Hunter Biden is under federal investigation for his tax affairs, the president-elect’s son revealed on Wednesday afternoon, just over a month before his father is sworn into office.
The investigation was paused in the months before the election but was recently resumed as federal authors are now looking into Hunter Biden’s business dealings. President-elect Joe Biden is not implicated and Hunter Biden released a statement through Joe Biden’s transition team.
“I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs,” the statement from the younger Biden said. “I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors.”
Federal prosecutors in Delaware are working with the IRS Criminal Investigation agency and the FBI, taking big steps such as issuing subpoenas and seeking interviews. Investigators are looking into whether or not Hunter Biden and his associates violated tax and money laundering laws in business dealings in foreign countries.
Hunter Biden said in the statement that he is confident he handled his tax affairs “legally and appropriately.”
“I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors,” Hunter Biden said.
The younger Biden was the subject of attacks from the Republicans over the summer for his business dealings overseas, particularly for serving on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
President Donald Trump pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to publicly open an investigation into Hunter Biden last year, which led to Mr. Trump’s impeachment. The President then would call on China to look into Hunter Biden for his business dealings last year but China declined to do so.
“We have no intention of intervening in the domestic affairs of the United States. Our position is consistent and clear,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at the time.
Mr. Trump’s Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani fueled the flames on news stories centered on a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden, which supposedly contains business documents.
Senate Republicans on the Finance Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs released interviews and documents regarding Hunter Biden’s business dealings back in September but said nothing illegal was found.
The news comes just over a week after President-elect Biden’s interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, where Biden said he would not tell the Justice Department to investigate anyone for political influence.
“I’m not going to be telling them what they have to do and don’t have to do. I’m not going to be saying, go prosecute A, B or C,” Biden said.
Hunter Biden’s tax investigation will very likely be a talking point at the confirmation hearings for whomever his father decides to choose as attorney general. Republicans will argue that it is a conflict of interest when it comes to President-elect Biden dealing with foreign policy in China.
President-elect Biden’s transition team offered a statement of support for Hunter.
“President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger,” the statement read.
