Prosecutors in special counsel David Weiss’ office are accusing Hunter Biden of accepting payments from a Romanian businessman who was attempting to “influence U.S. government agencies,” while his father Joe Biden was vice president.
If true, the allegation would mark the closest prosecutors have come to tying President Joe Biden to his son’s overseas business endeavors — a matter congressional Republicans have spent years scrutinizing.
The special counsel’s claim, in a court filing Wednesday in the younger Biden’s federal tax case, stems from Hunter Biden’s work on behalf of Gabriel Popoviciu, a wealthy Romanian who prosecutors say hired the president’s son for legal work in late 2015.
Popoviciu was at the time facing corruption charges in his home country.
At Hunter Biden’s upcoming tax trial, “the government will introduce the evidence … that [Hunter Biden] and Business Associate 1 received compensation from a foreign principal who was attempting to influence U.S. policy and public opinion and cause the United States to investigate the Romanian investigation of [Popoviciu] in Romania,” prosecutors wrote in Wednesday’s filing.
According to prosecutors, Hunter Biden and his business associate “were concerned that lobbying work might cause political ramifications for the defendant’s father,” so the deal was structured in a way that “concealed the true nature of the work he was performing.”
Hunter Biden departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in WIlmington, DE, June 03, 2024.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The special counsel’s office made a passing reference to Hunter Biden’s work with Popoviciu in their December indictment. However, Wednesday’s filing was the first to suggest that Hunter Biden was compensated in a lobbying capacity.
Prosecutors said Hunter Biden and two business partners split more than $3 million in payments from Popoviciu between November 2015 and 2017.
A representative for Hunter Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
Hunter Biden faces three felony tax charges and additional misdemeanors for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2020. The back taxes and penalties were previously paid in full by a third party, identified by ABC News as Hunter Biden’s attorney and confidant, Kevin Morris.
The trial, in California, is scheduled to begin in early September.
A recent investigation by the Special Counsel has revealed shocking details about a Romanian oligarch hiring Hunter Biden to influence US policy. The report, which was released last week, has sent shockwaves through the political world and raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and foreign influence in American politics.
According to the report, the Romanian oligarch, whose name has not been disclosed, hired Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, to lobby on his behalf in Washington. The oligarch reportedly paid Hunter Biden a substantial sum of money in exchange for his services, which included advocating for policies that would benefit the oligarch’s business interests in Romania.
The investigation found that Hunter Biden had used his connections to his father, who was then Vice President, to gain access to high-level officials in the US government. This raised concerns about whether Hunter Biden was using his family name to advance his own financial interests and those of his clients.
The report also highlighted the lack of transparency in Hunter Biden’s dealings with the Romanian oligarch, as well as potential violations of lobbying laws and regulations. The Special Counsel has recommended further investigation into the matter to determine whether any laws were broken and what actions should be taken as a result.
The revelation of this scandal has sparked outrage among lawmakers and the public, with many calling for a full investigation into Hunter Biden’s activities and potential conflicts of interest. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that Joe Biden himself may have been aware of his son’s actions and could be implicated in the scandal.
In response to the report, Hunter Biden has denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he was simply acting as a consultant for the Romanian oligarch. He has also stated that he will fully cooperate with any further investigations into the matter.
This latest development in the ongoing saga of foreign influence in US politics serves as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in government. It also raises questions about the ethical standards of those who hold positions of power and influence in Washington.
As the investigation into this scandal continues, it is clear that there are still many unanswered questions about the extent of foreign influence in US policy-making and the potential conflicts of interest that can arise as a result. It is crucial that these issues be addressed and resolved in order to maintain the integrity of our political system and ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of the American people.
