Romanian Businessman Hired Hunter Biden In Effort To ‘Influence’ US Policy, DOJ Says

A Romanian businessman facing bribery charges paid Hunter Biden in an effort to “influence U.S. policy and public opinion,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

During the fall of 2015, Hunter Biden entered into an “oral agreement” with businessman Gabriel Popoviciu, identified as G.P., who wanted the U.S. government to “investigate” the criminal probe against him in Romania, prosecutors wrote in a Wednesday court filing in Hunter Biden’s upcoming tax case. Special counsel David Weiss’ team explained in the filing that Hunter Biden’s business associate would testify about the arrangement during his coming tax trial, slated to begin Sept. 5.

Hunter Biden, along with his business associate, was “concerned that lobbying work might cause political ramifications” for Joe Biden, who was vice president at the time of the agreement, prosecutors wrote.

Hunter Biden’s business associate entered into “an arrangement that concealed the true nature of the work he was performing for G.P.” Under the agreement, a legal entity belonging to Hunter Biden’s associate “would purportedly provide management services to real estate properties in Romania,” though “that was not actually what G.P. was paying for,” according to prosecutors.

“In reality, Business Associate 1 and G.P. agreed that Business Associate 1 would receive compensation for work by Business Associate 1, the defendant, and Business Associate 2, to attempt to influence U.S. government agencies to investigate the Romanian investigation of G.P., and Business Associate 1 would pass approximately 1/3 to the defendant as his compensation and approximately 1/3 to Business Associate 2 as his compensation,” the documents states.

Hunter Biden’s business associate was compensated around $3,101,258 for the work between Nov. 2015 and May 2017, which the partners split three ways, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors revealed the evidence in response to Hunter Biden’s effort to prevent them from introducing references to “alleged improper political influence and/or corruption” during the trial. Weiss’ team noted in the filing that introducing the evidence does not mean the government “will also reference allegations that the defendant violated FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act] and that contacts with government officials were improper.”

“The evidence of what the defendant agreed to do and did do for G.P. demonstrates the defendant’s state of mind and intent during the relevant tax years charged in the indictment,” prosecutors wrote. “It is also evidence that the defendant’s actions do not reflect someone with a diminished capacity, given that he agreed to attempt to influence U.S. public policy and receive millions of dollars pursuant to an oral agreement with Business Associate 1 in an arrangement that concealed the true nature of the work he was performing for G.P.”

Hunter Biden was indicted on nine federal charges in December relating to his alleged failure to pay over $1.4 million in taxes.

Despite receiving “substantial” amounts of income during the period, including from his foreign business dealings, Hunter Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills,” according to the indictment. Instead of taxes, he funneled the money into strip clubs, luxury cars, escorts and other “personal expenses,” prosecutors allege.

In June, a Delaware jury convicted Hunter Biden on three felony gun charges.

Hunter Biden’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.