Hunter Biden tax probe escalates: grand jury subpoenas in Los Angeles issued

The ongoing tax investigation into Hunter Biden, led by special counsel David Weiss, seems to be escalating, with recent developments in California drawing attention.

Reports from CNN indicate that a grand jury in Los Angeles is now issuing subpoenas related to Hunter Biden's business activities, including inquiries into James Biden, President Joe Biden's brother.

This development follows revelations that Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, had a confidential conversation with Congress. During this interaction, Estrada mentioned a call from Weiss in September, details of which he did not disclose, as per a transcript from the Washington Examiner.

The investigation, which has been considering charges against Hunter Biden for tax-related offenses from 2016 to 2019, hit a snag due to jurisdictional issues. Weiss, who was appointed as special counsel in August, previously lacked the authority to pursue charges outside of Delaware. This hurdle was highlighted by IRS whistleblowers this spring.

Despite these challenges, Weiss's team has been active in California, where Hunter Biden has resided for several years. In one instance, in April 2021, IRS agents conducted interviews in a U.S. attorney’s office in California with Hunter Biden's accountant, as revealed by documents from the House Ways and Means Committee.

No comments were received from the attorneys of Hunter Biden and James Biden regarding these developments.

The tax investigation's intensification coincides with Hunter Biden's legal team, led by Abbe Lowell, adopting a proactive defense. Lowell recently requested subpoenas for former President Donald Trump and other ex-Justice Department officials. He aims to demonstrate that the investigation into Hunter Biden was politically motivated, initiated by the Trump administration to target his father.

Furthermore, Lowell has argued that the collapse of a previous plea deal and the subsequent filing of separate gun charges in Delaware against Hunter Biden were influenced by political pressures and calls from Republicans, based on information from IRS whistleblowers.