President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, through his attorney, declined an invitation by congressional Republicans to testify in public as part of their impeachment inquiry into the president -- but suggested he would attend a hearing on foreign influence peddling if lawmakers also invited members of former President Donald Trump's family.
In a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Wednesday, Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said his client would not appear for a hearing scheduled for March 20, calling it a "carnival side show" and "blatant planned-for-media event."
Comer had invited the younger Biden to appear publicly alongside three other witnesses in their probe: Devon Archer, Jason Galanis and Tony Bobulinski, all of whom are former business associates of Hunter Biden's who have since turned into critics of the Biden family.
The invitation came a week after Hunter Biden testified in a closed-door proceeding before Comer's panel and the House Judiciary Committee as part of their impeachment probe, which earlier heard closed-door testimony from Archer, Galanis and Bobulinski. Prior to his closed-door appearance, the younger Biden had expressed a willingness to testify in public.
Lowell, in his letter to Comer, called the planned hearing "an obvious attempt to throw a Hail Mary pass after the game has ended."
"Nevertheless," Lowell continued, "you march forward as if the ground beneath your feet has not crumbled."
Lowell concluded by suggesting that if Comer were to examine allegations of influence peddling against the Trump family, "Mr. Biden would consider an invitation for that event."
A source with Hunter Biden's legal team said that if lawmakers invited Jared Kushner, the former president's son-in-law who was a senior White House adviser to Trump, Hunter Biden would oblige.
Shortly after receiving Lowell's letter, Comer released a statement committing to move forward with the hearing and reiterating his expectation that Hunter Biden would attend.