Washington——

Hunter Biden appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify behind closed doors with lawmakers, a critical moment for Republicans as their impeachment inquiry into his father and family’s business affairs teeters on the brink of collapse.

“I am here today to provide the committee with an indisputable fact that should put an end to the false premise of this investigation: I did not involve my father in my investigation,” Hunter Biden said in an opening statement obtained by The Associated Press. business.”

The testimony could mark a defining moment in the 14-month Republican investigation into the Biden family, which has focused on Hunter Biden and his overseas work for clients in Ukraine, China, Romania and other countries. Republicans have long questioned whether the business dealings involved corruption and influence-peddling by President Joe Biden, particularly during his tenure as vice president.

However, after conducting dozens of interviews and obtaining more than 100,000 pages of documents, Republicans have yet to provide direct evidence of wrongdoing by the president. Meanwhile, an FBI informant who accused the Bidens of participating in a bribery scheme — a claim repeatedly cited by Republicans to justify their investigation — is facing charges from federal prosecutors that he fabricated the story .

Despite the risks of the investigation, it’s unclear how much useful information Republicans will be able to gain from Hunter Biden during his testimony. He is under federal investigation and has been indicted in Delaware on nine federal tax charges and one firearms charge, meaning he can refuse to answer some questions by asserting his Fifth Amendment rights.

The task of interviewing Hunter fell largely on Republican Chairman James Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan, who are leading the impeachment inquiry. They first subpoenaed Hunter Biden in November, asking him to appear before lawmakers in private. Biden and his lawyers refused, warning that his testimony could be selectively leaked and manipulated. They insist Hunter Biden will only testify publicly.

On the day he issued the subpoena, Hunter Biden not only snubbed lawmakers waiting for him in the hearing room, he also held a press conference outside the Capitol to denounce the investigation into his family.

The two sides finally agreed in January to proceed with private depositions, which came with a series of conditions. Hunter Biden’s interview will not be filmed, and Republicans have agreed to quickly release the transcript.

“Our committee has the opportunity to document this evidence to depose Hunter Biden, a key witness in our impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Cuomo said in a statement to The Associated Press. .” “This testimony is not the conclusion of the impeachment inquiry. There will be more subpoenas and witness interviews.”

Hunter would be the second member of the Biden family to be questioned by Republicans in recent days. Last week they conducted more than eight hours of interviews with the president’s brother, James Biden. He insisted to lawmakers that Joe Biden “has never been financially or otherwise involved” in his business activities.

A highlight of the interview was developments on the other side of the country in Nevada, where federal prosecutors this month indicted FBI informant Alexander Smirnov over what he claimed was a conspiracy involving the president, his son Hunter and A Ukrainian man’s multi-million dollar bribery scheme. Energy company. Prosecutors in court documents claimed that Smirnov had “extensive and recent” contacts with people in Russian intelligence services.

Smirnov’s lawyer said he is presumed innocent.

Republicans pressured the FBI last summer over the informant’s claims, demanding access to documents and ultimately releasing the uncorroborated information to the public. House Republicans cited the claim multiple times in letters sent to impeachment witnesses.

Many Republican lawmakers said they have yet to see evidence of the “high crimes and misdemeanors” required for impeachment, despite alleged efforts by Biden family members to use their last name to influence paydays at domestic and foreign businesses.

But the Republican chairmen leading the impeachment effort are undeterred by a series of setbacks in their massive investigation. Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said last week that the whistleblower indictment “does not change the basic facts” that the Biden family sought to profit from the family name in several overseas businesses.

Cuomo told Fox News on Tuesday that Smirnoff was never “a critical part of this investigation.”

Both Cuomo and Jordan have maintained over the past year that their investigations and inquiries have focused solely on Joe Biden and what actions, if any, he took to benefit him while he was vice president or president family. But at nearly every turn, their investigation was consistent and focused on Hunter Biden. There have been multiple lines of inquiry into Hunter’s international business, art sales, and even his personal life and on-again, off-again battle with drug addiction.

Hunter Biden, meanwhile, has had no shortage of legal headaches on Capitol Hill as he faces criminal charges in two states being investigated by a special counsel. He was charged with gun possession in Delaware, accusing him of violating a law prohibiting drug users from possessing guns in 2018, when he admitted he was battling drug addiction. Special prosecutor David Weiss filed additional charges late last year alleging he failed to pay about $1.4 million in taxes over three years.

He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.