Hunter Biden, president-elect's son, says federal prosecutors probing his taxes

Hunter Biden, President-elect Joe Biden's son, said Wednesday that federal officials in Delaware are investigating his taxes.

"I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs," Hunter Biden said in a statement.

"I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors."

The U.S. attorney for Delaware’s office declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.

This news came weeks after an election campaign in which President Donald Trump and his allies made unfounded and baseless claims of corruption regarding Hunter Biden and his father. They also alleged that Hunter Biden used his father’s influence to enrich himself through business deals in Ukraine and China, and that his father not only facilitated that but may have benefited financially. Trump provided no evidence for their claims, while he and his family remain under ethical scrutiny.

However, Hunter and his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle had an Internal Revenue Service lien against them for taxes not paid, possibly including interest and penalties, totaling of $112,805.09 until this past March, according to publicly available documents. The documents, filed by the IRS, show that the tax lien was placed on Hunter and Buhle in November of 2019. It is not immediately clear if the lien has anything to do with the investigation.

The president-elect's transition team also released a statement but did not directly address the investigation.

"President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger," the statement said.

Trump on Wednesday night tweeted a claim that some people "would have changed their vote if they knew about Hunter Biden," adding, "But I won anyway." That falsehood was flagged by Twitter.