Sen. Josh Hawley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday the lawmakers may want to probe presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden about the federal investigation into his son Hunter Biden and insisted the prosecutors looking into the wrongdoings be allowed to continue unfettered.
“There can’t be any talk of replacing or transitioning them,” the Missouri Republican said of the U.S. attorneys digging into the younger Biden’s business dealings.
“Anybody at the Department of Justice, main DOJ, who’s involved in this investigation must also be allowed to finish it and complete it. I mean, these are very serious allegations,” he added.
The comments come after Hunter announced Wednesday he is under federal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.
“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. 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,” The younger Biden’s statement read.
Traditionally, when a new president takes office he will replace U.S. attorneys in his own administration.
It’s unclear if Mr. Biden intends to make a new appointment for the U.S. attorney in Delaware.
He said during his campaign he did not discuss business with his son.
But Mr. Biden has in the past bragged about getting a Ukrainian prosecutor fired who was digging into corruption allegations surrounding Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that employed Mr. Biden’s son, Hunter, for about $50,000 a month despite him not having any experience in the industry.
Mr. Hawley noted that Hunter allegedly used government planes during the Obama-Biden administration to travel to China for other business negotiations and that his laptop, which surfaced at a computer repair shop in Delaware, allegedly contained emails suggesting the former vice president was aware of his son’s business dealings.
“I imagine that federal investigators are going to want to talk to the vice president, I imagine congressional committees will want to talk to the vice president. And I think it’s absolutely vital we get some answers. I mean, this is very serious. These are federal crimes,” Mr. Hawley said.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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