We’re almost to the end, folks. It’s anyone’s guess who’s going to take the cake.
But now this major 2024 surprise is turning the presidential race completely on its head.
A tranche of White House records, which likely includes material related to the controversial dealings of Hunter Biden, won’t see the light of day until conveniently one day after this year’s presidential election.
That’s what the Justice Department revealed to America First Legal (AFL), which had sued the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) back in 2022 for access to these records.
Thanks to an extension sought by President Biden’s attorneys, the records will remain sealed until at least Nov. 6 — just one day after the polls close, AFL reported.
“NARA has arbitrarily deferred to former President Obama and current President Biden’s requests to delay disclosure of likely embarrassing records until after the election,” said Dan Epstein, vice president of America First Legal, in a statement calling out the timing of the delay.
However, a spokesperson for NARA denied AFL’s claim, explaining that the extension was permitted by statute, stating that “NARA does not grant or approve the extension and cannot deny it.”
Still, the suspicious timing raises eyebrows as to why the Biden administration is so eager to keep these records under wraps until the critical post-election window.
AFL initially filed its lawsuit in September 2022, demanding all communications between then-Vice President Joe Biden, his brother James, and son Hunter, as well as records of any official trips the three took.
Throughout the legal battle, AFL uncovered that Joe Biden used multiple pseudonyms in emails and that more than 1,000 emails were exchanged between the office of the vice president and Hunter’s investment firm, Rosemont Seneca Partners.
The current batch of material under scrutiny involves communications with James Biden, Lion Hall, and Rosemont Seneca — the now-defunct firm Hunter helped found.
Among the documents are photographs from a White House visit involving Vice President Biden and James Biden, along with records related to the preparation of Biden’s tax forms and financial disclosures for 2015, according to AFL.
The year 2015 has piqued AFL’s interest, particularly because it was a period when Hunter Biden was collecting money from his board position at Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, and Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu.
Meanwhile, James Biden’s firm, Lion Hall, was securing loans from Ukrainian-American businessman John Hynansky.
Under the Presidential Records Act of 1978, presidents and vice presidents are required to preserve their administration’s documents for the National Archives. NARA had informed the White House Counsel back in June that it planned to release the records on Sept. 23, giving 60 days for any executive privilege claims to be made.
However, the DOJ stepped in, invoking an extension to delay the release until November, just after the election.
“An extension had not been invoked in this case until now,” AFL pointed out, raising further suspicions about the Biden administration’s motives.
The Biden family’s overseas business dealings have long been a target of conservative investigations, with Hunter Biden’s actions drawing particular scrutiny.
Last month, Hunter, 54, pleaded guilty to dodging $1.4 million in taxes. He was also convicted of felony gun charges in a separate case in June.
Despite these legal troubles, President Biden has maintained that he will not pardon his twice-convicted son — a claim that remains to be seen as pressure mounts around the Biden family’s questionable financial entanglements.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
