Biden's son in new scandal: What is known
Photo: Hunter Biden (Getty Images)
The US Prosecutor's Office has charged Hunter Biden, the son of current President Joe Biden. Law enforcement officials claim that he may have received money from a Romanian businessman in exchange for influencing US politics, Reuters reports.
Prosecutors in the US criminal tax case have accused Hunter Biden of receiving payments from a Romanian businessman who allegedly attempted to "influence US government agencies" in connection with a criminal investigation in Romania.
The US Department of Justice made this claim on Wednesday in a filing with the federal court in Los Angeles, where the President's son is facing a scheduled trial on September 9 for charges related to tax evasion.
What is known about the charges
According to the investigation, the allegation is related to Hunter Biden's work for Gabriel Popoviciu, a wealthy Romanian identified in the statement as GP. Prosecutors claim that Popoviciu hired Hunter Biden for legal work in late 2015 when Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States.
However, Reuters has not independently confirmed that GP refers to Popoviciu.
The prosecution stated that it plans to present evidence that Hunter Biden and his business partner "received compensation from a foreign principal who was attempting to influence US policy and public opinion and cause the United States to investigate the Romanian investigation of G.P. in Romania."
Hunter Biden's case
In June of last year, Hunter Biden, the son of the US President, pleaded guilty to two tax offenses. Following this, he reached a plea deal with the federal prosecution regarding charges related to a criminal offense involving firearms.
However, in October, Hunter stated that he did not plead guilty to three federal charges related to firearm possession. The investigation revealed that he purchased a handgun using false documents in 2018.
By the end of the year, on December 8, Hunter Biden faced new charges on nine counts.
