Hunter Biden's Attorney Files Ethics Complaint on MTG

UPDATE Jul 21, 2023 3:10 PM CDT

Hunter Biden's attorney has filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after she showed explicit photos of him during a congressional hearing, reports the Hill. Abbe David Lowell condemned Greene's "abhorrent behavior" in a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics. The "House has a duty to make loud and clear that it does not endorse, condone, or agree with her outrageous, undignified conduct and brazen violations of the standards of official conduct," wrote Lowell. Greene has said the images were fair game as part of her questioning of two IRS whistleblowers who had investigated Hunter Biden's behavior and tax write-offs.

Jul 20, 2023 8:29 AM CDT

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene prefaced her questioning of two IRS agents at a House committee hearing Wednesday with an unusual warning: "I would like to let the committee and everyone watching at home know that parental discretion is advised," she said, per the Hill. Near the end of her allotted time, the reason became clear: She held up poster boards showing photos of Hunter Biden engaging in sexual acts (parts of the photos were obscured, but not Biden's face). Greene has taken heavy flak from Democrats for the move, but she is defending the decision. Coverage:

• The hearing: The House Oversight Committee heard from two IRS whistleblowers who say the agency's investigation of Biden (which resulted in misdemeanor charges) was too lenient, per the Washington Post. Special Agent Joseph Ziegler and supervisor Gary Shapley alleged he made improper business deductions that were really for things such as sex clubs.
• The images: "So, when Hunter Biden paid for this woman to do this with him, to travel across state lines from California to Washington, DC, on June 15, this is a violation of the Mann Act. This was prostitution," Greene said, holding up one of the images, per Fox News. The images purportedly came from Biden's infamous laptop, the one that had been left at a repair shop.

• Objections: Democrats cried foul during the hearing itself and afterward. "Frankly, I don't care who you are in this country, no one deserves that," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her closing remarks. She called the images "pornographic." The panel's top Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin, called them "completely irrelevant" and "deliberately provocative." Similar sentiments abounded. Biden's attorney added, "We are curious to hear how that instance of pure harassment of a private person's personal life informed Congress of some real gap in our tax laws."
• MTG's defense: Greene defended the move to Newsweek, asserting that Biden was "making pornography" and engaging with prostitutes and writing it off to taxpayers. "So, this is shocking and this is actually the evidence that I believe the American people deserve to see because when the American people can see this evidence, as uncomfortable as it was for me to show it on the Oversight Committee today, I believe that's how they can hold this government accountable."
• From the right: Twitchy mocks Democrats who got "the vapors" over the images and rounds up tweets to that effect. A common sentiment: "These are the same Democrats that want this material IN OUR KIDS' SCHOOLS," writes one critic, Rep. Byron Donalds. "Please spare me the outrage."

(More Marjorie Taylor Greene stories.)