Hunter Biden’s attorney on Friday requested that a congressional ethics panel take action against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), citing her use of sexually explicit images of the president’s son that she displayed during a congressional hearing earlier this week.
“Your colleague has lowered herself, and by extension the entire House of Representatives, to a new level of abhorrent behavior that blatantly violates House Ethics rules and standards of official conduct,” Abbe Lowell wrote in a four-page letter sent to the Office of Congressional Ethics. “If the OCE takes its responsibilities seriously, it will promptly and decisively condemn and discipline Ms. Greene for her latest actions.”
Lowell wrote that he was updating an earlier request, sent in April, that sought an investigation into various comments that Greene had made about Hunter Biden. That letter cited social media posts in which Greene baselessly accused the 53-year-old Biden of being linked to “an Eastern prostitution or human trafficking ring.”
She had also posted photos of Hunter Biden driving his niece and her cousin in President Biden’s convertible, falsely alleging he was “on crack” and with prostitutes.
The Office of Congressional Ethics is an independent, nonpartisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct by House members and, when appropriate, referring matters to the House Ethics Committee, which is composed of lawmakers and divided equally between the parties. All OCE investigations are confidential, and the office declined to comment.
Greene’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Wednesday, Greene went a step further and used a more prominent public platform than she had previously.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee was hearing testimony that day from two Internal Revenue Service employees who had been part of a federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax returns. They contend the inquiry was flawed, an assertion denied by the Justice Department and Hunter Biden’s team.
When it was Greene’s turn to question the agents, she began by saying, “I would like to let the committee and everyone watching at home know that parental discretion is advised.” Greene’s exhibition of the nude images drew immediate protests from Democrats on the committee.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the images “pornographic” and accused Republicans of reaching a “new low.” She added, “Frankly, I don’t care who you are in this country, no one deserves that.” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the committee, also raised protests.
Hunter Biden has acknowledged suffering from a serious drug problem at the time the photos were taken, and he has written extensively about his struggles with addiction.
Lowell noted in his letter that while the faces of other people in the photographs were blocked with black boxes, Hunter Biden’s face was not censored.
Of Greene, Lowell wrote: “None of her actions or statements could possibly be deemed to be part of any legitimate legislative activity, as is clear from both the content of her statements and her conduct and the forums she uses to spew her unhinged rhetoric.’
Lowell added that Greene, far from backing down or apologizing for her actions, has highlighted them in social media posts over the past two days, as well as sending fundraising emails that include links to the images she displayed.
When Lowell filed the initial letter to the ethics office in April, Greene was dismissive.
“Hunter is upset over my statements,” the congresswoman wrote on Twitter at the time. “Well Hunter, the entire country is pissed off about your obvious influence peddling with your Daddy’s political power.” (The White House and Hunter Biden’s team have rejected claims that he improperly took advantage of his father’s position.)
Greene suggested that Hunter Biden “come chat” with Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, adding, “We have a lot of questions.”
