Hunter Biden and ex-wife Kathleen Buhle's divorce attorneys were aware of 'Romania deal' payments

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FIRST ON FOX: Divorce lawyers for Hunter Biden and his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle were aware of money hitting Hunter’s bank account from a "Romania deal," emails show, appearing to contradict Buhle's previous claims  she had her "head buried in the sand" when it came to Hunter’s finances.

During a press conference Wednesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer revealed Buhle was one of several Biden family members, including Hallie Biden, who received foreign money and that Hunter received over $1 million from Romania.

According to 2016 and 2017 emails reviewed by Fox News Digital from Hunter's abandoned laptop, divorce lawyers for Hunter and Buhle were aware of payments from a "Romania deal" and discussed how it should be divided among the two parties.

Rebekah Sullivan, who was representing Buhle during the divorce proceedings, appeared frustrated in a Dec. 15, 2016, email to Sarah Mancinelli, Hunter’s lawyer. 

World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden and Kathleen Biden arrive at the World Food Program USA's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony at Organization of American States April 12, 2016, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA)

BIDEN'S CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER'S BUSINESS DEALINGS IS BECOMING HARDER TO MAINTAIN

"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," Sullivan added. "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."

Rebekah Sullivan, who was representing Buhle during the divorce proceedings, mentioned the "Romania deal" in a Dec. 15, 2016, email to Sarah Mancinelli. (Fox News Digital)

After Mancinelli forwarded Sullivan’s email to Hunter, he fired back that it’s "not true that my office confirmed the TD deposit" and accused his soon-to-be ex-wife of spying on him.

"Only two people knew of that and I was one of them," Hunter told his lawyer. "The only way she possibly knew of that is she has access to all of my texts and emails."

After Mancinelli forwarded Sullivan’s email to Hunter, he fired back that it’s "not true that my office confirmed the TD deposit" and accused his soon-to-be ex-wife of spying on him. (Fox News Digital)

A month later, Mancinelli emailed Sullivan after consulting with Hunter Biden and his longtime business partner, Eric Schwerin, who would provide edits for her initial draft of the email to Kathleen's lawyer. Hunter gave the green light after Schwerin's edits and Mancinelli sent the email, proposing an "interim support and bill paying arrangement," which included that Buhle receive a portion of the funds from a "Romania" payment that Hunter was expecting.

Excerpt of a draft email Hunter Biden's divorce lawyer was writing to send to Kathleen Buhle's lawyer. The red edits are from Hunter Biden's longtime business partner Eric Schwerin. (Fox News Digital)

"Our primary goal with the proposal below is to project for Kathleen the payments that Hunter expects to receive this month and how those funds will be allocated — including funds for retainer payments," Mancinelli wrote. "Hunter believes a $60,000 ‘Romania’ related payment may come in before the end of January."

"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," she said, referring to one of Hunter's many companies.

Mancinelli said  $10,000 of the remaining funds would go directly to Buhle, another $10,000 would go toward her legal retainers, $10,338 would go to Hunter and the remaining would go toward two other outstanding debts.

Sullivan countered, saying Hunter should get none of it and that $18,500 should go toward Buhle's retainers.

Sullivan countered Mancinelli's proposal, saying Hunter should get none of it and that $18,500 should go toward Buhle's retainers. (Fox News Digital)

It's not clear what amount the two parties agreed upon. Sullivan, Mancinelli and Hunter's current lawyer did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

As the payment arrangement was being discussed, Schwerin sent an email titled, "Income," informing Hunter that he made at least $1,295,000 in 2016 from "Owasco, P.C. (representing Burisma and any Romania payments)."

Hunter's business partner, Eric Schwerin, sent an email titled "Income," informing Hunter he made at least $1,295,000 in 2016 from "Owasco, P.C. (representing Burisma and any Romania payments)." (Fox News Digital)

The revelation that Buhle’s divorce lawyer knew about money coming from Romania and that Buhle received thousands of dollars from the country as part of the divorce appears to contradict her claims last year that she was clueless about Hunter’s finances.

"I had my head pretty deeply buried in the sand," she told CBS News last June, later claiming she "barely understood" Hunter’s shady business dealings.

Vice President Joe Biden, right, sits next to his granddaughter Naomi Biden, center, and his daughter-in-law Kathleen Biden, left, as they arrive at a restaurant for lunch in Beijing Aug. 18, 2011. (NG Han Guan/AFP via Getty Images)

HUNTER BIDEN'S FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER, CLOSE FRIEND MAKES LAST-DITCH ATTEMPT TO AVOID PRISON SENTENCE

Hunter's business dealings in Romania were highlighted in a report released by the House Oversight and Reform Committee Wednesday. Gabriel "Puiu" Popoviciu, a Romanian tycoon who was facing criminal charges related to corruption and bribery, reportedly hired Hunter Biden in 2016 to advise him in the case. Popoviciu was eventually convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison in August 2017, NBC News reported in 2019.

At the time, Vice President Biden was calling on the Romanian government to crack down on corruption. "Corruption can represent a clear and present danger not only to a nation’s economy, but to its very national security," he said during a speech in Romania in 2014.

President Biden and his son Hunter Biden attend the annual Easter egg roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 10, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Biden held a meeting at the White House with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis Sept. 28, 2015.

According to the GOP committee, within five weeks of the White House meeting, Bladon Enterprises Limited, a Cyprus-based company allegedly owned by Popoviciu that he used to conduct business in Romania, started making deposits into Robinson Walker, LLC’s bank account, totaling over $3 million from November 2015 to May 2017.

In one of those transactions from early November 2016, Robinson Walker, LLC, which belonged to Hunter's longtime business partner and friend, Rob Walker, received $183,329.29 from Bladon Enterprises Limited. Hunter then received $122,179 from Robinson Walker, LLC, a few weeks before Buhle’s lawyer’s email referencing the "Romania deal."

Multiple Biden family accounts, including those belonging to Hunter, Hallie Biden and an unnamed Biden, received approximately $1.038 million from the Robinson Walker, LLC account after the Bladon Enterprises deposits, and 16 of 17 of those transactions occurred while Biden was vice president.

Hunter Biden arrives at the Independence County Courthouse in Batesville, Ark., May 1, 2023.  (Mega for Fox News Digital)

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"The Committee continues to investigate why Hallie Biden, a reported school counselor, would receive any payments after the Bladon Enterprises deposit was made into the Robinson Walker, LLC bank account," the report said.

"It appears from bank records the Bidens were using Robinson Walker, LLC to conceal that the source of these payments was Popoviciu," the report continued. "The Committee is investigating Hunter Biden and his business associates’ engagement with U.S. government officials on behalf of Popoviciu."