House Republicans requested on Wednesday to see all communications between Hunter Biden and President Joe Biden that relate to Hunter Biden defying a subpoena to testify before Congress earlier this month, trying to determine whether the president advised his son not to comply with the subpoena.

Oversight and Judiciary Committee chairs James Comer (R-KY) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) requested the documents in a letter to White House Counsel and assistant Edward Siskel.

The committees want all “documents and communications sent or received by employees of the Executive Office of the President regarding the deposition of Hunter Biden,” as well as any records "sent or received by employees of the Executive Office of the President regarding President Biden’s statement about his family’s business associates on December 6, 2023.”

Republicans don't know whether any such communications actually exist, they acknowledge.

Questions persist

“In light of an official statement from the White House that President Biden was aware in advance that his son, Hunter Biden, would knowingly defy two congressional subpoenas, we are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the President engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress,” Comer and Jordan wrote.

"The fact that the President had advanced awareness that Mr. Biden would defy the Committees’ subpoenas raises a troubling new question that we must examine: whether the President corruptly sought to influence or obstruct the Committees’ proceeding by preventing, discouraging, or dissuading his son from complying with the Committees’ subpoenas. Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense,” they added.

Hunter Biden refused to appear before Congress as ordered on December 13, instead holding a press conference to blast Republicans and say that he would only appear for a subpoena if the entire thing were public instead of behind closed doors.

The president's son may be held in contempt over his refusal.

Obstruction of justice

Congress's concern over the president's involvement stems from a comment made by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that the president knew in advance that his son was going to defy the subpoena.

“The president was certainly familiar with what his son was going to say,” Jean-Pierre said.

If Biden did advise his son to defy the subpoena out of fear about what he would say in a deposition, it constitutes obstruction of justice and would be an impeachable offense.

The request for documents is part of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden to determine whether to impeach him.

The focus until now has been on the financial records of Biden and other family members, looking at the possibility that Biden provided favors for foreign business associates of Hunter Biden and other family members.

Bank records show that over $24 million went to Biden family members, and some of it ended up in President Joe Biden's bank account.