Former Vice President Joe Biden engaged in 54 email exchanges with his son Hunter's business associate, Eric Schwerin, while serving as vice president, according to records released by House Republicans.
The emails, spanning the period from 2014 to 2017, coincide with Joe Biden's trips to Ukraine, where Hunter was involved with the Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
Records released by House Republicans show President Biden exchanged emails with Hunter Biden’s business associate 54 times while he was serving as VP.
Democrats say the emails were routine and the associate was working as Biden's then financial adviser. https://t.co/lLYG2HKPSi
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 21, 2023
A White House spokesperson declined to comment but referred to statements by House Democrats, noting that Schwerin served as Joe Biden's financial adviser from 2009 to 2017, assisting with tax returns. Schwerin did not respond to requests for comment.
While the released records describe the dates and participants in the emails, the actual content remains undisclosed.
The majority of the exchanges occurred before and after Joe Biden's 2014 trips to Ukraine, with significant communication surrounding Hunter Biden's agreement to join Burisma's board.
The email disclosures were part of law enforcement records provided by IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler, with the House Ways and Means Committee receiving the documents.
Ziegler revealed multiple emails between Hunter Biden and associates, unaware at the time that Joe Biden used an alias in his private emails.
Earlier this year, Rep. Jamie Raskin indicated that Schwerin denied the elder Biden's involvement in the business dealings of his son or relatives during a March interview with House Ways and Means Committee staff.
Raskin quoted Schwerin, stating that he was not aware of any financial involvement by President Biden in transactions related to the business activities of Biden family members.
Hunter Biden, who earned nearly $1.2 million from Burisma in 2014, is facing federal tax charges. The recent indictment alleges that he made over $1.4 million from 2016 to 2019, and he is scheduled to be arraigned in January.
The tax indictment has prompted criticism from his attorney, Abbe Lowell, who emphasized the absence of new evidence and the timing of the charges after Hunter paid his taxes in full.
The disclosure of these emails adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing scrutiny of the Biden family's business dealings, particularly with Hunter's involvement with Burisma.
The evolving narrative underscores the intersection of legal and political dimensions as critics question the transparency and potential impact on President Biden's political standing.
