Attorney General William Barr reportedly hid two federal investigations into Hunter Biden for months and worked to keep the probes secret from lawmakers and the public ahead of the November presidential election.
Mr. Barr shielded the probes by not disclosing them to Congress, where they would have assuredly been leaked to the media, a person familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
President Trump and Republicans pressured Mr. Barr for months ahead of the election to pursue the corruption allegations against Hunter Biden as his father, presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden, gained ground in his successful bid for the presidency.
However, Mr. Barr resisted their calls while keeping secret two probes into the younger Biden.
Justice Department guidelines prohibit disclosing or opening politically-charged investigations within 60 days of a presidential election. It’s possible that Mr. Barr was worried of running afoul of that rule.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
One of the investigations was made public this week, when Hunter Biden disclosed his taxes were under investigation by prosecutors in Delaware. That probe has been ongoing since 2018.
A second international financial investigation in New York also implicates Hunter Biden, the Journal reported. That probe has been going on for a year, but Mr. Biden was not a specific target for criminal prosecution, according to the Journal.
Mr. Trump and others have repeatedly urged Mr. Barr to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hunter Biden.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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