An attorney representing Hunter Biden in his ongoing legal battles met with first lady Jill Biden’s top aide in the East Wing of the White House days before the first son defied a congressional subpoena.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, met with Anthony Bernal, Jill Biden’s top staffer on Dec. 11, 2023, White House visitor logs show. Just two days later, Hunter Biden defied a subpoena to appear before the House Oversight Committee, opting to hold a press conference at the Capitol instead.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House’s press secretary, later said that President Joe Biden was “familiar” with what his son planned to say the day he skipped out on his congressional deposition, The Hill reported.
Bernal is known in some circles as Jill Biden’s “work husband,” and has been hit with sexual assault allegations, according to the New York Post.
The date of the meeting between Lowell and Bernal coincided with a White House Hanukkah reception. Lowell had one meeting that day with the president, and logs indicate that 789 people were present, indicating that this was likely the Hanukkah event.
Lowell’s meeting with Bernal, though falling on the same day, was one-on-one, according to visitor logs.
The White House told the New York Post, which first reported on the logs, that both of Lowell’s meetings were related to the Hanukkah reception held that day, and that Hunter Biden was not discussed.
After defying congressional subpoena on Dec. 13, 2023, Hunter Biden attacked the House Oversight Committee’s investigation as “illegitimate” and claimed that his father had no involvement in his business dealings.
“Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma. Not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman. Not my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist,” he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
