A Romanian businessman facing bribery charges paid Hunter Biden in an effort to “influence U.S. policy and public opinion,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
During the fall of 2015, Hunter Biden entered into an “oral agreement” with businessman Gabriel Popoviciu, identified as G.P., who wanted the U.
S. government to “investigate” the criminal probe against him in Romania, prosecutors wrote in a Wednesday court in Hunter Biden’s upcoming tax case. Special counsel David Weiss’ team explained in the filing that Hunter Biden’s business associate would testify about the arrangement during his coming tax trial, slated to Sept.
5. Hunter Biden, along with his business associate, was “concerned that lobbying work might cause political ramifications” for Joe Biden, who was vice president at the time of the agreement, prosecutors wrote. Hunter Biden’s business associate entered into “an arrangement that concealed the true nature of the work he was performing for G.
P.” Under the agreement, a legal entity belonging to Hunter Biden’s associate “would purportedly provide management services to real estate properties in Romania,” though “that was not actually what G.P.
was paying for,” according to prosecutors. “In reality, Business Associate 1 and G.P.
agreed that Business Associate 1 would receive compensation for work by Business Associate 1, the defendant, and Business Associate 2, to attempt to influence U.S. government agencies to i.