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President-elect Joe Biden said in a press conference Tuesday that his son Hunter’s business dealings had not come up in discussions about his highly anticipated pick for attorney general.
"Has the issue of investigations with your son come up with your team and with candidates about (sic) attorney general?" a reporter asked.
"No, no I guarantee you I'm going to do what I said," Biden responded. "The attorney general of the United States of America is not the president's lawyer. I will appoint someone I expect to enforce the law as the law is written, not guided by me."
Shortly after, Biden was asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy whether he thought previous stories regarding his son’s purported laptop were the work of "Russian disinformation."
RATCLIFFE SAYS HUNTER BIDEN EMAILS, LAPTOP 'NOT PART OF SOME RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN'
"Yes, yes, yes. God love ya, man. You are a one-horse pony. I tell ya. Thank you. thank you. I promise you my justice department will be totally on its own making its judgments about how to proceed," the president-elect said.
The FBI is now in possession of the laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden, which contained emails revealing his foreign business dealings, including contacts in Ukraine and China.
The FBI and Justice Department officials have concurred with acting-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe that the laptop is not part of a Russian disinformation campaign targeting Biden.
The emails in question were first obtained by the New York Post and, in part, revealed that Hunter Biden allegedly introduced his father, the then-vice president, to a top executive at Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings less than a year before he pressured government officials in Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating the company’s founder.
At the same time, Attorney General Bill Barr, who will conclude his service this week said Monday he has "no plan" to appoint a special counsel to take over the federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax affairs.
Republicans have demanded that a special counsel be appointed to continue the federal investigation into Hunter Biden to ensure that it continues through the incoming Biden administration. President Trump reportedly had been discussing a potential special counsel for that investigation.
Hunter Biden confirmed earlier this month that he is under federal investigation for his "tax affairs."
A well-placed government source told Fox News that Hunter Biden has been a subject/target of the grand jury investigation.
The source said President-elect Biden is not a subject of any grand jury investigation at this time.
The source also told Fox News that this investigation was predicated, in part, by Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regarding suspicious foreign transactions. Another source familiar with the investigation told Fox News the SARs were regarding funds from "China and other foreign nations."
The investigation, according to a source familiar with the matter, began in 2018. It predates Attorney General Bill Barr, who was confirmed in 2019.
The inquiry could weigh on Biden’s potential pick for attorney general, after Biden has promised to restore the Justice Department’s independence from the White House. Some have called on Biden to appoint a special counsel to make any future decisions regarding his son, to distance both the White House and attorney general.
Trump, before Barr's resignation, hit the attorney general, calling it a "big disappointment" that he knew about the federal investigation into his opponent's son and did not disclose it before Election Day.
"Why didn’t Bill Barr reveal the truth to the public, before the Election, about Hunter Biden. Joe was lying on the debate stage that nothing was wrong, or going on - Press confirmed" Trump tweeted last week. "Big disadvantage for Republicans at the polls!"
Meanwhile, Biden has not yet said whether he’ll commit to keeping the Delaware U.S. attorney investigating Hunter Biden in his position in the new administration.
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It’s standard for new presidents to ask for the resignation of all U.S. attorneys upon entering office, but given the conflict of interest, Fox News repeatedly asked the Biden transition team whether the president-elect would keep David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, in his role until the investigation into Biden’s son’s taxes was complete.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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