What Happened in Congressional Hearing Today?

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee held a public hearing today that included fact witnesses – people who engaged in Biden family business ventures. Fred Lucas at The Daily Signal reported that the chairmen of the Ways and Means Committee and the Judiciary Committee participated in the hearing. 

Two former business associates of Biden family members testified today in an impeachment inquiry into influence peddling by Joe Biden and his close relatives. Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner to Hunter Biden, testified in Congress, while Jason Galanis, another former Biden business partner, testified remotely from federal prison. According to Lucas, Navy veteran Bobulinski accused Hunter Biden of lying under oath about his father’s involvement in his business.

Joe Biden was more than a participant and a beneficiary of his family’s business…. He was an active, aware enabler who met with business associates such as myself to further the business despite being buffered by a complex scheme to maintain plausible deniability.

            … I ask this big question: If there’s no evidence of corruption here today, if Joe’s                     conduct and the conduct of his family are fully legal and proper, then why are they so dishonest about it?

Galanis described Joe Biden’s role in helping secure family business in China and Russia. Lucas wrote that today’s “public hearing was significant since it was among the first to include fact witnesses who participated in Biden family business ventures. Hunter Biden was supposed to be in the hearing, but his seat remained empty. Lucas listed six takeaways from the hearing.

1. ‘Perjury’ and ‘Blatant Lies’

Bobulinski accused the president’s son, Hunter, and the president’s brother, Jim, of lying during their depositions to House investigators.

Neither Biden has been charged with lying under oath, and Bobulinski was giving his opinion.

“Hunter Biden gave his transcribed interview on Feb. 28 and lied throughout his testimony,” Bobulinski told the committee, before going on to name CEFC China Energy, a major Chinese energy conglomerate.

“Here is just one egregious example of Hunter’s perjury,” Bobulinski added. “He lied to the committee on vital details concerning money demands and threats to CEFC in text messages on July 30 and 31, 2017. He leveraged his father’s presence next to him in that infamous text to strong-arm CEFC [into] paying Hunter immediately….

Bobulinski went on to talk about the president’s younger brother, Jim Biden.

“On page 100 of his transcript, Jim is asked specifically: ‘Do you recall having a meeting with Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, and Joe Biden? Jim’s response, ‘Absolutely no,’” he testified.

“The committee was so shocked by [Jim Biden’s] perjury that they asked him the same question multiple times. Each time, he denied meeting with me and Joe Biden,” Bobulinski said. “After the committee showed him text messages confirming [that] I met with Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and Jim Biden at the Beverly Hilton in May 2017, Jim Biden, with a former U.S. attorney lawyer sitting next to him, still denied that meeting took place.”

“Hunter Biden in his own transcribed interview confirmed that that meeting took place,” he added. “Hunter confirmed his uncle perjured himself.”

Later, Bobulinski talked about what he called “blatant lies” and recalled information about his meeting with Joe Biden….

2. ‘Across the Finish Line’

Galanis, another former business partner of Hunter Biden’s who testified remotely from federal prison, said he anticipated problems with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons because of the testimony he was giving.

“I believe I am putting myself at great risk within the BOP for providing information on these matters concerning the president and his son,” Galanis testified….

3. Raskin, Goldman ‘Continue to Lie’

During the hearing, Bobulinski called out Oversight’s ranking member, Jamie Raskin, D-Md., as well as Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., both unflinching defenders of the president’s conduct.

“They continue to lie to the American people without hesitation and remorse,” Bobulinski said. “Rep. Dan Goldman and Jamie Raskin – both lawyers and Mr. Goldman a former prosecutor with the SDNY – will continue to lie today and then go straight to the media to tell more lies.”

He also accused Hunter Biden’s defense lawyer, Abbe Lowell, of lying….

4. Democrats Blame Russia

Several committee Democrats insisted that negative news stories about the president are the result of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Democrats’ lone witness at the hearing, Parnas, had almost nothing to do with Biden family businesses and was not a fact witness….

5. ‘1,000% Sure’

Hunter Biden’s infamous abandoned laptop included a message from another business partner, James Gilliar, saying that 10% of the CEFC China Energy deal would be “held by H for the big guy.”

During the hearing, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, asked Bobulinski, “Who’s the big guy?”

Bobulinski replied: “Joe Biden.”

Jordan: “You sure?”

Bobulinski: “I’m 1,000% sure.”

6. ‘It’s All Fake’

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., challenged Comer and any other committee Republicans to make a motion to impeach Biden.

“I just think we should do it today. I want to help you out,” Moskowitz said. “I’ll make the motion, you can second it; [I] make the motion to impeach President Biden. Go ahead, your turn; you second it.”

No one responded.

Republicans have often said that they do not know if the impeachment hearings will lead to an impeachment. However, they went forward with the inquiry to look at the evidence.