Divorce lawyers for Hunter, ex knew of ‘Romania deal’: email

Divorce lawyers for Hunter Biden and his first wife got into a back-and-forth in December 2016 over proceeds from a “Romania deal” involving the first son — an apparent reference to a $1 million arrangement the Biden scion struck with a corrupt Romanian oligarch, emails on Hunter’s abandoned laptop show.

Kathleen Buhle’s attorney, Rebekah Sullivan, referred to a “Romania deal” in an email to Hunter’s representative, Sarah Mancinelli, on Dec. 15 of that year that demanded $60,000 from an account Hunter held at TD Bank.

“On the disclosures, help me understand why it is taking so long to get this basic information. Hunter’s office confirmed to Kathleen a deposit of more than $120,000 into Hunter’s TD account, as funds from the ‘Romania deal,’” Sullivan wrote.

“There is no reason to continue to delay providing us the TD account statements and all expenses since the end of the last statement,” the lawyer went on. “If there is a reasonable explanation for why those funds are not being used to pay the family’s pressing expenses that reason should be shared with us immediately. Otherwise, please immediately provide Kathleen with half of this deposit.”

On Wednesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) revealed a company controlled by convicted Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu had wired $3 million to Hunter’s business partner Rob Walker between November 2015 and May 2017.

Walker then moved a little more than $1 million of the funds into bank accounts belonging to Hunter, his sister-in-law-turned-lover Hallie Biden and an unnamed Biden family member.

In the Dec. 15, 2016, email, Sullivan went on to describe what she called the estranged couple’s “very precarious financial situation.”

“[T]hey owe $200,000 in taxes, they owe Kathleen’s parents $100,000 (which has not been paid in two years), the credit cards are maxed out, Hunter maxed out a Bank of America cash advance, and their bills are not being paid. And yet, Hunter has been enjoying time in California with Hallie? It is more than fair to ask for Hunter immediately to provide Kathleen with half of the $120,000, and immediate disclosure with respect to his TD account.”

Hunter fired back in an email the next day, telling Mancinelli that Buhle was inaccurately describing his financial situation and accessing his private messages about the Romania deal to apparently use as leverage in the divorce proceedings.

“Rebekah I’m sure is aware that Kathleen and the girls have access to the TD card and have been using it regularly ($2k+)for Hue’s in Gtown just last week. Also why do you characterize our finances as dire. And why are we still not getting all of Kathleen’s accounts. And it’s not true that my office confirmed the TD deposit,” he wrote.

“Only two people knew of that and I was one of them. The only way she possibly knew of that is she has access to all of my texts and emails.”

However, Mancinelli confirmed to Sullivan the following month that Hunter had planned on a $60,000 payment to Buhle.

“Hunter believes a $60,000 ‘Romania’ related payment may come in before the end of the [sic] January,” the lawyer wrote on Jan. 12, 2017. “Should that payment be received, Owasco, P.C. would pay out a bonus in the amount of $60,000 and there would be $34,000 remaining after taxes.”

Owasco, P.C., is one of 15 companies created by Hunter or his associates to transfer funds from his overseas business ventures to members of his own family, according to bank records subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee.

Mancinelli suggested to Sullivan that $10,000 of the $34,000 left over from the payment after taxes should be transferred directly to Buhle, with another $10,000 for Buhle’s “retainers.” She said Hunter would take $10,338 for himself.

But Sullivan said her client should receive more and Hunter should receive nothing.

“With respect to the Romania payment, we do not agree that Hunter should receive an additional $10,338 at that time,” she wrote on Jan. 17, 2017.

“Given that Hunter deposited $126,545 in the middle of November into the TD account in his sole name, and spent the funds on extravagances such as Georgetown Tobacco $236.81, Cardtronics $605.50, Ladybird Lingerie (not for Kathleen) $75.00, Hus Shoes $846, the Hot Tub Store $7,450.92, Sierra Mountain Outdoors $1,245.22, Toujours Lingerie (not for Kathleen) $456.75, and Kirna Zabete $1,202, I do not think it is fair to ask Kathleen to cut back on her expenses, so Hunter can continue blowing through the family funds,” Sullivan went on.

“We propose that of the $34,000 from the Romania deal, Kathleen will receive $10,000, $18,500 will go to Kathleen’s retainers.”

When Mancinelli asked Hunter Biden to explain the charges listed by Sullivan, he was ready with a litany of excuses.

“Actually hot tub was fraud and returned to account weeks ago and Hu’s shoes was Kathleen s birthday gift. The girls have always had the card and use [it],” he claimed. “And the majority of the money went to pay expenses. [Kirna Zabete] is my best friends wife’s store and she had a grand opening and I bought a Christmas gift. The bottom line is where is her detailed bank account and what does this have to do with anything.”

Buhle told ABC’s Amy Robach in an interview last year that she was unaware of the full extent of Hunter’s business dealings.

“If you were called to testify, would you have anything to say?” Robach asked.

“No. I have buried my head in the sand,” Buhle replied. “I really hope that’s a lesson that women hear: Understand your finances, take responsibility for them.”

Popoviciu hired Hunter in 2016 to represent him after he was charged with bribery, but the Romanian tycoon was convicted on the charges about a year later.