House Republicans immediately announced they are taking action against Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, after he refused to participate in a closed-door deposition related to his foreign business dealings. The move comes after Hunter gave a speech on Capitol Hill claiming that his father was not involved in his business endeavors overseas.

Now, Hunter could be facing contempt charges.

The Republican chairman behind the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden said Wednesday they will start contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden for not participating in his closed-door deposition on Wednesday, after he demanded to testify publicly.

“Hunter Biden today defied lawful subpoenas and we will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” said House Oversight Chair James Comer and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan in a joint statement. “We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden.”

This is an investigation of public corruption at the highest levels of government.

Hunter Biden does not get to dictate the terms of our subpoena. pic.twitter.com/pZtITG14A8

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) December 13, 2023

While addressing reporters, Hunter accused House Republicans of trying to “dehumanize me all to embarrass and damage my father” and argued that “for six years, I have been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine shouting ‘Where’s Hunter?’”

He added: “Well, here is my answer: I am here.”

Hunter Biden moves the goalposts again: "My father was not financially involved in my business" pic.twitter.com/n9L3miu2h8

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 13, 2023

House Republicans had issued a subpoena for Hunter to appear for a closed-door deposition on Wednesday to answer questions about his business dealings and the extent of the president’s knowledge and involvement in them. Hunter responded by demanding a public hearing on the matter. During the press conference, Hunter defended his father:

“Let me state as clearly as I can, my father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not in my partnership with the Chinese private businessman, not in my investments home nor abroad, and certainly not as an artist.”

After the House votes to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress, the matter will go to the Department of Justice, which will decide whether to arrest and prosecute the president’s son.

This development came as the House is preparing to vote on authorizing an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, which would open the next phase of House Republicans’ probe into the president.

 Three House committees have been investigating whether the president benefited from any of his son Hunter Biden’s overseas business activities as well as probing other allegations of wrongdoing. But White House counsel has questioned the committees’ legal standing and stymied their path forward as they’ve sought to subpoena the Biden family and others without a chamber-wide vote to formally open the inquiry.

While former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced in September that he would direct the committee leaders to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden, citing a “culture of corruption” around the chief executive, the California Republican opted to forgo what would have likely been a contentious floor vote, opening the inquiry unilaterally in a move that has prompted the White House to call its legal standing into question.