Hunter Biden makes surprise appearance at own contempt hearing ...

Hunter Biden made a surprise visit to a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday, stirring a political frenzy as Republicans took the first step toward holding US President Joe Biden's son in contempt of Congress for not testifying in their impeachment inquiry targeting his father.

Key points:The son of US President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance at Capitol Hill, but did not speak during the hearingThe GOP is attempting to have Hunter Biden held in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoenaDemocrats argued Mr Biden, who has refused to testify to the panel behind closed doors, should be allowed to speak publicly

The arrival of the president's son at the Oversight Committee, sitting silently in the audience with his legal team, including attorney Abbe Lowell, sent the panel working to impeach the president into chaos.

Republican Nancy Mace of South Carolina insisted that Hunter Biden be quickly arrested. GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia called him a coward as he left during her remarks.

Ms Mace called Mr Biden's appearance a "PR stunt" and described him as "the epitome of white privilege".

"It does not matter who you are … who your father is or your last name. Yes, I'm looking at you, Hunter Biden," she said. "You are not above the law … Hunter Biden, you are too afraid to show up for a deposition. And you still are, today."

As the session unravelled into shouting matches, Ms Mace claimed that Hunter Biden "wasn't afraid to trade access to Joe Biden" but was "afraid" to comply with the subpoena ordering him to testify to the committee.

Democrats responded scornfully.

"He's here. He doesn't seem to be too afraid," Representative Jared Moskowitz said, referring to Hunter Biden.

"The only people afraid to hear from the witness, with the American people watching, are my friends on the other side of the aisle," he added, rattling off a list of Republican officials who defied their own subpoenas to testify about the 2021 assault on the US Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Democrats argued that Hunter Biden, who has refused to testify to the panel behind closed doors, should be allowed to speak publicly.

Hunter Biden has defended his lack of compliance with the GOP-issued subpoena, which ordered him to appear for closed-door testimony in mid-December.

He and his attorneys said information from private interviews could be selectively leaked and manipulated by House Republicans and insisted that he would only testify in public.

On Wednesday, Committee Chairman James Comer struggled to regain control. "Mr Biden doesn't make the rules, we make the rules," he said.

Democrats rattle off a list of Republican officials who defied their own subpoenas to testify about the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol.(Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)

Hunter Biden and his attorneys left shortly after, making a brief statement to reporters outside the hearing room.

Mr Lowell reiterated that, unlike the president, his client "was and is a private citizen".

"Despite this, Republicans have sought to use him as a surrogate to attack his father," he said.

"And, despite their improper partisan motives, on six different occasions since February of 2023 we have offered to work with the House committees to see what and how relevant information to any legitimate inquiry could be provided."

The only remarks Hunter Biden made to reporters came when he was asked why he had his father on speaker phone several times during business meetings.

"If he called you, would you answer the phone?" he responded.

House committees vote to push ahead with contempt charge

Republicans advanced the charge against Hunter Biden to a full House vote just hours after his appearance for part of the debate.

The House Oversight and Judiciary committees each passed contempt charges against the younger Biden with unanimous Republican support and all Democrats opposed.

The action sets up a House vote on recommending criminal charges against a member of President Joe Biden's family as the GOP moves into the final stages of an impeachment inquiry into the president himself.

If the House votes to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, it will be up to the US Department of Justice to decide whether to prosecute.

It's the latest step for the inquiry, which began in September, but has so far failed to uncover evidence directly implicating the president in wrongdoing involving his son's business dealings.

Contempt of Congress is punishable by a fine of up to $US100,000 ($150,000) and imprisonment for one to 12 months.

The contempt referral would be yet another headache for federal prosecutors already under heavy scrutiny for their handling of charges against Hunter Biden related to his taxes and gun use.

Shelving the contempt of Congress charges would likely further stoke conservative criticism that the Justice Department is politicised — especially given that two one-time advisers to Mr Trump were prosecuted for contempt of Congress by the Biden administration.

But prosecuting contempt cases can be difficult.

Further angering Republicans, Hunter Biden had come to the Capitol in December 2023 on the day specified by the subpoena — but not to testify. Instead, he stood behind microphones outside the US Capitol complex and delivered a rare public statement defending his business affairs and castigating the investigations into him and his family.

"There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen," the president's son said in those remarks.

He added:

"There is no fairness or decency in what these Republicans are doing — they have lied over and over about every aspect of my personal and professional life — so much so that their lies have become the false facts believed by too many people."

The contempt resolution, released by Republicans on Monday, reads: "Mr Biden's flagrant defiance of the Committees's deposition subpoenas — while choosing to appear nearby on the Capitol grounds to read a prepared statement on the same matters — is contemptuous, and he must be held accountable for his unlawful actions."

While Republicans say their inquiry is ultimately focused on the president, they have taken particular interest in Hunter Biden and his overseas business dealings, questioning whether the president profited from that work.

Republicans have also focused a large part of their investigation on whistleblower allegations that there has been political interference in the long-running US Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden.

On Thursday, Hunter Biden is scheduled to make his first court appearance on tax charges filed by a special counsel in Los Angeles. He is facing three felony and six misdemeanour counts, including filing a false return, tax evasion, failure to file and failure to pay.

His lawyer has accused David Weiss, the special counsel overseeing the case, of "bowing to Republican pressure" by bringing the charges.

Wires/ABC