The Key Events that Put Hunter Biden Under the Media Spotlight
Moments That Put Hunter Biden Under The Spotlight
The personal as well as professional controversies surrounding Hunter Biden have drawn a lot of attention to him. Starting with allegations of leveraging his father's political power, battles with addiction, and messy personal affairs, he fell right into the media spotlight. As the son of President Joe Biden, he has found himself indicted on tax and gun charges as well. There was a case of lucrative foreign business dealings and deeply personal family rifts. Here we delve into the twists and turns that have shaped Hunter's turbulent journey.
1. MBNA Corporation Consulting Work
When Joe was working as a United States Senator, his son Hunter's consulting work for MBNA Corporation (large Delaware-based banking chain), met with a huge backlash. Some claimed that there was a conflict of interest, as Joe was pushing for legislation favored by the online banking industry at the time. However, the Obama-Biden 2008 campaign rebuffed claims of any improper action. They stated that Hunter was a private citizen and that his work did not pose a conflict of interest.
2. Burisma Holdings and Ukraine Controversy
In 2014, Hunter joined the board of Burisma Holdings, a private Ukrainian energy company. Years later, House Republicans and former President Donald Trump spread claims of wrongdoing by the Biden family, alleging that then-Vice President Joe helped push out the Ukrainian prosecutor general in 2016 to protect his son from investigation. However, administration officials at the time stated that there was no conflict of interest. It was clear that Hunter was a private citizen. Hunter later acknowledged that it was "poor judgment" to take the paid post but insisted he did nothing wrong.
3. Personal Struggles and Addiction
After his brother Beau Biden's death in 2015, Hunter struggled with an addiction problems. It was mentioned in his 2021-released memoir. He began an affair with his late brother's wife, Hallie Biden. His wife, Kathleen Buhle, filed for divorce in December 2016. The reason for the divorce was her husband's huge spending and expenses on alcohol and gifts for other women, as per the Washington Post. In October 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that in the year 2013 after a drug test returned positive for cocaine, Hunter had been discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve.
4. Hunter's Tax and Gun Case
Federal prosecutors launched an investigation into Hunter's finances. It included his alleged failure to pay taxes between 2017-2018 and shady business deals with Chinese executives as early as 2018. He later paid back the taxes he owed. In June 2023, he was expected to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors but ultimately pleaded not guilty after the judge raised concerns, leading to his federal indictment in September 2023 on three felony counts related to illegal gun possession and also on false statements.
5. Child Support Lawsuits and Family Matters
In August 2019, an Arkansas woman named Lunden Roberts filed a lawsuit seeking child support from Hunter. She claimed that her daughter, Navy, was his. This legal battle grabbed public attention. In June 2023, after years of legal proceedings, Hunter settled the lawsuit by agreeing to pay monthly child support and to turn over several of his paintings as part of the settlement. Then, in August 2023, President Joe acknowledged Navy as his seventh grandchild, marking the first time he publicly recognized her as a member of the Biden family, as per BBC.
6. IRS Whistleblower and Privacy Lawsuit
Last year in April, an anonymous IRS whistleblower sent a letter to Congress, alleging that the investigation into Hunter's finances was mishandled. Two IRS agents, including the whistleblower, later testified at a GOP-led House oversight hearing, claiming that Justice Department officials had "constantly hamstrung, limited and marginalized" the investigation. Last year in September, Hunter filed a lawsuit against the IRS, accusing the agency of allegedly violating his privacy after two investigators released confidential information regarding his taxes to the public.
