President-elect Joe Biden went as far as to suggest that he suspected foul play in the investigation into his son Hunter. Biden has defended his son, who is under a federal criminal probe, numerous times in the past but it is the first time that he has suggested that the investigation into his lawyer son is motivated.
Hunter, the second son of Biden, is being investigated by the Delaware U.S. Attorney over his taxes. The investigation has been going on since 2018. Hunter has been in the limelight ever since his links with Ukrainian energy company Burisma led to doubts if Biden himself had misused his powers as Barack Obama's Vice-President in order to further his son's business fortunes.
'He's a Grown Man'
In an interview with CBS, Biden said he had great faith in Hunter and that the accusations against him had the ulterior motive of targeting him. "We have great confidence in our son. I am not concerned about any accusations made against him. It's used to get to me," he told A Late Night Show host Stephen Colbert.
"I think it's kind of foul play ... Look, it is what it is. He's a grown man. He's the smartest man I know. I mean, in a pure intellectual capacity. As long as he's good, we're good," Biden added.
Biden gave the interview alongside his wife Jill Biden.
Besides facing scrutiny over possible tax fraud and suspicious ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Hunter has been under the scanner over over dubious business dealings in China, as well as a bunch of personal scandals including alleged links with prostitution rings.
Tax Fraud Investigation
The Delaware US attorney is investigating if Hunter and his associates breached tax and money laundering laws while carrying out business dealings in foreign countries, especially in China.
The investigation has been going on since 2018, but it was on the backburner in recent months, adhering to the Justice Department guidance that prevented moves that could impact the presidential election.
Burisma and Alleged Sex Industry Links
The Senate Republicans released a damning report in September 2020, accusing Hunter of various malpractices during his stint on the board of Burisma. The report revealed that Biden wired thousands of dollars to shady people who were involved in the sex industry.
The report said Hunter sent funds to "non-resident alien women in the United States who are citizens of Russia and Ukraine and who have subsequently wired funds they have received from Hunter Biden to individuals located in Russia and Ukraine.
Joe Biden Implicated
In the dead heat of the Presidential elections, the New York Post exclusively reported that Hunter had arranged a meeting between Vice President Joe Biden and a top executive at Burisma in 2015. The Post produced an email sent to Hunter by the Burisma executive as proof of the communication.
Troubling Personal Record
The president-elect's son has been in uneasy limelight for long. Last year an Arkansas woman sued him over paternity. In January, Arkansas Circuit Judge Holly Meyer ruled that Biden was the biological father of the baby born to Lunden Alexis Roberts. The woman was then revealed to be a former stripper at a Washington club that Hunter had frequented. This relationship happened around the time Hunter was dating the widow of his late brother, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden.
