House Republicans issue criminal referrals against James and Hunter Biden, alleging false testimony

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans issued criminal referrals Wednesday against President Joe Biden’s son and brother, accusing them of making false statements to Congress as part of the GOP’s yearlong impeachment inquiry.

The Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees sent a letter to the Justice Department recommending the prosecution of Hunter Biden and James Biden and accusing them of making a “conscious effort” to undermine the House’s investigation.

A representative for Hunter Biden’s legal team and a lawyer for James Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The president’s son blasted the GOP impeachment inquiry in a closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill in February as a “house of cards” built on “lies.” James Biden testified during a private interview earlier this year that Joe Biden “never had any involvement” in the business dealings of Biden family members.

The referrals to Attorney General Merrick Garland and special counsel David Weiss add to the legal challenges facing Hunter Biden, who is now on trial in a federal court in Delaware for three felony charges stemming from the purchase of a gun in October 2018. The 54-year-old has been accused by prosecutors of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.

On Capitol Hill, the Republicans pursued their wide-ranging investigation into Hunter Biden, separate from that federal case, are trying to tie the Democratic president to his son’s business dealings. Both Hunter and James Biden sat for hourslong interviews with lawmakers even as they failed to uncover evidence