As part of a yearlong impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and his family business dealings, U.S. House Republicans issued criminal referrals on Wednesday against Mr Biden’s sons, Hunter and James, for making false statements to Congress.

According to VOA, the Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees sent a letter to the Justice Department calling for the prosecution of the Biden brothers for lying in the ongoing probe into Mr Biden.

The Bidens were accused of making a “conscious effort” to undermine the House’s investigation.

Representative Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the IRS whistleblowers’ testimony showed that Mr Hunter lied to Congress thrice during his February 28 deposition.

“I think the Justice Department needs to look at that and act accordingly. When you lie to Congress, that is a serious violation of the law. It’s a felony,” said Smith. “The president’s son should not be treated any differently than any other American,” he said.

Meanwhile, the president’s first son’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, discarded the referral letter as a distraction, saying they are “nothing more than a desperate attempt by Republicans to twist his testimony so they can distract from their failed impeachment inquiry and interfere with his trial.”

On the other hand, Paul Fishman, the younger Biden’s lawyer, echoed Mr Lowell’s position, calling it a “baseless partisan action” while maintaining that his client has “always maintained that Joe Biden never had any involvement in his business dealings.”