House Republicans release Hunter Biden transcript

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Thursday released a transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition from the previous day. Hunter Biden had told House leaders that he did not involve his father, President Joe Biden, in his business deals. The transcript redacts the names of many individuals who attended the hearing.

House Republicans have opened a formal impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, and allege—in statements published on that impeachment inquiry’s website—that he engaged in an “influence peddling” scheme with his family members’ business ventures. The White House has denied wrongdoing, as have members of Joe Biden’s family.

What’s the meat and bones of this transcript, though? Hunter Biden said his father, Joe Biden, met with one of his business associates, Jonathan Li, but said his father did not have involvement in his and Li’s business ventures. In response to questions about whether he ever put his father on speaker phone with his associates, he said “Yes, that probably did happen.” Hunter said that he would have protested if a statement sent to him by a business associate saying, “10 held by H [agreed to be “Hunter”] for the big guy” was a reference to his father. In testimony, he said he had not seen that statement until it became a part of House Republicans’ accusations against his father. House Republicans asked questions about his 2019 laptop and his connections to the Ukrainian industrial company Burisma Holdings.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about how an ex-FBI informant has been indicted for making up details that led to the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.