Emails from the White House will be released by the National Archives.
The emails were sent when Biden was the vice president.
The White House has 60 days to make a decision on whether to stop the release of the emails.
The Biden Administration could stop the release of hundreds of pages of internal Obama White House records that could contain information about Hunter Biden's relationship with Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
The records show almost 300 full or partial emails that mention Burisma when Joe Biden was the vice president. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request for emails that contain the word "Burisma," the archives sent a letter to the Biden White House and the Obama Foundation.
According to the letter, several of the emails are press inquiries after the company's announcement that Hunter Biden had joined the board, earning as much as $83,000 a month. The letter states that 22 emails will not be given. There are exemptions for draft documents and comments that are part of the deliberative or policy making process. There are documents that could violate someone's privacy.
Right-wing political critics have long claimed that Burisma used Hunter to corruptly influence U.S. foreign policy.
The Biden White House needs to decide whether to invoke executive privilege to keep the emails secret. The legal teams for Biden and Obama have 60 days to argue their claims of privilege before the emails are released. The emails will be sealed until January 2029 if they choose to do so.
The case for executive privilege for documents that are already in third-party hands is weak, and invocation for any document carries political risks, according to a national-security lawyer who has represented many federal whistle blowers. He said that any invocation of privilege would highlight the sensitivities.
The Biden White House wouldn't say if it intended to fight release.
Insider was told by the National Archives that the original Freedom of Information request was filed by a lawyer for America First Legal. America First Legal is known for its legal efforts to fight anti-white bigotry.
Trump lost in court.
America First Legal and the Obama Foundation didn't reply to questions.
The Ukrainian prime minister was pressured by Biden to fire the prosecutor-general who had been looking into Burisma and its owner. Shokin remained at his post until March 2016 after Biden left, despite the fact that the investigation was put on hold months before his dismissal.
The GOP narrative that the VP used his diplomatic muscle to help Burisma get rid of an unfriendly prosecutor is not supported by the current chronology. The emails could shed light on Joe Biden's claim that he didn't discuss client matters with Hunter or that he got involved with his business. It's not clear how that informal understanding worked in practice.
Hunter Biden's company received monthly payments of $82,333 for 18 months while he was on the board. A business associate of Hunter Biden was paid an additional 1.5 million dollars by Burisma.
The Burisma emails are just one of many Hunter Biden scandals. An open criminal investigation is being conducted by the Justice Department. Some of Hunter Biden's allies are discussing ways to counter-attack after House Republicans promised to investigate his finances and personal life. The decision to censor posts about Hunter Biden's laptop immediately before the 2020 election has come under scrutiny after the disclosure of what appear to be internal corporate emails. The material from the laptop was raised as a concern by Biden's supporters. The claims have not been proven.
Business Insider has an article on it.
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