On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Laura Coates Live,” host Laura Coates said that the request from House Republicans that Hunter Biden testify behind closed doors before testifying publicly is like what happens in trials where witnesses are deposed or there are grand jury proceedings before a trial and there’s a record of someone’s testimony before trial.
Coates began by saying, “One may not be able to blame him, because I’m sure he wants to have it out in the open so no one can sort of twist what he says and tell their own version in front of some podium.”
Former Associate White House Counsel to President George W. Bush Jamil Jaffer responded, “Yeah, look, this is a hard one, because House Republicans are saying, this is an investigation, we get a deposition, we get to hear what you have to say first. And Hunter Biden says, you want to hear what I have to say? I’ll do it in public.”
He added, “This is like an investigation, when you’re like, I want to know what’s going on, I want to know if there’s something there there, and then we’ll have a trial, a hearing, whatever. And by the way, now I’ve got you on the record. So, if you say anything different, I can impeach you with the deposition I’ve got in front of me. Standard investigation, not typical for Congress, other than in an investigative capacity. Hunter Biden playing — making a smart political move and saying hey, you want to hear from me? Let’s do it in public. Let’s let the American people judge.”
Coates then said, “It really is a game of chicken in a way, but you’re right when you talk about this not being unlike what normally happens in maybe a litigation, you’ve got a deposition, then a trial, or you’ve got a grand jury behind closed doors and then an open trial for the impeachment about someone’s credibility.”
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