WASHINGTON — The House Republican investigation into the financial dealings of President Joe Biden’s family risks turning off more voters than it attracts, as Democrats paint the inquiry as time-consuming political retribution that diverts attention from the approaching debt crisis and other problems.

The Biden-centric investigation led by the Oversight and Accountability Committee kicks off Wednesday morning, just hours after the president delivers his State of the Union address to Congress. At the center of the probe is the contents of the laptop of Biden’s son Hunter — a topic that’s been a far-right preoccupation since 2020.

Yet a series of recent polls show the majority of Americans just aren’t that interested in what may or may not be on Hunter Biden’s hard drive.

Polling released last week by the Pew Research Center showed that as clashes over the debt ceiling and other key issues intensify, 65% of American adults surveyed said they are concerned Republicans would focus too much on investigating the Biden administration. A CNN poll released Jan. 26 found that 73% of American adults think House Republicans haven’t paid enough attention to the country’s most pressing problems.

“The Republican majority in Congress has to make sure that they don’t get branded as the party that only cares about investigations. Voters elected them to address other concerns, including the economy,” said Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of Inside Elections.

Still, Republicans are moving ahead with what Oversight Chairman James Comer calls his panel’s first hearing into “the Biden corruption.” Comer also says his goal is to find a bipartisan solution to Washington influence peddling.

The Kentucky Republican is hardly the most iconoclastic member of the House GOP, but the panel is stacked with outspoken colleagues like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan and Lauren Boebert who are known more for partisan vitriol than policy.

The Oversight panel’s top Democrat, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, described Comer as being “on the more thoughtful and reasonable side” of his party.

But Raskin, the lead manager for President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, also said he recognizes Comer must operate within Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s commitments to “right-wing extremists.” And he says any effort focusing solely on alleged influence peddling or business dealings of Biden family members, and not on Trump’s, would be a “hatchet job” that Democrats are prepared to counter.

Hunter Biden’s work with foreign entities, including in Ukraine while his father was vice president, has drawn interest for years. He also has been under federal investigation since 2018 for tax affairs tied to his overseas activities. The president has denied knowledge of, or involvement in, his son’s business dealings.

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