WASHINGTON — The House Oversight and Judiciary committees announced Wednesday that they have scheduled a closed-door transcribed interview with President Joe Biden’s brother James Biden for Feb. 21.
The interview is part of the House GOP's impeachment inquiry into the president. Republicans are interested in James Biden's business dealings and want to see if the president was involved with those activities or used his influence to benefit them. The committees have not yet provided evidence to support such a claim.
James Biden's interview is scheduled to take place just a week before the president's son Hunter Biden is set to appear for a similar transcribed interview on Feb. 28. That followed a monthslong standoff between both sides over how and when the president's son would provide testimony to Congress.
NBC News has reached out to James Biden’s attorneys for comment.
In November, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued subpoenas as part of the GOP's impeachment inquiry, including one for James Biden. At the time, the panel said financial records it obtained allegedly showed that 20 shell companies set up by members of the Biden family, most of which while Joe Biden was vice president, were part of an effort to conceal payments from foreign adversaries.
The White House has categorically rejected accusations of wrongdoing by the president, pointing out that Republicans have not presented any evidence that supports their claims. Biden aides have said that the GOP wants to impeach the president for the purpose of political payback, taking revenge for the two impeachments of former President Donald Trump.
The House voted in December to formally authorize the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, which Republicans said they believed would help empower them in enforcing subpoenas in court.
