Senate committee delays subpoena related to Burisma, Biden
WASHINGTON _ Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson said he is postponing a committee vote to subpoena a witness linked to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings when former Vice President Joe Biden's son served on its board.
The decision is a reversal from Johnson's announcement last week that he was moving to compel the testimony of a former consultant to a U.S.-based firm that represented Burisma when Hunter Biden was a well-paid board member, at a time his father oversaw U.S. policy on Ukraine.
Without providing precise reasons, Johnson told fellow members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that he planned to postpone the subpoena "out of an abundance of caution." The committee had been scheduled to vote Wednesday.
Johnson and Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley have been investigating the Bidens for potential conflicts of interest involving Ukraine and China, where Hunter Biden also did business. Shortly after President Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate on impeachment charges last month, the chairmen said they were seeking records of Hunter Biden's travel.
House Democrats impeached Trump in December on charges of abusing his power and obstructing Congress in an effort to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Trump and his allies say such an investigation was warranted, given Hunter Biden's position on Burisma's board.
_ Bloomberg News
