President Biden has defended his son Hunter, stating that he has not committed any wrongdoing despite the possibility of facing charges following a lengthy inquiry into his business transactions.
“First of all, my son has done nothing wrong,” he said in an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Friday evening. “I trust him. I have faith in him.”
Biden’s defense of his son comes after The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that prosecutors are close to deciding whether to file charges against the president’s son on tax-related and gun-related crimes.
Reports have signaled that the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware is looking into Biden’s foreign business dealings, specifically income he received from his membership on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma and business operations in China.
The Post reported in October that prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to charge Biden with tax-related offenses and for allegedly falsifying paperwork for a firearm purchase from 2018.
The decision about whether charges are filed against Biden is up to David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware.
The president has repeatedly emphasized that the Justice Department (DOJ) would have independence as the investigation into his son proceeded, and the White House has deferred questions about the probe to the DOJ.
A possible whistleblower has accused the Biden administration of mishandling the investigation, alleging that the administration has allowed conflicts of interest and politics to impact the case.
An attorney for that person, identified as an Internal Revenue Service supervisor, said in a letter to members of Congress last month that they have evidence that contradicts statements that a senior appointee made to Congress.