WASHINGTON

US President-elect Joe Biden's son, Hunter, announced Wednesday he is under investigation by the top federal prosecutor in Delaware as part of a tax probe. 

“I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs," Hunter Biden said in a statement. 

"I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors," he added.

Hunter Biden had been the target of long-standing personal attacks from US President Donald Trump during the presidential election cycle, with the defeated commander-in-chief alleging thinly-supported charges of chronyism during Biden's 8-year term as vice president.

Joe Biden's transition team said in a statement that the incoming president "is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger.”

David Weiss, the US attorney for Delaware, did not immediately have public comment on the investigation.