Hunter Biden will be held in CONTEMPT if he doesn't appear for closed-door deposition on December 13: Republicans ramp up their threats to president's son in shady business deals investigation

House Republicans are threatening to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress if he doesn't appear for his closed-door deposition on December 13.

Republicans who subpoenaed Hunter and James Biden on November 8 as part of the investigation into the Biden family's shady business dealings have been embroiled in a back-and-forth with Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell regarding the nature of the first son's appearance before their committees.

Hunter Biden told House Republicans last week that he would testify in public any day in December after he was issued a subpoena for a closed-door interview. 

But Republicans said they want Hunter to testify on the 13th behind closed doors first, and then would discuss holding a second public hearing, in order to ensure he doesn't receive 'special treatment.'

Oversight Chairman James Comer said that Democrats would put on a spectacle with 'yelling and screaming' in an open-hearing format.

In a letter obtained by DailyMail.com Wednesday, Comer and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan responded to Lowell, demanding Hunter appear behind closed doors or they will take legal action against him.

'On November 8, 2023, we issued subpoenas to your client, Robert Hunter Biden, for a deposition on December 13, 2023. We received your letters dated November 28, 2023, and December 6, 2023, concerning the deposition subpoenas,' they write.

'Contrary to the assertions in your letter, there is no “choice” for Mr. Biden to make; the subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on December 13. If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on December 13, 2023, the Committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,' the letter continues.

Earlier Wednesday, Lowell wrote again to Comer reiterating his demands that Hunter appear in a public setting. 

He accuses the Republicans of using closed-door session to 'manipulate, even distort, the facts and misinform the American public.'

'A hearing would ensure transparency and truth in these proceedings,' continued a combative Lowell in the letter reviewed by DailyMail.com. 

But Republicans have strongly pushed back on that claim, with an Oversight Committee spokesperson calling it 'patently false.'

They point to Democratic Ranking Member Jamie Raskin's support of closed-door depositions during the House January 6 Committee's investigation. 

Raskin slammed the Republicans' threat of contempt as 'a joke.'

'Hunter Biden will answer questions under oath in front of the world—but unless he testifies in secret so he can be misquoted, [James Comer] will hold him in contempt?' he wrote on X.

'What a joke. Jim Jordan blew off HIS subpoena. Comer doesn’t want the truth—and can’t handle it.'

If Hunter is held in contempt of Congress, his case would go before the Biden-led Department of Justice. If convicted, he could face up to 12 months jail time or a fine of up to $100,000. 

Hunter Biden has been going on the offensive in the charges against him and his latest volley escalates the battle he's facing with House Republicans. 

New Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also said that the House can expect to vote on the formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden by next week. 

In September, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., unilaterally launched the impeachment proceedings into how Joe Biden may have personally benefitted from his son's business connections. 

But the White House has been stonewalling the Republicans' requests for documents because there was no formal vote on opening the inquiry. 

The Biden family have denied any wrong doing and President Biden has repeatedly said he was not involved in his son's business affairs. 

In November, House Republicans subpoenaed Hunter Biden and President Biden's brother James to testify. James Biden was asked to appear for an interview with the panel on Dec. 6 and has yet to respond.

There are risks for Hunter Biden in testifying in public. 

He is currently under indictment for gun charges brought by special counsel David Weiss where he has pleaded not guilty. 

But additional tax charges could also be handed down, and anything Hunter Biden testified to in a congressional hearing would be admissible in criminal trial. 

Hunter and James were subpoenaed as part of House Republicans' impeachment inquiry in President Biden, which is used to determine whether there is enough evidence to launch a formal impeachment.

They say they have 12-15 more interviews to conduct.

They must then decide whether to vote on impeachment articles - and force moderates to make a politically fraught vote on whether or not to impeach the president. 

Ending an impeachment inquiry without a vote, or with a failed vote, would be an embarrassing defeat for Republicans, and would effectively look like it cleared the president of any wrongdoing.