Comer invites Hunter Biden to return to Capitol Hill for public hearing

A week after Hunter Biden testified in closed-door proceeding before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has invited the president's son to return to Capitol Hill later this month, fulfilling Comer's pledge to have him testify in public as the next phase of his impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

On Wednesday, Comer called on Hunter Biden to appear for a public hearing on March 20 alongside three of his former business associates who expressed varying degrees of contempt for the first family in recent closed-door depositions before the committee.

Referring to Hunter Biden's overseas business pursuits, Comer said in a statement Wednesday, "During our deposition and interview phase of the investigation, Hunter Biden confirmed evidence about Joe Biden's involvement, yet his testimony conflicts with other witnesses' testimonies."

In his closed-door deposition last week, Hunter Biden acknowledged making mistakes in his personal and professional life and spoke openly about his years' of addiction, but vehemently and repeatedly denied that his father had any involvement in his business life.

Comer added that "given the president son's repeated calls for a public hearing," he "fully expects" him to attend.

A representative from Hunter Biden's legal team told ABC News Wednesday that they had "received Rep. Comer's letter late today and will respond in writing." Prior to his closed-door appearance, the younger Biden had expressed a willingness to testify in public.

Comer's overture comes at a turbulent time for Republicans as their faltering impeachment inquiry into the president faces renewed criticism. After more than a year of investigation, Comer and his colleagues have yet to uncover firm evidence to substantiate claims that the president behaved improperly or illegally to benefit his family's business endeavors.

Republicans also suffered an embarrassing setback with the indictment of ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, after prosecutors allege that his bribery allegation against Joe and Hunter Biden, which had served as a central tenet of House Republicans' claims of impropriety, was a lie.

As part of the committee's planned March 20 hearing, which Comer has dubbed "Influence Peddling: Examining Joe Biden's Abuse of Public Office," Republicans invited former Hunter Biden business associates Devon Archer, Jason Galanis, and Tony Bobulinski -- each of whom has since turned into a critic of Hunter Biden and the Biden family.

Matthew Schwartz, an attorney for Archer -- who is preparing to report to prison for defrauding a Native American tribe -- said that, "If and when representatives of the committee contact Mr. Archer, we will be happy to discuss the parameters of his continued cooperation."

Mark Paoletta, an attorney for Galanis -- who is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence in Alabama for securities fraud -- said his client "is willing to testify at this hearing to provide his firsthand knowledge of then-Vice President Joe Biden helping his son Hunter Biden in his business dealings."

A representative for Bobulinski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.