Hunter Biden deposition scheduled for next month after risk of being held in contempt of Congress

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., reacts to the IRS moving to dismiss part of the Hunter Biden lawsuit on ‘America Reports.’
Hunter Biden is expected to sit for a deposition as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden at the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees next month, after the first son defied a congressional subpoena and was at risk of being held in contempt of Congress. 
The House Judiciary Committee announced the newly-scheduled deposition date on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday evening. 
“HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION. CONFIRMED. FEBRUARY 28,” the X post reads. 
“Hunter Biden will appear before our committees for a deposition on February 28, 2024,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said in a joint-statement Thursday. “His deposition will come after several interviews with Biden family members and associates.” 
HOUSE RULES PANEL PAUSES CONSIDERATION OF HUNTER BIDEN CONTEMPT AMID NEGOTIATIONS FOR NEW DEPOSITION DATE
They added: “We look forward to Hunter Biden’s testimony.”
Comer and Jordan also announced additional witnesses will appear before the committee for testimony, including Hunter Biden’s business partners Mervyn Yan and Rob Walker on Jan. 22; Eric Schwerin and Joey Langston on Jan. 29; and Hunter Biden’s former business partner Tony Bobulinski on Feb. 5.
Hunter Biden’s new deposition date comes after the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee last week passed resolutions to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena. 
Hunter Biden’s attorneys offered to discuss scheduling a new deposition for the first son — something House Republicans were willing to do. 
Hunter Biden, ahead of his subpoenaed deposition on Dec. 13, had offered to testify publicly. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, rejected his request, noting that the first son would not have special treatment and pointing to the dozens of other witnesses who have appeared as compelled for their interviews and depositions. Comer and Jordan vowed to release the transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition.
The first son, though, defied the subpoena, ignored the offer and recently delivered a public statement outside the Capitol. At the time, he said his father “was not financially involved in my business.”
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is expected to sit for a deposition, under oath, in February after previously being at risk of a contempt of Congress charge following his defiance of a previous subpoena (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
As the House advanced the resolutions to continue to take steps to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, his attorney, Abbe Lowell, last week asked that the committees issue a new subpoena. 
Lowell penned a letter to the committees on Friday, saying the initial subpoenas were “legally invalid” as they were issued before the full House of Representatives voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry against the president. 
“If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition,” Lowell wrote. “We will accept such a subpoena on Mr. Biden’s behalf.” 
“The committees welcome Mr. Biden’s newfound willingness to testify in a deposition setting under subpoena,” Comer and Jordan wrote at the time. 
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“Although the Committee’s subpoenas are lawful and remain legally enforceable, as an accommodation to Mr. Biden and at your request, we are prepared to issue subpoenas compelling Mr. Biden’s appearance at a deposition on a new date in the coming weeks.”
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.