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Constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley exposed what he termed a “breathtaking mistake” by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in an Op-Ed for The Messenger. It was a mistake that could land Joe Biden in serious legal trouble.
Responding to the midday press conference held by Hunter Biden, strategically on the Senate side of the Capitol, in which Biden announced his intent to flout a subpoena issued by the House Committee on Oversight, Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president, “The president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say.”
Turley opined that the statement could prove a costly one. Turley wrote that KJP’s statement, “suggests that the president spoke with his son before his act of contempt and discussed his statement.” That said, this could add an additional charge to four Turley already described in Congressional testimony and an Op-Ed for The Hill. Namely, this incident adds another potential charge of obstruction, in addition to bribery, conspiracy, and abuse of power.
The constitutional scholar explained, “In addition, President Biden has enlisted White House staff to actively push challenged accounts of his conduct and attack the House Republicans’ investigative process. Such acts could legally bootstrap prior misconduct into his presidency under abuse-of-power allegations.”
“If this latest allegation is true, the president was speaking with his son about committing a potentially criminal act of contempt. Hunter was refusing to give testimony focused not on his own role but on his father’s potential role in the alleged influence peddling. The House can pursue evidence on that conversation and how the president may have supported his son’s effort.”
Turley summarized the situation in post to X, “If Joe Biden did confer with Hunter on defying Congress, it was a breathtaking mistake. Obstruction is a potential articles of impeachment … Hunter was asked to give testimony on his father’s role in the alleged influence peddling.”
If Joe Biden did confer with Hunter on defying Congress, it was a breathtaking mistake. Obstruction is a potential articles of impeachment. https://t.co/7EUyV8fH6Q Hunter was asked to give testimony on his father’s role in the alleged influence peddling. https://t.co/qvqPQwgnlt
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) December 14, 2023
Independent journalist ‘amuse’ replied on X concurring, “There is evidence that Joe Biden and Eric Swallwell obstructed Congress by conferring with Hunter regarding his decision to ignore a congressional subpoena to prevent committee lawyers from gathering testimony about his influence peddling.”
When pressed by Fox News’ Peter Doocy on whether President Biden knew in advance that his son would defy the congressional subpoena, Jean-Pierre replied, “I don’t have anything else to add. The President was familiar with what Hunter was going to say today &, you know, look, he’s proud of his son…how he’s rebuilding his life back. He’s going to focus on…the American people. Hunter…is a private citizen…I’m just not going to get into private conversations,” according to NewsBusters’ Curtis Houck.
KJP to Doocy on whether President Biden knew his son would defy a congresional subpoena: “I don’t have anything else to add. The President was familiar with what Hunter was going to say today &, you know, look, he’s proud of his son…how he’s rebuilding his life back. He’s going… pic.twitter.com/envjQGxsEl
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 13, 2023
As Turley wrote, in his truly confusing public address Hunter has exposed a new front in the ongoing legal battle against the Bidens and if the law is applied as it has been to the likes of Steve Bannon, Hunter could be indicted within a matter of weeks. The attorney noted that Bannon was subpoenaed in late September, held in contempt in October, and indicted in November. He was convicted in only four days.