Washington Examiner – by Spencer Neale
The FBI reportedly has an active criminal investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and his associates.
James Rosen, a reporter with the Sinclair Broadcast Group, tweeted on Thursday, less than a week until Election Day, that the bureau opened the inquiry into allegations of money laundering in 2019.
“EXCLUSIVE: A @TheJusticeDept official confirms that in 2019, the @FBI opened up a criminal investigation into ‘Hunter Biden and his associates,’ focused on allegations of money-laundering, and that it remains open and active today,” he said.
EXCLUSIVE: A @TheJusticeDept official confirms that in 2019, the @FBI opened up a criminal investigation into "Hunter Biden and his associates," focused on allegations of money-laundering, and that it remains open and active today. More very soon on your @WeAreSinclair stations.
— James Rosen (@JamesRosenTV) October 29, 2020
Rosen followed up by posting a short TV report to his Twitter account.
EXCLUSIVE: Tony Bobulinski tells @WeAreSinclair he was questioned by six @FBI agents, with counsel present, for five hours on October 23, listing him as a "material witness" in an ongoing investigation focused on Hunter Biden and his associates. His cell phones were examined. pic.twitter.com/5lPzRTREJN
— James Rosen (@JamesRosenTV) October 29, 2020
“We have no comment, in keeping with our standard practice of neither confirming nor denying the existence of an investigation,” an FBI spokesman told the Washington Examiner on Thursday evening.
In recent weeks, details of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings have made their way into the public eye, raising concerns about possible corruption and national security issues for him and his father, who leads in most national polls in the presidential contest against President Trump.
Materials tied to Hunter Biden, including from a laptop and hard drive that purportedly belonged to him, were given to the bureau last year following a subpoena given to a John Paul Mac Isaac, a computer store owner in Delaware who came into possession of the hardware to repair and no one came to pick them up from the store. A copy of the materials were given to Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who then shared them with the New York Post and other media. Giuliani, a former mayor of New York City, gave materials he said allegedly showed Hunter Biden putting underage girls in danger, to authorities in Delaware, and they referred them to the bureau.
The elder Biden, a former vice president, has denied having any involvement in foreign business ventures with his family and claimed he had no awareness of his son’s pursuits. However, neither Joe Biden nor his son have denied the authenticity of the computer materials, and a former business partner of Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, claims Joe Biden was involved with his son’s business dealings in China, and documents back up his claims.
A Senate report from two leading Republicans detailing allegedly problematic foreign business dealings by Hunter Biden, which was met by a rebuttal document from Democrats.
Bobulinksi, a Navy veteran and corporate investor who was interviewed by FBI agents last week, told Rosen he was listed as a “material witness” in the bureau’s investigation and that his cellphones were inspected. He was also told by the FBI he would be brought back for additional questioning, Rosen reported.
John Solomon, an investigative journalist who founded Just the News, said on Fox Business on Thursday that “there is activity, I’m aware of some activity of the FBI contacting witnesses, talking to people” related to the Hunter Biden materials.
Democrats and former intelligence officials have said the Hunter Biden materials have hallmarks of a Russian disinformation effort, but Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said last week he has seen no evidence to support that claim. A federal law enforcement official told the Washington Examiner last week that the Justice Department and FBI hold the same view as Ratcliffe.