The federal prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden‘s taxes waited until after the election to seek search warrants or issue grand jury subpoenas, a new report revealed Friday, out of fears his probe would become public and affect the presidential contest.
Delaware’s U.S. Attorney David Weiss decided to delay taking any actions that could flag the probe for the public, Politico reported, so that the investigation wouldn’t become a campaign issue in the contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Weiss began his probe of President Joe Biden’s son in 2018 and, by last summer, was ready to issue the warrants and subpoenas but decided to hold off.
‘It was a close call,’ a person with knowledge of the situation told Politico. ‘That case has way more credibility now.’
Hunter announced on December 9, after his father was declared the winner over Trump, that he was under federal investigation over a tax matter. He has denied any wrong doing.
The original federal investigation into Hunter began with questions about his work with the Ukraine and China, including possible money laundering and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. It came to focus on whether he’s paid all his taxes.
The federal prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden ‘s taxes waited until after the election to seek search warrants or issue grand jury subpoenas, a new report revealed Friday. Hunter ,holding his son Beau, stands with Joe Biden and Jill Biden in 2020 on the night Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election
The scenario had shades of similarity to the 2016 presidential contest.
In October 2016, then-FBI director James Comey announced his agency was reopening a probe of Hillary Clinton’s emails from the time she was secretary of state.
Trump promptly turned it into a campaign issue and Comey’s move is credited with helping Clinton lose the election. The probe came to naught and found no evidence of wrong doing.
Comey later told ABC News that he revealed the probe because he thought ‘that she’s going to be elected president and if I hide this from the American people, she’ll be illegitimate the moment she’s elected, the moment this comes out.’
Weiss, a Republican, was appointed to his Justice Department position by Trump in February of 2018.
Biden has left him in place. Weiss did not comment to Politico for the piece but friends in the article describe him as a ‘straight shooter’ and a ‘very private person.’
Hunter Biden has been a political hot potato for his father’s White House. Republicans have called for a special prosecutor in the case to shield it from any influence by the Biden administration.
President Biden, however, has said repeatedly the Justice Department is an independent agency and he will not interfere in any of its investigations.
Hunter Biden plays no formal role in his father’s White House yet officials have had to defend him on a number of matters, including his most recent controversy – his art show.
It was the White House that established the arrangement that would allow Hunter to sell his artwork for tens of thousands of dollars without knowing the identity of the purchaser.
Delaware’s U.S. Attorney David Weiss (above center) decided to delay taking any actions that would risk making public the existence of the Hunter Biden probe so it would not become an election issue
Officials said it was done out of potential ethical concerns surrounding his sales.
Under the arrangement, a private art gallery owner will set prices for Hunter’s work and will handle all bidding and sales, but will not share any information about buyers or prospective buyers with Hunter or anyone in the administration.
The deal could see Hunter pocket as much as $500,000 for a painting.
‘After careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards,’ said White House press secretary Jen Psaki earlier this month.
‘Of course, he has the right to pursue an artistic career just like any child of a president has the right to pursue a career.’
Republicans and other critics charged Hunter with using his father’s job to line his pockets – a repeated slam against Hunter, who became a campaign issue in the 2020 contest for his work in the Ukraine.
Hunter announced on December 9, after his father was declared the winner over Trump, that he was under federal investigation over a tax matter. He has denied any wrong doing
Trump repeatedly attacked Hunter on the stump. Trump charged Hunter made millions of his consulting work in the Ukraine, which began when Biden was vice president, and insinuated wronging on both Hunter and Joe’s behalf.
No charges have been filed against either Biden on any issue dealing with Hunter’s work in the Ukraine.
Hunter has denied any wrong doing and severed his ties to the Ukrainian energy company. He has not disclosed how much money he made.