Hunter Biden told to disclose information related to Ukrainian energy company Burisma as part of his tax investigation
- Hunter Biden has been asked to provide information related to his work at the Ukrainian energy company Burisma as part of the DOJ tax investigation, a source involved in the process told the Associated Press.
- The president-elect's second son has also been asked to provide documents relating to his business dealings with China and other financial transactions.
- It is not clear whether the younger Biden's work at the Ukrainian company is a central part of the tax investigation.
A subpoena issued this week asks Hunter Biden to disclose information relating to his work on the board of the Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, a source involved in the DOJ tax investigation told the Associated Press.
Prosecutors have also asked for documents relating to more than two dozen entities linked to the President-elect's son, including business dealings with China.
The subpoena comes as Joe Biden's second son confirmed he was under federal investigation for his financial dealings earlier this week.
It is not clear whether the younger Biden's work at the Ukrainian company is a central part of the investigation or whether prosecutors are only looking to collect information about all of his income sources in recent years, AP reported.
Hunter Biden said on Tuesday that he is taking the inquiry "very seriously" and is "confident" he handled his affairs "legally and appropriately," according to Vox.
The investigation was reportedly first opened in late 2018 as a money-laundering probe but is now focusing more on potential violations of tax law.
Details of the subpoena emerged after reports that Hunter Biden's former business partner at Berisma sent him an email in 2017 alleging that he did not disclose a $400,000 payment received from the company on his tax returns.
"In 2014 you joined the Burisma board and we still need to amend your 2014 returns to reflect the unreported Burisma income," the email, dated January 16, 2017, said, according to NBC News.
The business partner notes that the younger Biden netted more than $1.2 million for the year.
Hunter Biden signed on as a board member of Burisma Holdings in May 2014, with a press release announcing he would be in charge of the company's international legal relations with different companies. He later denied this description.
The appointment came during an intense time between the White House and Russia over Ukraine and its energy dependence.
The younger Biden has not been charged with any criminal activity, and the president-elect is not known to be a subject of interest in the tax probes.
The younger Biden's lawyer, George Mesires, did not immediately respond comment for this story and a spokesman for the Biden transition team declined to comment.
Biden's son was a major topic amid chaotic discourse during the first Trump-Biden debate, Trump mentioned his business dealings, including his connections with the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings and profiting in China while his father was vice president.
Hunter was previously at the center of Trump's Ukraine scandal that launched the impeachment inquiry.
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