Hunter Biden deposition transcript released: What this means for the investigation
National Review senior writer Noah Rothman and WSJ editorial page assistant editor James Freeman on the findings from the Hunter Biden deposition transcript
The House Oversight Committee released the transcript of President Biden's brother James Biden's testimony on Friday, as the panel enters its "next phase" of the impeachment inquiry.
Fox News Digital obtained the transcript on Friday. James Biden testified before the committee last week that his brother, the president, was never involved in his family's business dealings.
But committee investigators said there are inconsistencies in James Biden's testimony, when compared to the testimonies of Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, and other ex-Biden family business associates.
"James Biden's testimony conflicts with Hunter Biden and Tony Bobulinski's sworn testimony," a House Oversight Committee aide told Fox News Digital. "Both Hunter Biden and Tony Bobulinski testified that Joe Biden met with Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden, and James Biden at a hotel in California."
The aide added: "James Biden said this never happened."
In his deposition, James Biden was asked about the apparent May 2017 meeting on the sidelines of the Milken Conference in Los Angeles, California at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
"Do you recall a meeting in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hotel with you, Hunter Biden, and Tony Bobulinski?" he was asked.
"I remember that my brother had a speaking engagement at the hotel. I don't know what it was. And that we were in Los Angeles, and I met -- I was outside of the hotel. I never went into the hotel with my brother," James Biden testified. "And it's my recollection that -- that my brother never came out and had any discussions. May have came out to say hi. That's all."
"Said hi to who?" an investigator asked.
"Me," he replied.
When pressed if he recalled having a meeting with Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and Bobulinski at the hotel, James Biden testified: "Absolutely not."
James Biden, brother of US President Joe Biden, arrives for a deposition before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on President Biden's impeachment inquiry in Washington, DC, February 21, 2024. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (Jim Watson)
"It's your testimony here today that meeting never took place?" he was asked.
"Yes, sir," he replied, with his lawyer interjecting and adding "that he was present for."
"That I was present for," he said.
Biden was further pressed on whether he met with his nephew and Bobulinski at the hotel bar.
"That I know did not happen," he said.
"Who were you at the bar with?" he was asked.
"I could have been there just with Tony Bobulinski. I could have been there with Hunter as well," he said. "But my brother was never there."
The questions about his testimony comes after Hunter Biden testified Wednesday that a meeting did, in fact, take place with his father and Bobulinski.
"He met him in the lobby of the hotel of the -- I believe it was the -- the… Beverly Hilton," Hunter Biden testified. "My dad's flight arrived I think at 11 a.m…Excuse me, 11 p.m. We were in the lobby bar with Mr. Bobulinski having coffee."
Hunter Biden said it was "My uncle and myself."
"I think my uncle was also staying at that hotel. And so yeah. I know that, if you go further, it says -- but I think that the reality is that he didn't -- anyway, my dad went and shook hands with Tony," Hunter Biden testified. "They talked about -- I believe at that time, I don't know whether it was Tony's father was suffering from cancer, and his sister was suffering from cancer, and he invited him to the speech at the Milken Conference."
Bobulinski also testified that the meeting took place at the hotel bar with Hunter Biden and James Biden, before Joe Biden eventually arrived.
Bobulinski testified that Hunter Biden went to greet his father, then returned back into the bar area.
"So then they came into the bar. I stood up. Obviously, you know, we shook some hands. And I think Hunter made a comment of something like, you know, 'Dad, this is Tony who I've told you about,' and the stuff we're working on with the Chinese. I don't -- it was years ago. I don't remember the exact term, but he sort of set the stage for the meeting," Bobulinski testified, adding that they shook hands and sat down. "And I think the meeting was, you know, 45 minutes to an hour. I remember going through my background in detail."
Bobulinski said that "Jim and Hunter didn't do a lot of talking, as you can imagine."
"And then we sort of called it a -- called it a night. It was late. It was, you know, 11:30 or something like that. And we called it a night because in that meeting and previously they had already asked me to, you know, come the next morning to be a guest of Joe Biden's at his Moonshot speech where he was addressing the entire Milken Conference," Bobulinski testified.
Meanwhile, comparing testimonies of James Biden and others who have answered questions as part of the impeachment inquiry, there appears to be a contradiction related to whether Joe Biden met with the chairman of Chinese energy firm CEFC.
Rob Walker, a former business associate of the Biden family, testified that Joe Biden met with Chairman Ye Jianming of CEFC at the Four Seasons in Washington D.C. in 2017.
Walker, during his closed-door transcribed interview, told congressional investigators that Joe Biden attended a meeting where he, Hunter Biden, their other business partners and CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming were having lunch.
"I don’t remember the exact time, but I remember being in Washington, D.C., and the former vice president stopped by. We were having lunch," Walker testified, according to a transcript of his interview reviewed by Fox News Digital.
"The former vice president was not there the entire time. He was there maybe 10 minutes," Walker said. "He spoke nice, you know, normal pleasantries. I think he probably did most of the talking and then left."
Walker testified that Biden addressed the entire group—which consisted of approximately 10 CEFC-linked individuals— during his visit.
During Hunter Biden's testimony on Wednesday, he was asked about the meeting, and said he did not recall, but said: "I do not contest or would question if Rob has a memory. I do not have a memory of the date of that."
James Biden, during his testimony, said he had "no knowledge" of a meeting happening between Joe Biden and Ye.
"Absolutely 100 percent. That’s my knowledge. I have no knowledge of that ever happening," he testified.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday, after hearing testimony from Hunter Biden, James Biden, and their ex-business associates, said the impeachment inquiry against President Biden would move into its "next phase," and hopes to hold public hearings.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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