A new court filing claims Hunter Biden received $3 million from a Romanian oligarch in exchange for political favours
Hunter Biden was given money by a Romanian oligarch to influence US policy when his father was Vice President, according to a new filing in the tax case against the President’s son.
The court filing, made on Wednesday, alleges that Hunter Biden and a business associate took more than $3 million from Gabriel Popoviciu, a Romanian oligarch who sought to influence US policy when Joe Biden was Vice President, in 2015.
According to prosecutors, Hunter Biden and his business associates “were concerned that lobbying work might cause political ramifications for the defendant’s father,” so they structured the deal in order to “[conceal] the true nature of the work he was performing.”
Passing reference was made to Hunter Biden’s work with Popoviciu in the special counsel’s December indictment. This new filing is the first to suggest that Hunter Biden was given money in exchange for political influence, and is the first time prosecutors have attempted to tie the son’s business activities to the father’s political career, despite years of persistent allegations and rumours.
James Comer, for example, has said that the Biden family received over $20 million from foreign nationals while Joe Biden served as Vice President under Barack Obama. Hunter’s extensive business dealings with Russia and Kazakhstan have previously been scrutinized by the House Oversight Committee.
Prosecutors allege Hunter Biden and two business partners split more than $3 million in payments from Popoviciu between November 2015 and 2017.
Hunter Biden is facing 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 have already been paid in full by Hunter Biden’s attorney, Kevin Morris.
The trial will take place in California, beginning in September.
