Songbook a new page panel1/22/2024 An NPR poll from early October shows that 63% of respondents believe President Biden has done something unethical or illegal in relation to his son's business dealings. But their effort does appear - the controversy surrounding the younger Biden does appear to be registering with the public. LUCAS: So remember, House Republicans are doing this as part of their impeachment inquiry against the president, although they've dug up, as I said, no evidence so far of illegal activity. SUMMERS: Has the Republican effort to focus intently on Hunter Biden actually paid off with voters? Any evidence there? So there's a question about the politics of all of this. And he says, now here's Hunter Biden offering to answer their questions in public, and here, Republicans are saying no. Jamie Raskin says Republicans have been pushing some grand, unproven Biden family conspiracy, and they've been demanding to hear from Hunter Biden. The top Democrat on the committee, unsurprisingly, had a decidedly different take. But Comer also says that Biden should have a chance to testify in public but at an unspecified future date. Comer says the committee's subpoena is lawful, and he says he expects Hunter Biden to show up and testify on December 13, as the subpoena demands. He accused Hunter Biden of trying to play by his own rules. LUCAS: Well, the committee's chairman, Republican James Comer, wasn't having any of it. What has the committee had to say in response, if anything? Having Hunter Biden testify in public, he says, would prevent that. He accuses the committee of using closed-door testimony in the past to selectively leak information and misinform the public. He also says if the House inquiry wants to inform the public, Hunter will come answer the committee's questions in a public hearing. But what it's done instead, he says, was issue this subpoena, which Lowell calls a Hail Mary pass, as time is running out. He says the committee has never responded. Lowell says Hunter's legal team has offered to meet with the committee and to provide relevant information. And Lowell takes aim at the committee and what he calls its, quote-unquote, "partisan crusade." He says the panel has failed to tie Hunter Biden's business activities to his father. It's part of what appears to be a more aggressive defense strategy of late. LUCAS: Well, this is a three-page letter from Hunter's attorney, Abbe Lowell. SUMMERS: I understand, Ryan, that Hunter Biden's response came in a letter from his attorney to the oversight committee. They are demanding that he testify on December 13 and that he do so behind closed doors. But Republicans have really focused on his business activities and trying to tie those to his father, and so the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committees subpoenaed Hunter Biden earlier this month. He was indicted earlier this year on federal gun charges. He's had well-documented struggles with addiction. House Republicans and a lot of Republicans in the Senate as well, actually, have tried to put a spotlight for a long time on the younger Biden, in part because they think that he's a political liability for the president. House Republicans have really tried, over time, to zero in on what they say are Hunter Biden's questionable business dealings, and they've made him a key part of their impeachment inquiry into his father, President Biden, of course. Can you just first set the stage for us? Because I feel like this has been a very long-running battle between House Republicans and the president's son. SUMMERS: So Ryan, I want to set aside Hunter Biden's offer to testify. NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas is following all of this and joins us now. Now, Hunter Biden is telling Congress he's willing to testify in public. Earlier this month, the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees subpoenaed Hunter Biden, demanding that he testify behind closed doors. Now to Washington and the latest in the battle between House Republicans and President Biden's son, Hunter Biden.
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