WASHINGTON – Hunter Biden received a whopping $4.9 million from Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris over a three-year period, according to an IRS agent who investigated the president’s son for alleged tax evasion.
The revelation marks a substantial increase in the known amount Hunter, 53, received from his so-called “sugar brother” after the men reportedly met for the first time at a campaign fundraising event in December 2019.
IRS agent Joseph Ziegler shared the staggering figure and additional documentation Tuesday with the House Ways and Means Committee in a follow-up appearance as House Republicans neared an expected vote to authorize an investigation. of impeachment against President Biden for his alleged role in his family’s foreign policy. transactions.
Previous reports indicated Morris paid about $2 million in tax debts for Hunter and purchased some of his rookie art.
Republicans have debated Morris’s motives for helping the first child financially and the authenticity of their friendship.
As part of his testimony Tuesday, Ziegler provided lawmakers with an email showing that as early as Feb. 7, 2020, two months after meeting, Morris was contacting accountants on Hunter’s behalf and warning them to work quickly to avoid “considerable risks on a personal and political level.” .”
Ziegler, who investigated Hunter’s taxes for five years before being removed from the case this year, said Morris’s first child’s income (at least some of it considered loans) resembled Hunter’s practice of trying to avoid payment of taxes on other income when describing it. as loans.
Hunter Biden received a whopping $4.9 million from Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris over a three-year period, according to an IRS agent who investigated the president’s son for alleged tax evasion. Daniel William McKnight
“Hunter appeared to follow a pattern of attempting to avoid paying tax on relevant income. This began when Hunter failed to report the [Ukrainian gas company] Burisma in 2014 and allegedly falsely claimed it was a loan to him,” Ziegler said in his opening statement.
“He, again, tried to claim the millions in [Chinese] The income earned from Hudson West III was a loan to him, which was refuted by the evidence and was not allowed by his tax accountants.
“This continued in 2020, 2021 and 2022, in which Hunter received approximately $4.9 million in payments for personal expenses, again in the form of a loan and gift from Democratic donor Kevin Patrick Morris.”
Ziegler and the rest of his investigative unit were removed from the tax fraud case against Hunter, reportedly at the direction of the Justice Department, in May after Ziegler joined his supervisor Gary Shapley in publicly alleging a cover-up involving preferential treatment. for the first family.
A month later, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware announced a probation-only deal for Hunter, which ultimately collapsed at a court hearing in July when his attorneys pressed for assurances that he had broad immunity for other possible crimes committed in the past.
IRS agent Joseph Ziegler shared the staggering figure Tuesday with the House Ways and Means Committee, as House Republicans neared a long-awaited vote to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. . fake images
The full transcript of Ziegler and Shapley’s latest testimony before the tax-focused Ways and Means Committee was not immediately available.
But a source familiar with the closed-door exchanges told The Post that Ziegler was asked to confirm the $4.9 million figure for Morris’ contributions and did so.
Morris may have given even more in 2023 that isn’t included in the total.
Morris did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment, nor did the White House or Hunter’s legal team.
A Los Angeles grand jury is reportedly considering bringing tax charges against Hunter in a case that could include related charges, such as for allegedly violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by presenting associates to his vice president father and other U.S. officials.
As part of his testimony, Ziegler showed lawmakers an email indicating that as early as Feb. 7, 2020, Morris was communicating with accountants on Hunter’s behalf and warning them to work quickly to avoid “substantial personal risks.” and political.” Stephen Yang
In recent weeks, Republicans have also focused on alleged loans involving first brother James Biden.
Republican leaders of the House Oversight Committee allege that James “laundered” $40,000 in funds linked to the Chinese government to pay Joe Biden in September 2017, and that he paid his brother $200,000 in 2018 after receiving an identical amount on the same day by promising to help a US government. A hospital chain finds a Middle Eastern investor using his political connections.
The White House said those two transfers were genuine loan payments and that President Biden did nothing wrong, but Republicans say the funds James claimed to be paying were transferred to him from a law firm rather than from Biden’s personal account. Joe Biden, which clouds the picture.
Ziegler, a registered Democrat, and Shapley, a registered Republican who says he has voted for Democrats in the past, including Bill Clinton, publicly opposed Hunter’s handling of the tax fraud investigation, as U.S. Attorney of Delaware, David Weiss, was considering allowing Hunter to avoid any charges. , after Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in Los Angeles and Washington refused to cooperate in a prosecution in their districts, where tax crimes would arise due to residency issues.
Ziegler on Tuesday chastised Democratic lawmakers for their handling of the case.
“I can tell you that as a fellow Democrat who previously voted for my fellow Democrats, I am extremely disappointed and hurt by some of their comments and actions,” he said.
“Those comments that you have presented have impacted me and my family. “My husband’s business has been attacked and I have been personally attacked by Biden family lawyers and members of the media.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn