During his testimony before Congress, IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley mentioned a message that showed Hunter Biden allegedly using his father's political power to threaten a Chinese official.
Shapley's testimony, which was held on May 26 and was publicly released by the Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, included a message from Biden's son, Hunter, to Chinese businessman Henry Zhao, the president and CEO of Harvest Fund Management. The messages were reportedly obtained from Hunter Biden's iCloud account.
"We obtained a July 30th, 2017, WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to Henry Zhao, where Hunter Biden wrote: 'I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father,'" read the testimony.
Zhao confirmed that he would call Hunter Biden, who then responded: "I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father. I sure hope whatever it is you are doing is very very very important." Shapley also noted in his testimony that Zhao is believed to be connected with the Chinese Communist Party.
A second whistleblower told the committee, according to the New York Post, that Hunter Biden's message to Zhao "was more indication that the dad might have been involved." The New York Post reported last year that Zhao suggested to Hunter Biden and his business partners that he would arrange a deal that would bring "money directly into our pockets."
Shapley's testimony comes after top House Republicans have repeatedly vowed to investigate Hunter Biden's various business dealings, with some saying that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is not doing a good job.
President Joe Biden's son is being investigated for failing to file taxes related to a business expense for one tax year, but he previously denied any wrongdoing in the tax case and said that he handled his matters "legally and appropriately." This case expanded to also include a possible gun-related charge in connection with Hunter allegedly making a false statement on a form linked to a gun purchase in 2018. The prosecutor leading the DOJ probe is U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump-era appointee.
Hunter Biden previously said that he was regularly using cocaine in 2018—the year he made a gun purchase that is currently being investigated, according to Politico. Drug users are banned from owning firearms under federal law.
On Tuesday, the Justice Department said that the investigation is ongoing and that Hunter Biden will plead guilty to tax misdemeanors and will secure a deal with federal prosecutors that might drop the gun charge, CNN reported.
The justice department would agree to recommend a probation sentence for two counts related to failing to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018, as part of the plea agreement, according to CNN. The president's son reportedly owed at least $100,000 worth of federal taxes for each year but failed to pay them to the IRS by the deadlines.
Newsweek reached out by email to Hunter Biden's attorney, Christopher Clark, for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more
