Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is under federal investigation for possible tax fraud involving overseas business dealings connected to China and Ukraine.
Hunter Biden, 50, revealed the investigation in a statement from the Biden-Harris 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,” Hunter Biden said in the statement.
He added, “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.”
The New York Post reported that the investigations involve Hunter’s laptop, allegedly containing documents and communications regarding the presumptive president elect’s son’s business dealings in both China and Ukraine.
A statement from the “Biden-Harris Transition” was also released in conjunction with Hunter’s revelations, expressing support from the presumptive president-elect.
“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.
CNN reported that the probe began in 2018, with investigations into whether Hunter and his associates broke a number of tax and money laundering laws. Specifically, investigators examined transactions with people who could be counterintelligence threats, as well as business dealings in China and other countries.
According to CNN, the investigation was put on hold prior to the November presidential election in order to honor Department of Justice guidelines that forbid activity that could impact a political race.
Following the presidential race, the investigations resumed with subpoenas and interviews issued by the FBI and IRS.
In October, the New York Post exposed a 2015 email that showed Hunter introduce his father Joe Biden, then the vice president, to a Ukrainian executive at Burisma, an energy company at which Hunter was reportedly earning $83,000 a month.
Months later, Joe Biden pressured Ukrainian officials into firing a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma. Joe Biden said he used a $1 billion loan guarantee in order to influence officials to get Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin fired.
Additional emails revealed Hunter sought lucrative deals connected to China’s largest private energy company, described by Hunter as “interesting for me and my family.”
