President Joe Biden denied having any involvement with his son Hunter Biden’s message exchange over business dealings in China on Wednesday.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released WhatsApp messages last week that allegedly show Hunter Biden demanding millions from Chinese officials and using his father’s political connections as leverage.
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The president was asked whether he was sitting with Hunter Biden when the message was sent in 2017, to which Biden responded, “No. I wasn’t.”
The reporter pressed the president again, asking “Were you?” prompting Biden to repeat “no” in a louder tone.
A top IRS agent looking into the allegations of Hunter Biden’s tax crimes, Gary Shapley, told Congress his team used a search warrant to obtain a July 2017 message regarding an energy deal from the president’s son to Henry Zhao, a Chinese businessman.
“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Hunter Biden said, according to the messages. “Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight.”
The Justice Department’s five-year investigation into Hunter Biden ended in a plea deal with the U.S. attorney in Delaware on June 20, with Hunter Biden pleading guilty to two federal misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes and a gun possession charge.
The White House issued a statement following the plea deal, saying Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden stand by their son.
“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,” White House spokesman Ian Sams wrote in an emailed statement.
The House Ways and Means Committee released documents this month containing comments from Shapley about alleged misconduct from the IRS and FBI over preferential treatment in Hunter Biden’s case.
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Attorney General Merrick Garland denied allegations that the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into Hunter Biden, following claims from IRS whistleblowers.
Hunter Biden made a public appearance shortly after accepting his plea deal at the White House state dinner with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Thursday.
