The FBI requested former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinski to sit for an interview Friday, Bobulinski’s lawyers told the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which issued a statement on Friday.

The FBI also asked Bobulinski, who went on record Thursday to accuse former Vice President Joe Biden of lying about his involvement in business dealings with his son, to hand over copies of his phones.

The FBI refused to comment on Fox News “in line with our usual practise of neither confirming nor denying the existence of an investigation.”

The Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, which were investigating the corporate affairs of Hunter Biden, said that their interview with Bobulinski scheduled for Friday morning had been postponed.

“I understand that the FBI has a job to do, and I am happy that they are actually taking an interest in these financial problems that our committees have been investigating for months,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

“I expect Mr. Bobulinski to talk to our committee as soon as possible and thoroughly share his insight into the business affairs of the Biden family,” said Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican.

Tony Bobulinski, former associate of Hunter Biden, speaks to reporters before the presidential debate, Thursday, October 22, 2020, in Nashville. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)

Tony Bobulinski, former associate of Hunter Biden, speaks to reporters before the presidential debate, Thursday, October 22, 2020, in Nashville. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
Bobulinski, who was named the recipient of an e-mail published by the New York Post, which appeared to outline a business deal involving a Chinese company and members of the Biden family, stated in Thursday’s statement that the e-mail was “genuine.”

The email contains a note that “Hunter has some office aspirations that he will clarify.” The proposed equity split references “20” for “H” and “10 kept by H for the big guy?” with no further information.

“The reference to ‘Big Man’ in the much-publicized May 13, 2017 e-mail is actually a reference to Joe Biden,” Bobulinski said in a statement to Fox News. Biden’s tax returns, published in September, did not disclose any personal business interests in China.

Bobulinski said that he is the CEO of Sinohawk Holdings, which he clarified “was a relationship between the Chinese business operating through CEFC / Chairman Ye and the Biden family.” He said that he had been appointed CEO of Hunter Biden and James Gilliar, who had been named the sender of the email.

The Biden campaign shot back, calling the allegations a “desperate, pitiful farce executed by a flailing campaign.” Bobulinski was a guest of President Trump on Thursday night’s presidential debate.

“Joe Biden has never even found himself engaged in business with his family, or in any international business whatsoever,” said Andrew Bates, campaign spokesman for Biden in a statement to Fox News. “He has never held stock in any such business deal, nor has any family member or any other person ever held stock for him.”

Gilliar, one of the partners involved in SinoHawk Holdings, told the Wall Street Journal that he was “unconscious of any presence of the former Vice-President at any time.”

“The operation in question never produced any revenue from the project,” Gilliar told the Journal about the 2017 discussions.

Bobulinski said that he had met Joe Biden about his son’s business plans, and in an event with reporters Thursday before the debate, where he refused to answer questions, he presented three phones that he said had corroborating evidence.

“I saw Vice President Biden say that he never spoke to Hunter about his company. I saw firsthand that this wasn’t real, because it wasn’t just Hunter’s company, they said they were putting the reputation of the Biden family and its legacy on the line, “said Bobulinski on Thursday.