Hunter Biden sits through 7-hour deposition

Hunter Biden appeared for a much-awaited closed-door deposition Wednesday morning as a part of the impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden. But the younger Biden’s testimony didn’t yield much for House Republicans, according to reports.

In the deposition, which took place before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees — led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., Hunter Biden reiterated that his father had nothing to do with his business dealings.

“I am here today to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business,” Hunter Biden said, according to a copy of his opening statement obtained by Fox News. “Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never.”

He said Republicans would rather focus on peddling lies than “follow the facts,” as laid out in the “bank records, financial statements, correspondence and other witness testimony.”

Hunter Biden took responsibility for his “mistakes” and said he is making amends.

“But my mistakes and shortcomings are my own and not my father’s, who has done nothing but devote his entire life to public service and trying to make this country a better place to live,” he added.

Hunter Biden said his dad has helped him “rebuild” his life through “love and support,” and in return, President Biden got “a barrage of hate-filled conspiracy theories that hatched this sham impeachment inquiry and continue to fuel unrelenting personal attacks against him and me.”

Comer, who has threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress, prior to the deposition said the “committees have unearthed substantial evidence of President Biden and his family’s corruption.” He has previously indicated that the deposition doesn’t conclude the impeachment inquiry.

Meanwhile, Democrats held to the lack of evidence as their main talking point in a joint press conference. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said neither the younger Biden’s latest testimony nor the testimony of others show President Joe Biden’s involvement.

“I believe, based on this first hour, that this whole thing really has been a tremendous waste of our legislative time and the people’s resources,” said Raskin, D-Md.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called the deposition “a deep sea fishing expedition.” Other lawmakers zeroed in on President Biden and Hunter simply sharing a warm personal relationship.

White House spokesperson Ian Sams said on social media, “After more than a year of this #FailureTheater, the only thing Comer’s turned up is evidence disproving his lies.”

Last week, James Biden, the president’s brother, was deposed but he did not say the president was involved in any business ventures. Prior to James Biden’s deposition, Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, claimed that then-Vice President Biden and his son accepted a bribe of $10 million from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. Although his testimony fueled the inquiry into the president, he was recently indicted for making fictitious statements as prosecutors found he was linked to Russian intelligence.

Comer indicated he plans to hold a public hearing and release the transcript of the closed door testimony in the coming days, per Punchbowl News reporter Max Cohen.