So when Hunter’s ex-wife discovered that he had obtained something of such immense value, she had her divorce attorney send an “Urgent” email seeking to determine the whereabouts of the diamond and secure the asset before Hunter could “dissipate” it. Hunter’s attorney offered a shady denial:
"There is no diamond in Hunter’s possession. I don’t know where Kathleen is getting access to this information, but on this score, what your email purports below is inaccurate."
Metadata gleaned from photos of the diamond on the abandoned laptop indicate that Hunter lied about not having the diamond and he in fact had the diamond with him in Wilmington. The current location of the 3.16 carat diamond remains unknown
After the fateful February 2017 meeting with Ye, and around the time Hunter claimed to have moved into the Wilmington house where classified documents were found, the Bidens’ business with CEFC exploded.
Nine days after Miami meeting, Hunter received two separate wire transfers of $3 million which the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network flagged as suspicious.
The Chinese energy tycoon is part of the ongoing tax fraud probe and a potentially broader probe into President-elect Joe Biden’s son, according to a report Thursday.
Investigators have examined the gift of the 2.8-carat gem Hunter got from CEFE China Energy founder Ye Jianming in 2017, CNN reported, citing a source briefed on the matter.
It’s unclear whether the diamond which has been estimated to be worth as much as $80,000 remains a focus of the tax probe that Hunter and his father’s transition team unexpectedly revealed on Wednesday, according to CNN.
Emails from Hunter’s laptop that were exclusively revealed by The Post in October show that the jewel became a sticking point during his divorce from first wife Kathleen Buhle. In August 2017, her lawyer demanded proof it was “in a safety deposit box accessible only by both parties together” and threatened to seek an emergency injunction against Hunter “to enjoin his further dissipation of assets, including the diamond.”
Last year, Hunter told the New Yorker that Ye gave him the diamond following an introductory dinner meeting in Miami amid his divorce from first wife Kathleen Buhle.
Hunter claimed he gave the sparkler to two unidentified associates who also attended the dinner, saying, “I knew it wasn’t a good idea to take it. I just felt like it was weird.”
He also disputed its estimated value, as claimed by his ex-wife, telling the New Yorker it was probably worth around $10,000.
Emails recovered from the laptop that the FBI seized last year from a Delaware repair shop show that the diamond became an issue during Hunter’s divorce, The Post exclusively revealed in October.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors in Manhattan have also scrutinized Hunter’s finances and investigators in both Delaware and Washington, DC, were looking into potential money laundering by him as of early last year, according to Politico.
The securities fraud unit of the Southern District of New York began its review after a judge overturned the fraud conviction of Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter’s, in late 2018, Politico said, citing a source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation.
The Manhattan prosecutors ended their review after conferring with their counterparts in Delaware, where Hunter disclosed he’s under investigation, Politico said.
In addition to that probe, FBI agents have been asking questions about Joe Biden’s brother, James Biden, in connection with an investigation involving a bankrupt hospital company, Americore Health, a person with direct knowledge told Politico.
James Biden briefly had an office at the company’s headquarters in Florida but has disputed claims supported by a business card with his name on it that was part of a civil case in Tennessee that he’s a “principal” of the company, Politico said.
It’s unclear if James’ activities are a focus of the investigation, which is being conducted by federal authorities in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Politico said.
On Thursday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called on Attorney General William Barr to appoint a special counsel to handle the investigation of Hunter Biden, echoing a request earlier this week by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.)
“If Joe Biden becomes president, then all those prosecutors are in line to be fired next month,” Cotton told Fox News. “If there were ever circumstances that create a conflict of interest and call for a special counsel, that’s here.”