Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Hunter Biden pulled off his surprise appearance at the Capitol on Wednesday morning with the help of a fellow California resident: Eric Swalwell.<\/p>\n
The Democratic lawmaker confirmed to POLITICO that he reserved the \u201cSenate Swamp\u201d \u2014 a spot mere feet from the Capitol that often hosts press conferences \u2014 for Hunter Biden\u2019s dramatic remarks. TV cameras spotted Swalwell beside the president\u2019s son as Hunter Biden sought to go on offense against the House GOP.<\/p>\n
Republicans are expected later Wednesday to formalize an impeachment inquiry focused on President Joe Biden\u2019s relationship with his son. That step will raise pressure on party leaders from conservatives to go further by voting to boot the president from office.<\/p>\n
Which is where Swalwell comes in. As a high-profile Democratic messenger during Donald Trump\u2019s two impeachments, he\u2019s no stranger to hard-hitting GOP attacks<\/a>. He described his decision to help Hunter Biden in starkly personal as well as political terms.<\/p>\n Describing the president\u2019s son as \u201ca recovering addict who has admitted his mistakes and has been clean for many years,\u201d Swalwell said the former president \u201chas directed MAGA Republicans to weaponize Hunter\u2019s past addiction to attack President Biden, someone Trump and House Republicans won\u2019t acknowledge won the 2020 election.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is absolutely zero evidence Hunter or his father acted corruptly,\u201d Swalwell added. \u201cSo I\u2019m not going to sit quietly and let MAGA Republicans do Trump\u2019s bidding in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter Biden\u2019s public address on Wednesday surprised many of the House Republicans who have subpoenaed him to testify behind closed doors about his past business deals. Gaining wall-to-wall cable news coverage, he showed up on GOP lawmakers\u2019 turf to reiterate that he would only testify in public.<\/p>\n Swalwell\u2019s reservation of the Capitol Hill space for his remarks was first reported by<\/a> the Washington Examiner.<\/p>\n One person who knew about the sudden appearance: the president himself. Two people familiar with Wednesday morning\u2019s events told POLITICO that Hunter Biden notified Joe Biden of his plans.<\/p>\n But beyond that, only a small circle of people knew that Hunter Biden would so publicly stiff-arm House Republicans. Over the last few days, the president\u2019s son has huddled with lawyers Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris to plan his remarks, according to a person close to his legal team who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about Wednesday\u2019s appearance.<\/p>\n Lowell joined Biden\u2019s legal team late last year, while Morris has long advocated for Hunter Biden to go on offense against critics. Morris traveled from California to Washington to support Biden in the dramatic moment.<\/p>\n A second person close to Hunter Biden\u2019s legal team, also granted anonymity to speak candidly, said the president\u2019s son chose to speak at the Capitol to underscore that his offer to testify publicly wasn\u2019t a bluff.<\/p>\n \u201cFor six years, I\u2019ve been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine, shouting \u2018Where\u2019s Hunter?\u2019\u201d Hunter Biden told reporters outside the Capitol. \u201cWell, here\u2019s my answer: I am here. \u2026 I am here to testify at a public hearing today.\u201d<\/p>\n Republicans have no plans to take him up on that until he sits for a deposition. As they renew their demand for private testimony, they\u2019re planning to start contempt proceedings against Hunter Biden \u2014 a move unlikely to result in new charges that\u2019s designed to highlight their frustration with the president\u2019s son.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is arrogance,\u201d Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told POLITICO about Hunter Biden\u2019s avoidance of a deposition to talk to reporters across the Capitol.<\/p>\n Neither Comer, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), nor their respective staffs were told in advance of Hunter Biden\u2019s planned appearance. As the president\u2019s son spoke, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and other Republicans were awaiting his potential arrival in the interview room.<\/p>\n White House and campaign aides cheered Hunter Biden\u2019s forceful remarks. Allies of the president say they don\u2019t think his son\u2019s ongoing legal problems will factor into voters\u2019 decision next November \u2014 pointing to polls such as an October Monmouth survey that found<\/a> only 27 percent of the electorate said Hunter Biden\u2019s troubles would make them less likely to support the president.<\/p>\n A GOP Oversight Committee aide told POLITICO that Hunter Biden\u2019s legal team gave no heads-up in advance of his arrival. But the committee was prepared in case Hunter Biden did appear on Republicans\u2019 terms, including setting up cameras to film and drafting hundreds of questions to ask.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re disappointed he didn\u2019t show up. I mean, he was just across the way at the Capitol,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cYou think he could have come here and sat for questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Holly Otterbein and Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report.<\/p>\n