Hunter Biden declines invitation to testify on Capitol Hill

(CNN) — Hunter Biden’s attorney has informed House Oversight Chairman James Comer that the president’s son will not accept the committee’s invitation for him to appear at a public hearing, according to a letter obtained by CNN.

Posted 3:02 p.m. Mar 13 — Updated 3:09 p.m. Mar 13

Paula Reid

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Annie Grayer, CNN

CNN — (CNN) — Hunter Biden’s attorney has informed House Oversight Chairman James Comer that the president’s son will not accept the committee’s invitation for him to appear at a public hearing, according to a letter obtained by CNN.

The attorney, Abbe Lowell, argued the hearing “is not a serious oversight proceeding. It is your attempt to resuscitate your Conference’s moribund inquiry with a made-for-right-wing-media, circus act.”

Calling the invitation “a Hail Mary pass,” Lowell wrote: “I thought even you would recognize your baseless impeachment proceeding was dead.”

Lowell also criticized Comer’s decision to invite some of the discredited business associates tied to the president’s son to the same hearing. He argued if Comer was serious about holding an oversight hearing to address alleged influence peddling, the committee should invite Jared Kushner and members of the Trump family alongside Hunter Biden.

Lowell said that the president’s son answered every question Republicans had for him in the six-hour closed door deposition. And Lowell even used Comer’s own words against him to argue that a hearing was not necessary.

In January, Comer said, “All we need are people to come in for the depositions and then we’ll be finished.“

Lowell also said he and Hunter Biden have a court hearing in California that conflicts with the date Comer requested but that “the scheduling conflict is the least of the issues.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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