In court documents filed Wednesday by Special Counsel David Weiss in the Central District of California, prosecutors alleged that Hunter Biden was paid by a Romanian oligarch to “influence U.S. policy and public opinion” while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. These new allegations have surfaced after Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, and as concerns over Hunter Biden’s international business dealings continue to mount.
Gabriel Popoviciu, a Romanian businessman, is expected to testify against Hunter Biden in his upcoming California tax trial, which is scheduled to begin on September 5 in Los Angeles, according to Fox News.
In the filings, Weiss claimed that Hunter Biden “entered into an oral agreement” in 2015 to assist Popoviciu in challenging bribery charges brought against him in Romania.
Prosecutors plan to present evidence showing that Hunter Biden and a business associate received compensation from a foreign principal who was attempting to influence U.S. policy and public opinion, specifically by pushing the U.S. to intervene in the Romanian investigation of Popoviciu.
Weiss further alleged that Hunter Biden and his business associate were concerned that their lobbying efforts might have political repercussions for then-Vice President Joe Biden.
The court documents state that a “Management Services Agreement” was signed between Popoviciu and Hunter Biden’s business associate, under which the associate’s legal entity was supposedly providing management services for real estate properties in Romania. However, this agreement was allegedly a cover for the payments Popoviciu made.
Weiss noted that Hunter Biden’s legal team had requested the court to dismiss any allegations related to potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). While the government does not plan to directly accuse Hunter Biden of violating FARA, Weiss stated that evidence will be introduced showing that Hunter Biden’s business associate structured their business relationship to avoid the need to register as a foreign agent, and that they did contact U.S. government officials, including those at the State Department.
Prosecutors claim that between November 2015 and 2017, Hunter Biden and his associates received over $3 million in payments from Popoviciu, which they divided among themselves.
Hunter Biden is currently facing charges for failing to pay over $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019, as well as for filing false tax returns. Although he has since paid the overdue taxes, he now faces three felony charges and six misdemeanors.
These developments come roughly three weeks after Joe Biden announced that he would not seek reelection. Meanwhile, Republican-led House committees have been investigating Hunter Biden’s overseas business activities, uncovering how Hunter, his family members, and business partners received millions of dollars from foreign sources.
A timeline released by the House Oversight Committee highlighted Hunter Biden’s connections with Popoviciu, noting that payments to a Biden associate’s bank account began around five weeks after Vice President Joe Biden hosted Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the White House. A total of 16 payments, amounting to over $3 million, were made, with approximately $1.038 million being deposited into accounts associated with the Biden family. The committee also noted that Hunter Biden visited Romania in November 2015.