The federal investigation into Hunter Biden "appears to be coming to a head," according to a new report.
Prosecutors examining Biden's taxes and foreign consulting work met in recent weeks to discuss whether to move forward with the high-profile case, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The Justice Department is expected to make a final decision on whether to bring criminal or civil charges, or try to reach a settlement that could include a "significant fine," in the coming months, said the report, which noted that allies of the president prefer a settlement if prosecutors want to press charges against his 52-year-old son. Whatever the decision is, Attorney General Merrick Garland will have the final say.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the report, and the New York Times said multiple attempts to reach Biden through his lawyer were unsuccessful. Much of the rest of the report focused on Kevin Morris, a prominent Hollywood attorney who lent more than $2 million to Biden that went to paying back taxes and supporting his family, as well as Morris's contributions to the legal and media strategy.
Biden's financial affairs, including millions of dollars' worth of dealings and money transfers tied to countries such as Ukraine, China, and Russia, have been under federal scrutiny since 2018. Some of the files associated with a laptop believed to have belonged to Biden are being scrutinized for "possible violations of tax, money laundering and foreign-lobbying laws," according to the report.
Biden, who revealed the existence of an inquiry into his tax affairs just after the 2020 election, claimed in April of last year to be "100% certain" he will be cleared of wrongdoing.
A grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware, has been gathering evidence in recent months. A witness was even asked to identify the infamous "big guy" mentioned in discussions regarding a Chinese business deal involving Biden, the New York Post reported in early April.
The question came up after this person, who was not identified, was shown a piece of evidence before the grand jury, a source told the news outlet. The answer that was given was not reported, though some have claimed the "big guy" is President Joe Biden, raising the prospect that the commander in chief could be drawn into a federal criminal investigation. So far, the White House has been adamant in asserting that the president is not involved and that Hunter Biden did not commit any crimes.
Republicans are eager to start their own investigations into the Hunter Biden matter if they win control of one or both chambers of Congress in this year's midterm elections.
