Hunter Biden agrees to appear before House Oversight Committee - but only in public: Lawyer

Hunter Biden is willing to testify before the House Oversight Committee -- but only in public, according to a letter his attorney wrote to Republican lawmakers on Tuesday.

Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena earlier this month to depose Hunter Biden on Dec. 13. In his letter, Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Biden, accused Comer of selectively leaking information from closed-door depositions with other witnesses in his ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

"We have seen you use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public," Lowell wrote to Comer. "We therefore propose opening the door."

"Your empty investigation has gone on too long wasting too many better-used resources. It should come to an end," Lowell continued. "Consequently, Mr. Biden will appear at such a public hearing on the date you noticed, December 13, or any date in December that we can arrange."

Comer announced a slew of subpoenas on Nov. 8 targeting members of the president's family, including Hunter Biden, brother James Biden, and former Hunter Biden business associate Rob Walker, demanding they appear for depositions.

"The House Oversight Committee has followed the money and built a record of evidence revealing how Joe Biden knew, was involved, and benefited from his family's influence peddling schemes," Comer said in a statement earlier this month. "Now, the House Oversight Committee is going to bring in members of the Biden family and their associates to question them on this record of evidence."

Lowell called the subpoenas a "political stunt" at the time, adding, "Nevertheless, Hunter is eager to have the opportunity, in a public forum and at the right time, to discuss these matters with the Committee."

Comer's impeachment inquiry has been marked by criticism -- even from some Republicans -- claiming the nearly yearlong investigation into Biden has still not produced sufficient evidence for impeachment.

In a lengthy memo, the White House accused House Republicans of abusing their power to conduct a smear campaign against the president and his family, saying they are "throwing spaghetti" at the wall after failing to produce evidence to support their allegations.