Joe Biden breaks silence on Hunter for first time since federal tax investigation surfaced

President-elect Joe Biden expressed support for his son Hunter Biden on Friday in his first public comment on the matter since the presidential transition team disclosed that the 50-year-old businessman’s “tax affairs” were under federal investigation.

Reporters shouted questions at the president-elect as he left the stage at an event to introduce several Cabinet appointees in Wilmington, Del. Biden ignored a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy on whether Hunter Biden had committed a crime, but responded when asked if he had spoken to his son since the investigation was revealed.

HUNTER BIDEN 'TAX AFFAIRS' UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION

“I’m proud of my son,” Biden said as he exited the stage.

Earlier Friday, the transition team’s virtual weekly press briefing concluded without a single question regarding the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes. The Biden-Harris team has not commented on the situation beyond its initial statement.

Hunter Biden disclosed earlier this week that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware had an active investigation into his tax history. The investigation began in 2018, a source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News.

“I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs,” Hunter Biden said in a statement. “I take 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.”

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The investigation was based in part on the existence of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) related to Hunter Biden’s business dealings in “China and other foreign nations,” sources added. During the 2020 presidential campaign, President Trump accused Hunter Biden of leveraging his father’s political influence to personally enrich himself through overseas business dealings.

The Biden-Harris transition team addressed the investigation in a separate statement.

“President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger,” the statement said.