED IN HUNTER'S 'SCHEME' TO DEFY SUBPOENA, POTENTIAL 'IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE'

"The White House’s ‘ethics’ agreement regarding Hunter Biden’s art was a sham. The White House never facilitated any agreement, despite saying the opposite to the public," the second source said.

"George Bergès stated he never had any communication with the White House about an agreement about Hunter Biden’s art and admitted Hunter Biden knew the identities of the individuals who purchased roughly 70% of the value of his art, including Democrat donors Kevin Morris and Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali."

A large share of that 70% is entertainment lawyer Kevin Morris, the first source said, who loaned Hunter Biden $4.9 million between 2020 and 2022.

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

The White House has openly referenced that agreement in the past, but details have been vague. 

Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki lauded it in July 2021 for "a level of protection and transparency" but when asked about ethical concerns the following month, said, "we have spoken extensively to the arrangements, which are not White House arrangements; they’re arrangements between Hunter Biden’s representatives and ones that we, certainly, were made aware of."

The second source provided additional details on the hefty sums that Bergès said Hunter Biden’s art fetched from prominent Democratic donors.

That includes $875,000 in art purchased by Morris.

Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who the president appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in 2022, bought Hunter Biden’s art for $42,000 in 2021 and for $52,000 at the end of 2022.

White House launching review of Cabinet protocols after defense secretary’s secret hospitalization: memo

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The White House is launching a review of Cabinet protocols for delegating authority in the wake of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recent secret hospitalization following a procedure to treat prostate cancer, according to a memo obtained by Fox News. 

The memo from White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients is addressed to Cabinet secretaries and directs departments and agencies to "submit their agency-specific delegation of authority protocols by Friday, January 12, 2024, to the Office of Cabinet Affairs."

"The White House is conducting a review of agency protocols for a delegation of authority from Cabinet Members," the memo states. "The purpose of this memo is to direct your agencies to submit your existing protocols for a delegation of authority to the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, and to ensure an updated process for such delegations in the interim. The Office of Cabinet Affairs will convey these protocols to the White House Chief of Staff."

The memo says that while the review is "ongoing," Cabinet agencies "must ensure" they follow procedures "in the event that a delegation of authority is required."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN REMAINS HOSPITALIZED AFTER MYSTERY PROCEDURE; DOD REMAINS MUM ON RELEASE

The memo directs the agencies to "notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff in the event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation." 

READ THE MEMO - APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

It also directs agencies to "document in writing that the delegation of authority is in effect." 

The memo comes after it was revealed that Austin was hospitalized for days without notifying the White House. The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that Austin went under general anesthesia for a prostatectomy on Dec. 22, 2023.

"His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent," Walter Reed Hospital said. Austin was on leave at the time of the procedure, and he returned home the next day.

The hospital said Austin started to experience "severe pain" on Jan. 1 and was admitted to the intensive care unit ICU, where the medical team treated a urinary tract infection. Austin was also treated for a backup of his small intestines with a tube placed through his nose to drain his stomach. Walter Reed said it anticipates him making a "full recovery although this can be a slow process."

DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN HAS NO PLANS TO RESIGN, PENTAGON SAYS

Austin did not notify the chairman of the Joint Chiefs or his deputy until the following day. The White House and President Biden were unaware until Jan. 4, and Congress and the press were notified on Jan. 5. 

Calls for Biden to remove Austin from his post and for Austin to resign have been mounting, but the White House said Austin will remain in his post.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said this week "there are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been … demonstrating." 

Department of Defense press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told Fox News Digital that Austin doesn't have any plans to leave his post.

"Secretary Austin has no plans to resign," Ryder said. "He remains focused on conducting his duties as secretary of defense in defense of our nation."

But Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Austin on Tuesday afternoon. 

Austin is no longer in the ICU, but it is unclear when he will be released from the hospital. 

Austin and Biden authorized the Jan. 4 strike in Baghdad before Austin was hospitalized.

"The secretary was aware of the strike/actions on Jan. 4," a senior U.S. defense official said.

Ryder previously told Fox News he could not provide additional information about Austin’s ailments for privacy reasons. Austin resumed his duties from the hospital on Friday.

Fox News Digital's Houston Keene, Greg Wehner and Liz Friden contributed to this report.

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

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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. 

2023’s biggest losers in politics

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Competitiveness is a cornerstone of American politics, so much so that it’s been called a blood sport at times. And, as in any competition, winners and losers always emerge.

Fox News Digital takes a look at some of the biggest political losers of 2023.

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's re-election campaign, which culminated in her loss to current Mayor Brandon Johnson, was marked by several self-inflicted wounds.

The former Democratic mayor took the brunt of criticism directed at city officials over the city's rising rate of violent crime. Lightfoot also faced bipartisan blowback for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including clashes with progressives and the teachers union.

OUTGOING HOUSE LAWMAKERS LAMENT CHAOS IN CONGRESS: 'A BIT OF A CARNIVAL'

Youngkin’s upset victory in 2021 over former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe set him on a path to political stardom. The parental rights-focused Republican governor was almost immediately touted as a future presidential candidate, even possibly as early as 2024. 

But he staked his national reputation on Republicans winning the full Virginia legislature in November, even suggesting a 15-week abortion limit would be on the table if the commonwealth went red. 

Democrats, however, ended up flipping the Virginia House of Delegates while retaining control of the state Senate.

VIRGINIA SENATE NAMES CAUCUS LEADERS FOR UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION

One Virginia Democrat who did not fare well in the latest election cycle, however, is Gibson, the nurse practitioner whose promising campaign for a swing seat in the House of Delegates was derailed by revelations laid bare just weeks before Election Day.

The Washington Post first reported that Gibson and her husband broadcast sex acts on social media, accepting tips in exchange for lewd requests. 

She wound up losing the Richmond-area seat by less than 1,000 votes.

Rep. Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian-American in Congress, has long been a critical voice against the Israeli government, part of a small but growing faction of progressives bucking Democrats’ traditional pro-Israel stance. 

However, she’s isolated herself this year after Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military response, going further than most with her reaction to the war in Gaza. 

Her response to the crisis resulted in a formal House censure along bipartisan lines in November. 

ISRAEL RESUMES BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA AFTER CEASE-FIRE WITH HAMAS ENDS

Embattled former House Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., dominated headlines with an array of colorful scandals, from federal charges that included wire fraud to allegations he was responsible for the cancer death of a military veteran’s dog. 

Santos’ backstory quickly unraveled when he got to Congress, and it was found he lied about his college degree, work and ancestry. 

But criminal charges related to misuse of campaign funds were the final nail in the coffin for Santos’ House career, and he was expelled by a two-thirds majority vote Dec. 1.

This year has seen the country’s octogenarian commander in chief dealing with an impeachment inquiry as he continues to struggle with low poll numbers.

Despite traveling the country touting key victories, mainly his bipartisan infrastructure bill, Biden is still working to convince voters he is fit for another four years in the White House.

In addition to questions about his age and whether he profited from his role as vice president, Biden is also dealing with progressive outrage over his support for Israel in its war on Hamas. 

KEVIN MCCARTHY, MATT GAETZ TRADE JABS AS FIERCE RIVALRY CONTINUES: HE 'BELONGS IN JAIL'

It’s culminated in early voter polls that show gloomy forecasts for his re-election prospects over the last several weeks.

McCarthy began his 2023 with a marathon 15 rounds of voting across three days, the world watching him wrangle a divided House GOP Conference to eventually win the speaker’s gavel.

On Dec. 14, McCarthy was giving his final speech to a House floor filled with less than a dozen lawmakers, mostly his allies.

He told reporters later that day it was a "bittersweet" ending to his career in Congress, which saw him make history in October as the first ousted speaker of the House. He announced in December he would leave Congress altogether.

McCarthy chalked it up to personal vendettas during a final exit interview with reporters later that day, but he remained optimistic. 

"I loved every minute, good or bad," he said.

But while he made Fox News Digital’s list of 2023’s political losers, McCarthy could ascend again.

He intends to remain a significant figure in the GOP fundraising sphere and is almost certain to be a hot commodity in Washington, D.C., for some time. He didn’t rule out a return to government either.

Democrat Dean Phillips attacks Biden for trying to upend traditional primary election process

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden’s 2024 Democrat primary challenger is going after him for his opposition to New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation status.

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., released a new campaign ad that targets Biden for supporting a bid to hold the Democrats’ first primary election in South Carolina.

"For over a century, New Hampshire has held the first-in-the-nation primary, and Granite Staters have faithfully carried out that grave responsibility, propelling the candidacies of some and ending the candidacies of others," a voiceover says in the one-minute video. "Now, Joe Biden has ordered New Hampshire to step aside."

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

"Congressman Dean Phillips is meeting with New Hampshire voters in diners, on street corners and at taverns, the way it's always been done."

New Hampshire officials announced last month that they would not heed the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) request to cede its first-state privilege to South Carolina.

PHILLIPS TARGETS BIDEN, FELLOW DEMOCRATS OVER BORDER POLICIES AS HE LAUNCHES PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST PRESIDENT

The president’s reelection campaign also has not filed to be on the New Hampshire ballot, which could further complicate things for him there.

"In today's society, it seems that we're quick to eliminate traditions and ignore them," New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said at press conference in November. 

South Carolina had set its primary for Feb. 3 after the DNC approved a proposal for it to hold the first 2024 Democrat race. But New Hampshire set its primary for Jan. 23, with officials citing state law mandating that the Granite State be first.

WHY DEAN PHILLIPS IS SCOLDING FELLOW DEMOCRATS

Biden wrote to the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee last year to support the calendar overhaul.

"For decades, Black votes in particular have been the backbone of the Democratic Party but have been pushed to the back of the early primary process," he wrote, referencing the state’s sizable Black population.

Notably, Biden’s commanding victory in the 2020 South Carolina primary was widely credited for turning his then-flailing presidential campaign around.

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s 2024 campaign about the advertisement but did not immediately hear back.

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