- The Washington Times - Thursday, August 20, 2020

Hunter Biden spoke Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, saying his father Joseph R. Biden “will never let you down.”

Hunter Biden, who has been closely scrutinized for his hugely profitable business deals linked to his father’s time as vice president, has mostly kept out of sight during the campaign.

He appeared in a videotaped segment with his younger sister, Ashley Biden, to present the family side of the elder Mr. Biden just before he accepted the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Hunter Biden, 50, described his father as “honest,” “the best friend you ever had” and someone who will “get up, no matter how many times he’s been knocked down.”

Ashley Biden, 39, said her dad was “tough,” “caring and principled” and someone who will “tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it.”

The segment put a warm glow upon the Democratic nominee before he made his big acceptance speech. It also sought to soften the image of Hunter Biden, whose been a liability for the campaign.

Hunter Biden briefly appeared in a video clip that aired Tuesday at the convention. The clip showed him praising his step-mother, Jill Biden, in a speech at the funeral of his late brother, Beau Biden.

President Trump and Republicans question the business deals Hunter Biden made in Ukraine and China while the elder Mr. Biden spearheaded Obama administration policy in those countries.

The elder Mr. Biden and his son have insisted they did nothing wrong and did not discuss business deals with each other.

The Senate Finance Committee has opened investigations into the quick approval the Obama administration gave to a deal involving Hunter Biden and a Chinese firm buying a U.S. automotive technology company with potential military applications.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee is investigating Hunter Biden’s dealings in Ukraine, where he landed a lucrative job at a Ukraine energy company Burisma Holdings while Mr. Biden was the administration’s point man policy in that graft-riddled country.

Mr. Trump’s push for Ukraine to investigate purported corruption involving the Bidens led to Mr. Trump’s impeachment by the Democrat-led House, though he was acquitted by the GOP-led Senate.

Burisma paid Hunter Biden, who had no experience in the energy business, about $50,000 per month.

In a separate 2013 deal, the elder Mr. Biden and his son flew aboard Air Force Two to Beijing. Within weeks, Hunter Biden’s firm inked a $1 billion private equity deal with a subsidiary of the Chinese government’s Bank of China and BHR was born, according to Peter Schweizer’s book “Secret Empires.”

• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.

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