GOP Rep. Ken Buck calls for Hunter Biden special counsel in letter to Barr

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EXCLUSIVE: Republican Rep. Ken Buck on Monday urged Attorney General William Barr to appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden's business dealings and a laptop purportedly belonging to him in order to ensure an investigation “free from political interference.”

In a letter sent to Barr, obtained by Fox News, Buck, R-Colo., urged him to “appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Mr. Hunter Biden’s conduct and the contents of his laptop that is currently in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s possession.”

LAPTOP CONNECTED TO HUNTER BIDEN LINKED TO FBI MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE

“This investigation is critical to defending the integrity of our republic and ensuring a potential Biden Administration will not be the subject of undue foreign interference,” Buck wrote. “Americans have the right to know whether Mr. Biden’s reported ties to foreign governments will make him the subject of blackmail attempts or other nefarious efforts to undermine U.S. national security or otherwise improperly influence American foreign policy.”

Buck noted that the attorney general has the ability to appoint a special counsel to “investigate and prosecute any matter that would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances.”

“Similar to when the DOJ appointed Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, it is critical that this investigation continue free from political interference, no matter who is in the White House,” Buck wrote. “We must guarantee the integrity of our government and the security of our republic.”

He added: “As such, I urge the DOJ to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Hunter Biden’s actions and the potentially incriminating contents of his laptop to ensure this important investigation will be completed.”

The laptop and emails in question were first obtained by The New York Post in October. The Post revealed that Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani provided them with emails allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden. The emails related to Hunter Biden’s work with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, as well as his work with a Chinese energy firm.

President-elect Joe Biden, while on the campaign trail, repeatedly denied any involvement with, or knowledge of, his son's foreign business dealings. 

A Biden transition official declined to comment on Buck's request. The Justice Department declined to comment. 

FBI IN POSSESSION OF LAPTOP ALLEGEDLY BELONGING TO HUNTER BIDEN

Fox News first reported in October that the FBI was in possession of the laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden.

Fox News also first reported that the FBI’s subpoena of a laptop and hard drive purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden came in connection with a money laundering investigation in late 2019, according to documents obtained by Fox News and verified by multiple federal law enforcement officials who reviewed them.

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It is unclear, at this point, whether the investigation is ongoing or if it was directly related to Hunter Biden.

The FBI has declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation into the laptop or the emails, as is standard practice. 

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is also investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings. 

Buck’s request for a special counsel also comes just days after Barr made public the appointment of U.S. Attorney John Durham from Connecticut as special counsel to continue investigating the origins of the Russia probe into the Biden administration.

In a scope order, obtained by Fox News, Barr stated that Durham as special counsel “is authorized to investigate whether any federal official, employee, or any other person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter-intelligence, or law-enforcement activities directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, individuals associated with those campaigns, and individuals associated with the administration of President Donald J. Trump, including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III.”

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Under U.S. code, the special counsel would produce a “confidential report” and is ordered to “submit to the Attorney General a final report, and such interim reports as he deems appropriate in a form that will permit public dissemination.”

Fox News' Jake Gibson contributed to this report.