Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Thursday that the "striking" pardon that Hunter Biden received from his father doesn't cover civil disputes, but it also means he can no longer plead the fifth in criminal cases.
Lee joined "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" to react to the allegation that Hunter Biden owes $300,000 in back rent from a Venice, California, property rented between 2019-20.
President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon to his son for everything he did or might have done over a 11-year period, including wiping out a federal conviction for guns and the younger Biden's plea of guilty to federal tax evasion.
"So the significance of the pardon is that it basically means he can't be prosecuted for federal crimes during this expansive period of time. And that's what's really the most striking about the pardon itself, is that it covers all of his behavior for this vast period of time," Lee said. "But what a pardon cannot cover are civil cases like the one you mentioned about rent. He would still be responsible for any sort of breach of contract or potential civil damages that may be appropriate."
Lee was also asked if House Republicans might subpoena Hunter Biden to testify again, now that he doesn't enjoy Fifth Amendment protections to self-incrimination.
"And the other significant implication is that he no longer can claim the Fifth Amendment privilege as it relates to federal crimes, because the privilege exists only to protect people from incriminating themselves in criminal investigations. Since he can no longer be prosecuted, he no longer is in peril of being prosecuted for these federal crimes," Lee said.
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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