Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Hunter Biden

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Hunter Biden.

Robert Hunter Biden is an American attorney and businessman, and the son of President Joe Biden. He co-founded BHR Partners, a Chinese investment company, in 2013. From 2014 to 2019, he served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural gas producer. He has also worked as a lobbyist, legal representative, hedge fund principal, and investor in venture capital and private equity funds.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2005: End of MBNA Retainer

In 2005, MBNA's yearly $100,000 retainer for Hunter Biden as a consultant ended. He was rehired by MBNA in 2001.

2013: Payments from CEFC China Energy and Burisma Holdings

NBC News analysis revealed that from 2013 to 2018, Hunter Biden and his firm received $11 million, including $3.8 million in payments from CEFC China Energy and Burisma Holdings.

January 1, 2014: Start Date for Presidential Pardon Coverage

January 1, 2014, marks the start date for federal offenses covered by the full and unconditional pardon issued by President Joe Biden for his son Hunter Biden on December 1, 2024.

February 2014: Administrative Discharge from U.S. Navy Reserve

In February 2014, Hunter Biden was administratively discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve after a routine urinalysis revealed cocaine in his system.

April 2014: Joined the Board of Burisma Holdings

In April 2014, Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma Holdings, owned by Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, who was facing a money laundering investigation.

April 2014: Email Regarding Father's Visit to Kyiv

In April 2014, Hunter Biden wrote an email to his business partner as their work with Burisma was about to begin, noting that his father's upcoming visit to Kyiv should "be characterized as part of our advice and thinking—but what he will say and do is out of our hands".

2014: Wire transfer from Baturina to Rosemont Seneca Thornton

In 2014, Yelena Baturina wire-transferred $3.5 million to Rosemont Seneca Thornton. Archer received the funds to purchase property in Brooklyn, New York.

2014: Start of Pardoned Offenses

In December 2024, Biden's father pardoned him for all federal offenses committed between 2014 and 2024.

April 2015: Dinner Invitation

In April 2015, Hunter Biden and his business partner discussed inviting foreign business associates, including a Burisma executive, to attend a dinner in Washington, where the vice president would stop by.

2015: Work for Gabriel Popoviciu

In 2015, Hunter Biden's work for Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu became a point of scrutiny in the U.S. criminal tax case against Biden, with allegations of influencing U.S. government agencies.

March 2016: Removal of Viktor Shokin

In March 2016, the Ukrainian parliament voted to remove Viktor Shokin, the country's top prosecutor, after encouragement from Joe Biden and other Western leaders. Shokin was widely criticized for blocking corruption investigations.

2016: Tax Evasion Allegations Begin

In 2016, Hunter Biden allegedly began a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes.

2016: Hunter Biden Begins Relationship with Hallie Olivere Biden

In 2016, Hunter Biden began a relationship with his brother's widow, Hallie Olivere Biden.

2016: Biden Lobbies for Burisma

In 2016, Hunter Biden wrote a letter to the U.S. ambassador to Italy on behalf of Burisma, seeking an introduction to an Italian regional president for a potential energy project. Embassy officials were concerned, and the meeting did not occur. Joe Biden later confirmed the lobbying effort after withdrawing from the 2024 presidential campaign.

2016: Allegations that Democrats colluded with the Ukrainian government

In 2016, there were allegations that Democrats colluded with the Ukrainian government to interfere in the election.

October 2018: Gun Purchased

In October 2018, Hunter Biden purchased a gun which would later result in federal charges.

2018: Telizhenko offered money to lobby

In 2018, Vladislav Davidzon, the editor of Ukrainian magazine The Odessa Review, told CNN that Telizhenko offered him money to lobby Republican senators in support of pro-Russian television stations in Ukraine.

2018: False Claim of Rent Payment

In 2018, a false claim arose that Hunter Biden had paid rent to his father while living at his Delaware home.

2018: Federal Investigation Started

In 2018, a federal investigation on Hunter Biden was started by prosecutors in Delaware.

2018: Federal Criminal Investigation of Tax Affairs

In late 2018, Hunter Biden's tax affairs became subject to a federal criminal investigation.

2018: End of Payments from CEFC China Energy and Burisma Holdings

NBC News analysis revealed that from 2013 to 2018, Hunter Biden and his firm received $11 million, including $3.8 million in payments from CEFC China Energy and Burisma Holdings.

April 2019: End of term at Burisma

In April 2019, Hunter Biden's term on the board of Burisma Holdings expired.

May 2019: Lunden Alexis Roberts Files Paternity Suit Against Hunter Biden

In May 2019, Lunden Alexis Roberts filed a paternity suit against Hunter Biden, who initially denied that the child was his.

May 2019: Shokin claims he was fired due to Burisma investigation

In May 2019, Shokin claimed he was fired because he had been actively investigating Burisma. U.S. and Ukrainian officials stated that the investigation into Burisma was dormant at the time of Shokin's dismissal.

May 2019: Ukrainian prosecutor states Hunter Biden did not violate Ukrainian law

In May 2019, Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko stated that Hunter Biden had not violated Ukrainian law.

July 2019: Trump orders freezing of military aid

In July 2019, President Trump ordered the freezing of $391 million in military aid to Ukraine shortly before a phone call with President Zelenskyy, during which Trump asked Zelenskyy to initiate an investigation into the Bidens.

September 2019: Trump's Accusations of Malfeasance

In September 2019, President Donald Trump accused Hunter Biden of malfeasance in Ukraine and falsely claimed that Biden "walk[ed] out of China with $1.5 billion in a fund."

September 2019: Ukraine restricts Burisma investigation

In September 2019, the Ukrainian anti-corruption investigation agency stated that its current investigation of Burisma was restricted solely to investigating the period from 2010 to 2012, before Hunter Biden joined Burisma in 2014.

September 24, 2019: Impeachment inquiry initiated against Trump

On September 24, 2019, the House of Representatives initiated a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump, alleging he sought to use U.S. foreign aid to pressure Ukraine to damage Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.

October 2019: Resignation from BHR Partners Board

Hunter Biden announced his resignation from the board of directors of BHR Partners, effective the end of October 2019, citing "the barrage of false charges" by then-U.S. President Trump.

October 2019: Riaboshapka sees no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden

In October 2019, Ruslan Riaboshapka, who replaced Lutsenko as Ukrainian prosecutor general, stated that he had seen no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden.

October 2019: Audit ordered of old case files

In October 2019, former Ukrainian prosecutor general Ruslan Riaboshapka ordered an audit of thousands of old case files.

2019: Senators investigate Hunter Biden's involvement with Burisma

During 2019, Republican senators Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley investigated Hunter Biden's involvement with Burisma, as well as allegations that Democrats colluded with the Ukrainian government to interfere in the 2016 election.

2019: Tax Evasion Allegations End

In 2019, Hunter Biden allegedly ended a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes.

2019: Targets of False Allegations

Since early 2019, Hunter Biden and his father Joe Biden have been the targets of false allegations that Joe pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor to protect Hunter.

March 2020: No subpoena for Telizhenko

In March 2020, Johnson decided against issuing a subpoena for former Ukrainian official Andrii Telizhenko, after the FBI briefed him about concerns Telizhenko could be spreading Russian disinformation.

April 2020: Still Listed as Board Member of BHR

As of April 2020, Chinese business records showed that Hunter Biden remained a board member of BHR Partners, despite his resignation announcement in October 2019.

May 2020: Investigation ramped up

In May 2020, Johnson ramped up the investigation at Trump's urging after it became clear that Joe Biden would be the nominee.

May 2020: Derkach releases alleged recordings

In May 2020, Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach released alleged snippets of recordings of Joe Biden speaking with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko during the years Hunter Biden worked for Burisma. The recordings were not verified as authentic and appeared heavily edited.

June 2020: Riaboshapka finds no wrongdoing

In June 2020, former Ukrainian prosecutor general Ruslan Riaboshapka stated that an audit of old case files had found no wrongdoing by Hunter Biden. Also, Poroshenko denied Joe Biden ever approached him about Burisma.

September 2020: Derkach sanctioned by U.S. Treasury

In September 2020, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Andrii Derkach, stating he "has been an active Russian agent for over a decade".

October 14, 2020: New York Post Publishes Article Based on Alleged Hunter Biden Laptop

On October 14, 2020, the New York Post published an article based on content provided by Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon, concerning a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden that contained an email referencing a meeting between Joe Biden and a Burisma advisor.

October 2020: New York Post Article on Laptop

In October 2020, the New York Post published an article about a laptop computer that had belonged to Hunter Biden, intensifying scrutiny and allegations against him and his father.

October 2020: Telizhenko's visa revoked

In October 2020, the State Department revoked Telizhenko's visa.

December 2020: Biden announces tax affairs under investigation

In December 2020, Hunter Biden publicly announced that his tax affairs were under federal criminal investigation.

2020: Trump's Campaign

In 2020, it was alleged that Trump tried to damage Joe Biden's presidential campaign.

2020: Senate Investigation Committee Claims

In 2020, two Republicans on a Senate investigation committee claimed that Yelena Baturina wire-transferred $3.5 million in 2014 to Rosemont Seneca Thornton, of which Biden had previously been a partner.

January 2021: Associates of Derkach sanctioned

In January 2021, close associates of Derkach were also sanctioned by the Treasury Department.

March 2021: Intelligence Community Analysis

In March 2021, United States intelligence community analysis found that Derkach was among proxies of Russian intelligence who promoted misleading or unsubstantiated narratives about Biden to US media organizations, US officials, and prominent US individuals.

November 2021: Confirmation of No Interest in BHR

In November 2021, Biden's attorney confirmed that his client no longer held any direct or indirect interest in BHR.

March 2022: Federal Investigation Reported

In March 2022, The New York Times reported that since 2018, Hunter Biden and possibly others had been under investigation by federal prosecutors in Delaware, with a grand jury convened to subpoena and hear evidence.

March 25, 2022: Report on Laptop Leak

As of March 25, 2022, Vox reported that there was no evidence to corroborate the intelligence officials' suspicions that the laptop leak was part of a "Russian plot".

April 2022: Rosemont Seneca Thornton Dissolved

In April 2022, The Washington Post reported that the partners of Rosemont Seneca Thornton had agreed to dissolve the organization before the 2014 wire transfer, though it continued to be operated by Devin Archer to facilitate real estate transactions.

July 2022: Emails Show Biden Struggling With Debt

In July 2022, a report from CNN authenticated emails that showed Hunter Biden was struggling with large debt and overdue tax bills.

October 2022: Federal Agents Assemble Evidence for Criminal Case

In October 2022, The Washington Post reported that federal agents had determined months prior that they had assembled enough evidence for a viable criminal case against Hunter Biden to charge him with crimes related to making false declarations during a gun purchase, as well as tax-related crimes.

January 2023: Rental Application Leads to False Claims

In January 2023, a rental application found on Hunter Biden's laptop led to a false claim that he paid rent while residing at his father's Delaware home in 2018, where classified documents were found. The document was later determined to be a rental payment for office space in Washington, D.C.

February 2023: Request for Criminal Investigation into Laptop Data Access

In February 2023, Hunter Biden's attorneys requested a criminal investigation by the Justice Department National Security Division into individuals suspected of illegally accessing, copying, manipulating, and/or disseminating his personal computer data.

June 20, 2023: Biden Agrees to Plead Guilty

On June 20, 2023, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversion program related to a felony gun charge.

July 2023: Judge Rules on Admissible Evidence

During the final hearing in July 2023, Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled on what evidence prosecutors could and could not use, including restrictions on the California tax trial, child support proceedings, Navy discharge, and statements made at a July 2023 hearing. However, drug use, memoir excerpts, and laptop data summary were permitted.

July 26, 2023: Plea Deal Rejected and Plea Changed to Not Guilty

On July 26, 2023, federal prosecutors clarified that the investigation into Hunter Biden included possible charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). On the same day, the presiding judge rejected Biden's plea deal due to concerns about immunity from future charges, and Biden changed his plea to "not guilty".

September 2023: Biden Sues IRS

In September 2023, Hunter Biden filed suit against the IRS, claiming unlawful disclosures of his tax return information.

December 7, 2023: Biden Indicted on Tax Charges

On December 7, 2023, Hunter Biden was indicted in California on nine tax charges, including felony and misdemeanor offenses, for allegedly failing to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes from 2016 through 2019.

January 11, 2024: Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Tax Charges and Trial Date Set

On January 11, 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the tax charges. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi scheduled the trial for June 20, 2024.

January 2024: Federal Prosecutors Confirm Laptop Contents

In January 2024, federal prosecutors stated that they had possession of a laptop computer which Hunter Biden left at the computer store and confirmed that the device contained files also found in cloud backups to Biden's Apple account.

January 2024: Prosecutors Reveal Cocaine Residue in Gun Pouch

In January 2024, prosecutors urged a judge not to dismiss Hunter Biden's gun charge, revealing that cocaine residue was found in his gun pouch.

February 28, 2024: Biden Deposed on Laptop Emails

On February 28, 2024, Hunter Biden was deposed by the House Judiciary and Oversight committees and discussed emails found on the laptop. Biden stated he did not recall sending the laptop for repairs.

June 3, 2024: Hunter Biden's Trial Begins

On June 3, 2024, Hunter Biden's trial began on charges related to unlawful gun possession and false statements on a federal form when purchasing the gun.

June 2024: Conviction on Federal Firearms Charges

In June 2024, Hunter Biden was convicted on three federal firearms-related felony charges after admitting to illegally owning a gun while being a drug user.

June 2024: Laptop and Contents Used as Evidence

In June 2024, the laptop and its contents were used as evidence during Hunter Biden's federal court trial for firearms charges. FBI investigators testified to the authenticity of the laptop.

June 20, 2024: Tax Trial Delayed

On June 20, 2024, the tax trial was delayed to September 5, 2024, due to the "needs of the defendant" in preparing for his Delaware trial on firearms charges.

August 2024: Allegations of Lobbying for Romanian Businessman

In August 2024, prosecutors alleged that Hunter Biden agreed to lobby on behalf of a Romanian businessman seeking to influence U.S. government agencies while his father was vice president.

August 21, 2024: Pre-Trial Hearing for Tax Indictment

On August 21, 2024, a pre-trial hearing for the tax indictment involving Hunter Biden's lawyers was held.

September 2024: Guilty Plea to Tax Charges

In September 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all of the tax charges in his ongoing federal criminal investigation.

December 1, 2024: President Biden Pardons Hunter Biden

On December 1, 2024, President Joe Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, covering all federal offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.

December 12, 2024: Hunter Biden's sentencing scheduled

Hunter Biden's sentencing was scheduled on December 12, 2024, which did not occur due to him being pardoned by his father on December 1.

December 2024: Presidential Pardon

In December 2024, Hunter Biden received a pardon from his father, President Joe Biden, for all federal offenses committed between 2014 and 2024, including potential offenses not yet discovered.

December 16, 2024: Hunter Biden's scheduled sentencing

Hunter Biden was scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2024, but President Biden repeatedly stated that he would decline to pardon Hunter or commute his sentence.

2024: Hunter Biden Sues and Drops Lawsuits Related to Laptop Data

In 2024, Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani for allegedly releasing data from his laptop, claiming it caused the "total annihilation" of his privacy, but dropped the lawsuit shortly after. The same year, he sued Fox News for airing images taken from the laptop, then dropped that lawsuit without explanation, only to resurrect it in state court three months later. Fox News described the second lawsuit as "devoid of any merit".

2024: Hunter Biden's Increased Involvement Leads to Concerns

In 2024, Hunter Biden's increased involvement in Joe Biden's presidency and campaign led to concerns from White House staffers. He advocated for firing staffers and acted as a gatekeeper for access to the president.

2024: Biden Drops Out of Presidential Campaign

In 2024, after Hunter Biden dropped out of his 2024 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden released records confirming Hunter Biden's lobbying effort for Burisma and denied any prior knowledge of the lobbying.

March 2025: Hunter Biden's Secret Service Detail Withdrawn

In March 2025, Hunter Biden's Secret Service detail was withdrawn on the direction of Donald Trump, despite Joe Biden ordering extended post-presidency protection.

April 2025: Hunter Biden Consents to Disbarment in Washington D.C.

In April 2025, Hunter Biden consented to disbarment in Washington D.C. to avoid disbarment proceedings related to his criminal convictions.

June 2025: Hunter Biden Sued by Winston & Strawn for Unpaid Legal Fees

In June 2025, Hunter Biden was sued by Winston & Strawn for over $50,000 in unpaid legal fees stemming from their representation of him in his federal criminal cases.

July 2025: Hunter Biden Blames Individuals for Father's Withdrawal

During an interview with Andrew Callaghan in July 2025, Hunter Biden blamed various individuals for purportedly forcing his father to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, a view Politico called inconsistent with the facts.

August 2025: Melania Trump Demands Retraction from Hunter Biden

In August 2025, Melania Trump sent a letter demanding that Hunter Biden retract statements he made about her, Donald Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein during an interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan. Biden had attributed the information to journalist Michael Wolff, and later refused to apologize or retract his statements.

December 2025: Hunter Biden Disbarred from Connecticut Bar

In December 2025, Hunter Biden was disbarred from the Connecticut bar by Judge Trial Referee Patrick L. Carroll III after violating state's attorney conduct rules, ending a legal career that began in 1997.