Comer Invites Hunter Biden, Former Business Partners to Testify Publicly about Biden Family Dealings

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) is inviting Hunter Biden and three of his former business partners to testify publicly about Joe Biden’s role in his son’s foreign business dealings.

Comer is requesting that Hunter Biden testify alongside Devon Archer, Tony Bobulinski, and Jason Galanis at a hearing titled “Influence Peddling: Examining Joe Biden’s Abuse of Public Office” on March 20th.

All four of invitees have testified privately as part of the House GOP’s impeachment inquiry into the apparent role Joe Biden played in his son’s lucrative foreign business enterprise. Hunter Biden expressed interest in holding a public hearing last year when he was dodging the House GOP’s attempt to bring him in for a closed-door session.

Archer delivered explosive testimony in July about Joe Biden talking on speakerphone to his son’s business associates around 20 times and meeting multiple foreign business partners at dinners attended by Hunter Biden. The Biden family “brand” represented by Joe Biden was leveraged by Hunter Biden during his negotiations with potential business partners over the value he brought to the table, Archer recalled.

Hunter Biden and Archer were board members of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings together and once had a close relationship. The younger Biden testified late last month and corroborated Archer’s account of the talks on speakerphone and his father’s meetings with foreign business partners. Nonetheless, Hunter Biden insisted his father had no part in his business dealings and criticized the impeachment inquiry.

Bobulinski testified last month and recalled meeting Joe, Hunter and James Biden in May 2017 during negotiations about a potential joint venture alongside Chinese infrastructure conglomerate CEFC. Hunter Biden backed up Bobulinski’s testimony about the meeting but James Biden testified that could not recall the event taking place.

Both Biden family members labeled Bobulinski a disgruntled former business partner and a bully who is bitter about the CEFC proposal falling apart. The Bidens entered into a separate deal with CEFC called Hudson West III and hauled in millions from the arrangements.

In addition, Galanis testified from prison in February and claimed Joe Biden helped his son and business partners close deals with Chinese and Russian business tycoons. Joe Biden was allegedly interested in joining the board of a company called Burnham, a financial-services firm that entered an agreement with Harvest, a $300 million Chinese investment fund, Galanis testified.

Galanis recalled Hunter Biden calling his father one night at a bar in New York to update him on the Harvest deal and help them finalize the agreement. Similarly, Galanis testified Hunter Biden put his father on the phone to assist with closing a deal with Russian oligarch Elena Baturina, who invested at least $10 million into a Burnham client days after the phone call.

Galanis is serving a lengthy prison sentence for participating in a fraudulent bond issuance scheme and claims the Justice Department protected Hunter Biden during its prosecution of him. Archer is facing a year and a day in prison for his involvement in the bond scheme. Hunter Biden questioned Galanis’s credibility because of his lengthy prison sentence for fraud.

“Evidence obtained in the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry reveals Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden name,” Comer said in a statement.

“During our deposition and interview phase of the investigation, Hunter Biden confirmed evidence about Joe Biden’s involvement, yet his testimony conflicts with other witnesses’ testimonies. Given the President son’s repeated calls for a public hearing, I fully expect Hunter Biden to appear for a scheduled Oversight Committee hearing on March 20, alongside Biden family business associates.”