Where Did Biden Get $10M From in Tax Return? What We Do Know, What We Don't

In the three days since Donald Trump's arraignment in Florida on 37 federal charges regarding the former president's alleged handling of classified documents, conservative supporters have been pointing the finger at President Joe Biden and his family, claiming wrongdoing and corruption over a number of matters.

Among them, commentators have suggested that the president accepted a $10 million bribe to help end a corruption investigation into Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company where his son, Hunter, previously worked.

The latest published account, June 15 in the conservative news outlet The Federalist, said Joe and Hunter "coerced" a Burisma official to pay them $10 million in bribes—a claim allegedly verified in a series of 17 audio recordings purporting to depict a series of meetings between the family and Burisma founder Mykola Zlochevsky.

It remains unclear whether the recordings exist and, if they do, whether they show what the anonymous tipster claimed they did.

Among other recent accusations are claims that, according to tax returns, Joe Biden was paid $10 million in 2017.

Conservative commentator Benny Johnson tweeted on Thursday regarding the story that "we have FBI evidence to show that money came from foreign nationals in a bribery scheme." Johnson's tweet has been read 2.5 million times since it was posted.

Jack Posobiec, senior editor of right-wing news site Human Events, also tweeted on Friday that "$10M MYSTERIOUSLY APPEARED IN BIDEN'S 2017 TAX RETURN."

Looking into the history surrounding the money though, it doesn't seem that mysterious. Jill and Joe Biden earned more than $15 million between 2017-18 after the then-vice president left the White House, including a book deal with Flatiron Books.

In 2017, the pair reported a joint adjusted income of about $11 million. The next year, they earned $4.5 million.

Biden was also, according to The Washington Post, said to have earned $200,000 from speeches.

An exact figure for the book deal isn't available. One report by Publisher's Weekly from 2017 said: "Sources say the deal is valued at $8 million; Flatiron and its parent company, Macmillan, would not comment."

While upwards of $8 million might seem like a lot, other politicians have earned substantially more from book signings. In 2000, Hillary Clinton reportedly earned a $8 million advance for her memoir as the first lady. Bill Clinton was also said to have received $15 million, while the Obamas reportedly pocketed $60 million for a book deal.

Again, we don't know what the exact figure the Bidens earned after leaving the White House (Newsweek has reached out to Flatiron and Macmillan for comment), but it seems based on available evidence that the "mysterious" sum looks relatively well-explained.

Combine that with the fact that we don't know whether there are secret audio recordings that prove the existence of a bribery arrangement (or any other financial agreement that could embarrass the president), and the argument that the $10 million appeared "mysteriously" seems less compelling.

The president continues to face ongoing scrutiny of his financial and political affairs since the Republican party took control of the House this year.

He also faces continued investigation over his possession of classified documents at his home in Delaware. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed special counsel Robert Hur to investigate the appearance of classified documents at Biden's home and former Washington office on January 12. Little is known about the state of Hur's investigation, nor the circumstances that resulted in Biden still being in possession of the classified materials.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment.