The White House is refusing to answer questions about an online message in which President Biden’s son, Hunter, appeared to invoke his famous father in a coercive way while speaking to a Chinese businessman about a deal.
Gary Shapley, an I.R.S. agent, says investigators secured a WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to businessman Henry Zhao in which the younger Biden says he is sitting next to his father and wanted to see action on an energy transaction.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday refused to weigh in on the message, which was provided to the House Ways and Means Committee. She repeatedly referred queries to the White House counsel.
“I just don’t have anything to share what my colleagues have shared, so I would refer you to them and the DOJ,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
Reporters at Friday’s briefing repeatedly brought up the WhatsApp message, in which Hunter Biden said he was sitting next to his father.
“Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,” Hunter Biden wrote in 2017 about the proposed deal. “And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”
It was unclear if Hunter Biden, who’s dealt with drug abuse and recently pled guilty to tax and gun charges, was actually sitting next to his father during the 2017 message or using his famous dad’s name to strike a tough posture.
“I would refer you to my colleagues at the White House counsel,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
The press secretary also defended the president’s decision to invite Hunter Biden to Thursday’s state dinner with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi just days after Hunter Biden entered a guilty plea.
“I’m not going to get into personal family discussions,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “As you know, Hunter is his son.”
