Biden says 'I'm confident' Hunter did nothing wrong, amid federal probe into 'tax affairs'
The response is first time Biden has directly addressed investigation into son's 'tax affairs'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President-elect Biden on Wednesday directly addressed questions about a federal investigation into his son, Hunter Biden, for the first time, saying "I'm confident" that he did nothing wrong.
Hunter Biden in a statement released last week by the transition organization for Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris acknowledged that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware is "investigating my tax affairs." He said that he takes "this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors."
TRUMP ASKING ABOUT POTENTIAL SPECIAL COUNSEL TO INVESTIGATE HUNTER BIDEN AFTER BARR RESIGNATION
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The transition said that Biden is "proud of his son," in a statement released at the same time.
In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, addresses the virtual convention on August 20, 2020. The president-elect for the first time Wednesday directly addressed questions about a federal investigation into his son. (Photo by DNCC via Getty Images) (Photo by Handout/DNCC via Getty Images)
Biden had been questioned about the investigation into his son in recent days and had either not responded or said "I'm proud of my son."
Wednesday he was questioned again by Fox News' Peter Doocy, who asked if he is confident his son did nothing wrong, to which Biden responded "I'm confident."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter Biden has come under intense scrutiny in the past year over his business dealings. Specifically, the younger Biden was on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings while his father, as the vice president, was overseeing American policy on Ukraine.
That fact became the focus of attacks against the Bidens from Republicans during the impeachment saga, which began when President Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Burisma and the Bidens, and allegedly withheld aid to the Eastern European country over the demand.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter Biden's dealings in China, and the potential role his father may have played in them, have also come under scrutiny.
In this Nov. 7, 2020, file photo, President-elect Joe Biden, right, embraces his son Hunter Biden, left, in Wilmington, Del. Biden’s son Hunter says he has learned from federal prosecutors that his tax affairs are under investigation. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
Joe Biden has denied any role in his son's businesses. But emails sent to and from Hunter Biden have cast doubt on that, including a 2017 email obtained by Fox News which shows Hunter requesting keys for Joe and Jill Biden, along with his uncle, Jim Biden, for space he planned to share with an "emissary" for a chairman of a now-bankrupt Chinese energy company.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In another 2017 email also obtained by Fox News, Biden wrote to the same Chinese energy company's chairman extending "best wishes from the entire Biden family," and urging the chairman to "quickly" send a $10 million wire to "properly fund and operate" the Biden joint venture with the company.
Trump, in the waning days of his presidency, is considering whether he should request a special counsel to continue the Department of Justice's investigation into the president-elect's son, according to The Associated Press.
That would essentially ensure that any investigation into the younger Biden continues while his father is president. It is unclear at this point whether incoming Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen would appoint such a special counsel if Trump decides to push for one.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen holds a news conference to announce the results of the global resolution of criminal and civil investigations with an opioid manufacturer at the Justice Department on October 21, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump is reportedly considering asking that a special counsel be appointed to investigate Hunter Biden. Rosen, as the incoming acting attorney general following William Barr's resignation, will be the person with the authority to appoint a special counsel. (Photo by Yuri Gripas-Pool/Getty Images)
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The Associated Press also reported that though no final decision has been made, Trump is considering whether he might replace Rosen with someone else who would appoint a special counsel if Rosen refuses.
No matter what happens with the Justice Department or a special counsel, however, Congress appears poised to continue its probes into Hunter Biden during a Biden presidency.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Based on all the facts known to date, Joe Biden has a lot of explaining to do," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in floor remarks this week. "I learned a lesson long ago when I first started my oversight focus and that is: no matter how difficult the media or the other side of the aisle makes it to find the facts – never give up, keep working hard. The American taxpayer deserves nothing less."
Grassley is set to reassume his previous role as the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman next year.
Fox News' Peter Doocy, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.