Subpoena issued in probe involving Biden's son

A US Senate panel has issued a subpoena as part of an investigation involving Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden.

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted along party lines to issue a subpoena for Blue Star Strategies, a Washington-based consulting firm allegedly with ties to Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden served as a member of the board, reports Xinhua news agendy.

Senator Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the committee, has insisted that the investigation was not designed to hurt Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee in this year's presidential election.

Senator Gary Peters, the panel's top Democrat, called it an "extremely partisan investigation".

President Donald Trump and some of his allies have pushed a narrative that Joe Biden, when serving as the Vice President, tried to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor to shield Burisma from an investigation in order to protect his son.

The White House's efforts to have Ukraine investigate the Bidens were at the heart of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into Trump last year.

The Democratic-led House impeached Trump in December 2019, while the Senate, controlled by Republicans, acquitted him this February.

( With inputs from IANS )