House Republicans on Monday urged Attorney General William P. Barr to appoint a special counsel to probe allegations stemming from a laptop reportedly belonging to Joseph R. Biden’s son Hunter.
The lawmakers want Mr. Barr to probe claims that the elder Biden played a role in his son’s alleged lucrative business dealings in Ukraine and China.
They say the American people deserve to know whether the former vice president “received foreign monies during his tenure in the Obama administration” and if he “allowed his son to peddle access” to him with foreign business entities.
“If these reports about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, are true, the former vice president fell far short of his responsibility to uphold his constitutional oath and betrayed the sacred trust of the American people,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We request that the Department of Justice immediately appoint an independent, unbiased special counsel to investigate the issues that we have raised — as well as any corresponding legal or ethical issues that might be uncovered from the former vice president’s 47 years in public office,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter, obtained by The Washington Times, is signed by 11 Republicans, including Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Ted Yoho of Florida, Jody Hice of Georgia and Debbie Lesko of Arizona.
The letter comes after the New York Post last week published emails alleging Hunter Biden introduced his father to a top executive at Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings in 2015, roughly a year before the former vice president allegedly pressured the country’s government to fire a prosecutor investigating the company.
The Biden campaign has insisted the elder Biden never met with the executive and has slammed the Post story as “not legitimate.”
An email dated May 13, 2017, published by the Post includes a discussion of “remuneration packages” for six people involved in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email identifies Hunter Biden as “Chair/Vice Chair” of the now-bankrupt company.
The email also includes a proposed equity split that references “10 held by H for the big guy.” No other details were provided.
Both the Post and Fox News have reported “the big guy” is a reference to the former vice president.
Mr. Biden has not publicly commented on the email.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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