Republicans plan new criminal investigation into Hunter Biden

Republicans in the House are eyeing a new attack on President Joe Biden's son.

According to Fox's congressional reporter Chad Pergram, GOP members are saying Hunter Biden delivered "falsehoods" while giving a deposition to Congress during an impeachment hearing involving his father, and they are seeking a criminal referral to the Justice Department.

Read Also: Hunter Biden wants to testify openly — but Republicans won’t let him

According to the Fox report, House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) says Biden "mischaracterized" his role working for his own firm, Rosemont Seneca. Biden said that he didn't "control" the bank accounts for the company and they were not "affiliated with him."

The company was co-owned by Biden and associate Devon Archer. Both men were on the account, Archer claimed.

Since the testimony, Republican Reps. James Comer (KY) and Jim Jordan (OH) claimed Archer delivered damaging testimony that would be important to their impeachment efforts.

The Washington Post characterized Archer's testimony, saying, "Hunter Biden wanted to give the impression he could bend Joe Biden’s will but, in private conversation, he said he couldn’t."

“He was getting paid a lot of money,” Archer said, talking about Biden's connection with the Ukrainian company Burisma, which Biden was on the board of and which is at the center of Republicans' bribery allegations. “And I think, you know, he wanted to show value," Archer went on.

According to Smith, however, Burisma was depositing the pay for Hunter Biden's board membership into their business account.

Smith then claims that foreign wires were "allegedly" transferred from a Porsche dealer "through an entity' used to buy Hunter Biden's car. Under questioning, Hunter Biden was asked about a "corporate secretary," which he said he didn't know existed.

Smith makes it clear that he can't confirm the facts of the accusation. Smith then alleges that when buying the Porsche, Biden confirmed his employment by agreeing, "I, Robert Hunter Biden, hereby certify that I am the duly elected, qualified and acting Secretary of Rosemont Seneca Bohai, LLC."

A board secretary is not the same as a corporate secretary.

The third statement Republicans allege Biden lied about was when he said the phrase, "I’d never pick up the phone and call anybody for a visa."

Smith said that there was an email they "obtained" between Archer, Biden and a Ukrainian associate about Burisma's CEO having his visa revoked and other limitations on his foreign travel.

The email from Archer reads: "Considering we are having dinner with the Foreign Minister Thursday night, we think we might have a good shot of smoothing things out. As follow up please sent Hunter an email with all [his] passport and visa documents and evidence and copy me. We'll take it from there."

Smith says that Archer and Biden passing off the information was the same as "picking up the phone" to "call anybody for a visa."

Finally, Smith claims that Biden lied about WhatsApp messages to a Chinese business associate, Raymond Zhao, saying that he had messaged the wrong Zhao when he sent it. Smith claims Biden is lying because there is no other Zhao in Biden's phone.

See the full report here.