House Republicans have released the text of a contempt of Congress resolution for Hunter Biden after the president’s son refused to comply with a subpoena and submit to a closed-door deposition by Oversight Committee investigators. Mr. Biden fils, who already has two impending criminal trials on his calendar, is at risk of being prosecuted by the United States attorney at the District of Columbia. 

The chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Congressman James Comer, who is leading the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, released the one-page contempt resolution on Monday along with a report detailing what he called the first son’s flagrant disregard for the subpoena that was issued for his deposition in November. 

“The form of the Resolution that the Committee on Oversight and Accountability would recommend to the House of Representatives citing Robert Hunter Biden for contempt of Congress,” the resolution states. It directs the “appropriate” United States attorney — in this case, the District of Columbia’s Matthew Graves — to investigate Mr. Biden “in the manner and form provided by law.”

Should the prosecutor choose to impanel a grand jury and seek charges against Mr. Biden and should he be convicted, he would face up to one year in federal prison. 

Mr. Comer’s report states that Mr. Biden violated federal law that requires, “Every person who having been summoned as a witness by the authority of either House of Congress to give testimony.” Mr. Biden appeared on Capitol Hill on December 13 — the same day he was required to give a deposition — to tell members of the press that he would not appear privately but was willing to testify before a full meeting of the Oversight Committee where he would have the opportunity to filibuster and receive a strong defense from the panel’s Democratic members. 

“I’m here today to make sure that the House committees’ illegitimate investigations of my family do not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence, and lies,” the first son told assembled reporters. “For six years, I have been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine, shouting: ‘Where’s Hunter?’” he added. “Here’s my answer: I am here.”

Mr. Comer’s report states that his appearance that day and his refusal to answer questions represented a violation of the law and was worthy of a contempt of Congress resolution. 

“Mr. Biden’s flagrant defiance of the Committees’ deposition subpoenas — while choosing to appear nearby on the Capitol grounds to read a prepared statement on the same matters — is contemptuous, and he must be held accountable for his unlawful actions,” the report states. “Accordingly, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability recommends that Congress find Robert Hunter Biden in contempt for his failure to comply with the Committee subpoena issued to him.”

Shortly before Congress’s Christmas vacation, the House passed a formal impeachment inquiry authorization that Speaker Johnson said would bring his chamber to the “apex” of its legal, constitutional authority in enforcing subpoenas issued as part of the impeachment effort. 

Mr. Comer cites that House vote as proof that his committee is authorized to pursue, to the fullest extent of the law, Mr. Biden as a key fact witness in the inquiry. 

“The deposition subpoenas to Mr. Biden were issued as part of the Committees’ impeachment inquiry,” the report continues. “As will be explained in detail below, Mr. Biden’s testimony is necessary for the Committees to determine whether sufficient grounds exist for the Committees to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden.”

Having received millions of dollars from overseas business ventures that traded off his father’s name during the Obama administration, the younger Mr. Biden has information that GOP investigators believe is related to Republicans’ allegations that members of the Biden family illegally enriched themselves. 

The committee is seeking Mr. Biden’s “knowledge of President Biden’s involvement in his family’s business dealings, and whether the elder Mr. Biden, as President and/or Vice President, took any official action or effected any change in government policy to enrich or improperly benefit himself or his family, or traded access or the appearance of access to himself and his office in exchange for payments to himself or his family.”