(GoRealNewsNow.com) – Old habits die hard, and one of the heirs of the Biden family with publicly known gambling issues wants to ‘Go Big Or Go JAIL’ with his decision to challenge a congressional subpoena that could have significant legal repercussions, according to various legal experts.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee, led by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), issued subpoenas for Hunter Biden and James Biden, related to an investigation into their business dealings. Hunter’s refusal to comply with the subpoena could conflict with the conditions of his pretrial release linked to federal charges in Delaware.
Hunter Biden, who pleaded not guilty to charges of lying about his drug use while purchasing a handgun, is currently on pretrial release. The conditions of this release, set by U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke, include not breaking the law. By defying the congressional subpoena, Hunter may risk violating these conditions. Paul Kamenar of the National Legal and Policy Center expressed concerns about the potential revocation of Hunter’s bail if he fails to comply with the subpoena.
Hans von Spakovsky of The Heritage Foundation highlighted that contempt of Congress constitutes a criminal violation of federal law. The law specifically criminalizes willful failure to comply with a valid congressional subpoena. Given that Hunter Biden has explicitly chosen not to comply, this could be interpreted as a willful violation.
However, before any action can be taken regarding Hunter’s bail, Congress must first officially hold him in contempt. Even then, the Justice Department would need to decide on pursuing criminal prosecution for contempt of Congress. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has suggested that contempt proceedings could be an option.
Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker speculated that the Justice Department under Merrick Garland might not prosecute Hunter Biden for contempt of Congress, due to potential reluctance to act against President Joe Biden’s son.
Legal analyst Wendy Patrick noted that the decision not to cooperate with Congress might not necessarily violate the terms of Hunter’s pretrial release, as these conditions are typically specific to the defendant and the crime charged.
Even if Congress opts for civil rather than criminal contempt charges, the process could be lengthy, as pointed out by Kamenar. Any action to revoke Hunter’s bail requires initiative from special counsel David Weiss.
Curtis Hill, former Attorney General of Indiana, added that a contempt of Congress finding is required before any decision on revoking the bond can be made. He also commented on what he perceives as a double standard in treating conservatives versus figures like Hunter Biden, suggesting that the latter might avoid serious consequences.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, previously dismissed the Congressional subpoenas as a “political stunt” and reiterated Hunter’s willingness to speak at a public hearing. However, Lowell has not commented on the current situation.