House Republicans held an interview with Mervyn Yan, a former business associate of Hunter and James Biden, who asserted in a letter to Congress that he had no contact with President Joe Biden. The letter, addressed to House Oversight Chairman James Comer, is the latest instance of a witness challenging Republican claims linked to their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
The committees involved in the investigation had subpoenaed Mervyn Yan in November, suggesting he might have information about the president’s involvement in his family’s business dealings, an unproven allegation at the core of the probe.
In response, Yan’s lawyer wrote to Congress on Wednesday, disputing the claims. According to Yan’s attorney, Soumya Dayananda, throughout his interactions with Hunter and James Biden, Mervyn Yan never had any contact with President Biden, and he was unaware of any involvement the president may have had in his son’s business pursuits.
Dayananda highlighted that Yan is not a public official and should not be a target for inquiry, emphasizing that he had no professional contact or communication with President Biden. This assertion was previously outlined in a letter sent in May 2023, in response to a separate subpoena from the House Oversight Committee seeking documents related to Yan’s business dealings.
Mervyn Yan, a Chinese-American businessman, had collaborated with Hunter and James Biden on a joint venture involving a Chinese-backed energy company that dissolved in 2018. Yan worked as an independent consultant on the joint venture known as Hudson West III.
As part of the joint venture agreement, Hunter Biden received a monthly compensation of $100,000, and James Biden received $65,000 monthly. Yan stated that he was unaware of the source of funding for the initial $5 million operating budget.
The House Oversight Committee is examining the veracity of Yan’s attorney’s letter, with Republican members expressing concerns about the claims made. Following the interview, Comer stated that Mervyn Yan admitted on the record that the Bidens had no experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors, raising questions about their dealings with the Chinese government-linked energy firm. The transcript of Mervyn Yan’s interview is expected to be released soon.
Meanwhile, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin, stated after the interview that Mervyn Yan testified he had no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden. According to Yan, President Biden was not involved in, did not profit from, and took no official actions related to his family’s business dealings.
Republicans continue to focus on Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, expressing concerns about transactions stemming from the joint venture with Mervyn Yan.
