Hunter Biden Under Investigation

Why is Hunter Biden under investigation by the state of Delaware? The younger Biden, a frequent target of President Donald Trump, said last Wednesday that the Delaware US Attorney’s Office is investigating his tax affairs. In a statement, the second son of presumptive President Joe Biden said he will cooperate with the investigation. “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,” he said.

RELATED: Biden and Trump Argue About Hunter Biden’s Past Business Dealings During Presidential Debate

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The younger Biden said his lawyers told him about the matter on December 8. Prosecutors informed his lawyers of their ongoing investigation.  CNN reported that Federal prosecutors in Delaware are working with the IRS and the FBI covertly for the past few months. They issued subpoenas and sought interviews without publicity. Justice Department guidelines do not allow overt actions that could influence an election. The investigation preceded the appointment of Attorney General William Barr, who took office in 2018. Sinclair Broadcast Group reported that Hunter Biden is a subject of an ongoing FBI investigation in October.

Investigators focused on multiple financial issues. They are verifying if Hunter Biden and his associates violated tax or money laundering laws in their business dealings abroad. The country most often mentioned in China, and some of the transactions involved persons of interest in counterintelligence. This is reportedly a common issue when dealing with Chinese businesses.  

‘Deeply Proud of His Son’

The Biden transition team released a statement saying that the elder 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.” During the campaign, Republicans led by Trump questioned Hunter Biden’s potential conflicts of interest. He was on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma during the time Joe was US Vice President. In addition, the President accused Hunter Biden of using his position to secure Chinese investment for his businesses.

The impeachment case against Trump stemmed from his insistence for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. The Democratic House impeached Trump but the Republican Senate acquitted him on charges of abuse of power. An anonymous source quoted by Reuters said that the ongoing investigation is “not related to the attacks the Trump team and their allies made against Hunter during the campaign.”

Tax Liens

The CNN article also speculated on Biden’s tax liens. Documents available for the public show that Hunter and his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle show that they received an IRS lien for unpaid taxes last November 2019. The amount, including penalties and interest, totaled $112,805.09 until March 2020. 

Also, The District of Columbia also placed individual income tax liens of almost $453,890 on him. This is for unpaid taxes in 2017 and 2018, according to documents filed in the D.C. Recorder of Deeds Office. Somebody canceled these liens six days later, records show. It is not clear if the ongoing investigations are connected with these tax issues. 

China Business Dealings

Reportedly, the investigations revolve around Hunter’s China business dealings. After Joe Biden’s term ended, Hunter tried to get an investment deal for energy projects going with CEFC China. During negotiations, CEFC chairman Ye Jianming gave Hunter a 2.8-carat diamond as a gift in 2017. According to Hunter, the deal fell through. He also told the New Yorker that he felt uncomfortable receiving the diamond and gave it to an associate. He didn’t know where the diamond ended up. As for Ye, Hunter didn’t consider him as suspicious. However, Chinese authorities later arrested and detained Ye, allegedly for corruption. 

The problem was, during his divorce proceedings, his ex-wife lawyers stumbled upon a diamond among the properties. Biden told the New Yorker during his interview it cost $10,000. The lawyers placed it at $80,000. One theory is that investigators are verifying if Hunter made proper representations of his income during a certain period. The diamond gift may or may not play a focal part in the investigations. Additionally, Hunter also briefly represented Patrick Ho as his lawyer. Chinese authorities convicted Ho of bribery and sentenced him to three years in prison. 

Hunter also got attention for involving himself with BHR Partners, a US-Chinese investment fund for non-China deals. While unpaid, he took an equity stake when Joe’s term ended.

Watch the CNN Breaking News that reported Hunter Biden is under criminal investigation for tax affairs:

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With Hunter Biden investigated for possible tax cases, will the elder Joe get embroiled in the son’s affairs? Let us know what you think about Hunter Biden by leaving your comments below.