Hunter Biden agrees to give testimony in impeachment investigation

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has agreed to testify privately in front of a Republican committee as part of an impeachment investigation against his father. This decision was announced by the House Oversight Committee after Hunter Biden had previously refused to testify in non-public hearings. The standoff had brought him close to being held in contempt of Congress. The hearing is scheduled for February 28th and was initially set to hold Hunter Biden in contempt. However, Republicans postponed the contempt plan amidst negotiations for his testimony. Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan released a joint statement expressing their anticipation for Hunter Biden's testimony. They also mentioned ongoing negotiations with lawyers for the president's brother, James Biden, to arrange for his testimony. During one of the recent hearings, Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance with his lawyer, Abbe Lowell. His appearance caused chaos and angered Republicans as he walked in silently and sat with crossed arms while lawmakers criticized him. In a prepared statement, Mr. Lowell reiterated that Hunter Biden declined to testify behind closed doors to prevent Republicans from distorting his testimony. He also criticized the Republican party for using Hunter Biden as a way to attack his father. The impeachment investigation led by Congressional Republicans focuses on President Joe Biden's son's business dealings to determine if Hunter Biden received improper benefits through his family name and if he "sold" access to his father. The probe was announced in September by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who described a "culture of corruption" within the Biden family. The White House has condemned the investigation as a political maneuver intended to harm President Biden's re-election campaign. Hunter Biden is currently facing nine criminal counts, including failing to pay taxes on time from 2016 to 2019, filing false tax returns in 2018, and tax evasion. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years in prison. Additionally, he is also confronting federal charges related to felony gun offenses, to which he has pleaded not guilty.