Rep. James Comer, the House Oversight Committee chair leading the probe into Hunter Biden's business dealings, says special counsel David Weiss indicted the president's son to protect him ahead of a scheduled deposition next week.
"We think that this is just the tip of the iceberg. We think there are many more crimes," Comer told CNN on Friday. "And my concern is that Weiss may have indicted Hunter Biden to protect him from having to be deposed in the House Oversight Committee."
"Yes. He indicted him to protect him. Yes. The classic rubric. He indicted him to protect him. I got it," Tapper responded sarcastically. "He's facing like 17 additional years in prison."
"Jake, this whole thing's been about a cover-up. ... You indicted him on the least little thing, the gun charge, and not paying taxes." Comer shot back. "Anybody else in America would already be in prison, would already be in prison. You say he owes $2 million. He may owe $7 or $8 million, if these loans are fraudulent loans. I mean, a loan means you are going to pay it back."
Weiss earlier this week indicted Hunter Biden on nine tax charges in California in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware.
Hunter Biden "spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills," Weiss said in a statement Friday. The charges are centered on at least $1.4 million in taxes Hunter Biden owed during between 2016 and 2019, a period where he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. The back taxes have since been paid.
Comer last month subpoenaed Hunter Biden and his uncle James but Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, noted in a letter his concerns about how Republicans could "manipulate" the situation and proposed a public hearing instead.
"We have seen you use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public. We therefore propose opening the door," Lowell wrote in a letter to Comer at the end of last month. "If, as you claim, your efforts are important and involve issues that Americans should know about, then let the light shine on these proceedings."