WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) — U.S. House Republicans are warning Hunter Biden that they will move to hold him in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t appear for a closed-door deposition.

Hunter Biden has insisted he will testify only to the House if it’s in public. But in a letter sent to his attorney Wednesday, top Republicans told him their subpoena for a closed-door deposition on Dec. 13 is non-negotiable.

“Contrary to the assertions in your letter, there is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make,” wrote Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Biden has told Republicans he will not testify in private because information from those interviews can be leaked selectively and used to “manipulate, even distort, the facts and misinform the American public.”

The response to the committee aligns with the more forceful approach Hunter Biden’s legal team has taken as congressional Republicans pursue an impeachment inquiry seeking to tie his father, President Joe Biden, to his business dealings.

President Biden on Wednesday dismissed as “lies” claims that he behaved illegally or unethically regarding the business dealings of his son.

“I’m not going to comment on it,” Biden said of the GOP allegations. “I did not. It’s just a bunch of lies. They’re lies.”

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