One prong of the multi-pronged Hunter Biden investigation relates to delinquent taxes. Actually, the whole sprawling inquiry into Hunter Biden began as a simple tax investigation – “which widened in 2018 to include possible criminal violations of tax laws.”
Now, with the Hunter Biden probe expanded to include foreign business dealings and art dealings and drug abuse et cetera et cetera, some are wondering whether the initial seed, the tax stuff, is what will ultimately cause Hunter Biden’s downfall.
What happened with Hunter Biden’s taxes?
“In the Fall of 2018,” CNN reported, “Hunter Biden received a quick succession of emails from his accountant: They were all about his taxes.”
Biden’s accountant, Bill Morgan, notified Biden that his taxes were late – and that he had missed an already extended deadline. Morgan wrote back two weeks later: “Your 2017 tax returns are still unfiled.” The next day, he wrote again: “You need to get 2017 filed so we can try to work out a payment schedule.”
The bill? “They want $158,000,” Morgan wrote. “IRS has notified the State Department and they will not renew your passport until this is resolved.”
By 2021, Biden’s tax bill was much higher than $158,000, however. Kevin Morris, an entertainment attorney and producer, was reported to have paid $2 million that Biden owed to the IRS.
But the tax issue may still be up in the air. The more pressing issue at this point appears to be Biden’s foreign business dealings. Specifically, whether Biden violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), “which requires disclosure to the Justice Department of lobbying or public relations assistance on behalf of foreign clients,” is being investigated.
Conflicting Principles
I have written before, expressing skepticism about the House Oversight Committee’s Hunter Biden investigation. My instinct suggests that the primary objective of the probe is to damage President Joe Biden – rather than to uncover any wrongdoing that may have harmed US national security.
Of course, Congress should not be calibrated for the direct purpose of damaging the president. So, I am deeply wary about the entire thing.
And generally, I’m just not that interested in whether Hunter Biden (a private citizen) paid his taxes or got paid for a no-show job at Burisma.
I know the assertion is that there was something deeper at play, something implicating the president and his family in significant corruption – but I remain skeptical that what was going on warrants congressional attention.
On the other hand, there is something deeply annoying about a vice president’s (and now president’s) son leveraging his father’s influence for exorbitant incomes – while not really working, while abusing cocaine, while driving Porsche’s.
We all know that kid, who kind of works for his dad, drives a nice car, is cultivating an art career, and does cocaine. Is he not universally despised? I understand the impulse to not like Hunter Biden.
Now, I’m sure that impulse to not like Hunter Biden should be funneled into a Congressional investigation – but I understand the disdain.
Then again, in Hunter Biden’s defense, he has experienced an immense personal tragedy. People have certainly gone through less and ended up worse off (although few have the personal network Biden does). Regardless, everyone has to pay their taxes. Even the president’s son.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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