WASHINGTON — The Kentucky congressman leading the House investigation into the Biden family, which includes looking into the president’s son Hunter Biden, is vowing to press on with the inquiry despite Tuesday’s disclosure that Hunter Biden has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Ever since Republicans took control of the House in January, the oversight committee, led by Republican Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has been investigating what they call “Biden family influence peddling.”

They have repeatedly attempted to link wrongdoing by Hunter Biden to his father, but have not proven a connection. 

Comer told Spectrum News 1, “We are investigating Joe Biden and that’s what I said in December and that’s what I’ll say, today, in June… The reason the president’s son is mentioned so often is because he left a laptop behind.” 

Court papers filed Tuesday show that Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and will enter a diversion program on a charge of illegally possessing a gun. He will likely avoid jail time with the deal. 

A U.S. attorney appointed by former President Donald Trump led the investigation and agreed to the plea, but Comer and other Republicans still criticized the decision. 

“We believe that there’s a whole lot more there than what the U.S. attorney offered Hunter Biden in a plea deal with respect to not paying taxes for two years,” Comer said. “We believe that wouldn’t even rank in the top ten crimes that the president’s son has committed.” 

In a statement, Hunter Biden’s attorney said it is his understanding the plea agreement will end the Justice Department’s nearly five-year investigation of the president’s son. If that is the case, it would appear to indicate the DOJ found no other criminal activity by the Hunter Biden, undercutting claims by House Republicans.

But Comer said the plea deal has “no impact on the oversight committee’s investigation” and he will continue to look into the Biden family. 

Sarah Binder, who works in the political science department at George Washington University, said she’s not surprised by that reaction given the fierce partisanship in Washington.

“We live in a world where we hear news and if it fits what we think about the world then we agree with it and so Democrats hearing about Hunter Biden will say, 'of course, this was minor It should be finished,'” Binder explained. “Republicans hearing about it will hear about the House Republicans concern and say 'absolutely, this is outrageous. They are going after Trump and they let off Hunter Biden.'” 

The top Oversight Committee Democrat Jamie Raskin or Maryland praised the DOJ for its, “continued institutional independence in following the evidence of actual crimes and enforcing the rule of law even in the face of constant criticism and heckling by my GOP colleagues.”