A Sept. 23 report by two Republican senators found that former vice president Joe Biden permitted Hunter Biden and other family members to enrich themselves through overseas deals during his term. The report authored by Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Senate Committee on Finance chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) pointed out “consistent, significant and extensive financial connections” between Biden family members and associates and “foreign nationals with questionable backgrounds.”
Johnson and Grassley’s report gave examples of the Bidens’ illicit deals across the globe, through records obtained by their respective committees.
Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son, had “formed significant and consistent financial relationships” with Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky while sitting in the board of gas company Burisma. Biden’s tenure with Burisma paid off, as his father threatened to withhold a loan to Ukraine unless the country’s president fired the top prosecutor investigating the company. Zlochevsky was alleged to have used his position as the minister of ecology and natural resources to favor Burisma, which he founded.
Biden also had “deep financial connections” with Chinese nationals connected to the Chinese Communist Party. The younger Biden reportedly earned as much as $10 million per year “from introductions alone” thanks to an agreement with the now-defunct Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy. Chinese tycoon Ye Jianming, who cultivated ties with high-level Chinese government officials before he was disgraced in 2018, owned CEFC.
Aside from illicit deals, Biden family members and associates also obtained money from questionable individuals. Investment firm Rosemont Seneca Thornton, which was co-founded by Hunter Biden, received $3.5 million in a wire transfer from Elena Baturina – erstwhile wife of the late former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. The Russian businesswoman allegedly received lucrative contracts during the tenure of her husband while he was still alive.
In addition, Hunter Biden’s business associate Devon Archer received money from Kazakh businessman Kenges Rakishev amounting to $142,300 as payment “for a car.” The timing of the payment was notable, as it coincided with a visit by then-Vice President Joe Biden to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to talk about Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Rakishev was the son-in-law of retired politician Imangali Tasmagambetov, who was close to former Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Furthermore, Nazarbayev appeared to be supportive of Russia’s actions during his tenure – raising concerns about the nature of Rakishev’s transaction. (Related: Hunter Biden also did business with Kazakhstan.)
The Obama administration was aware of Biden’s conflicts of interest, but turned a blind eye to them
The report also said that a number of officials in the administration of former President Barack Obama were aware of the Bidens’ irregularities, but did nothing about it.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry was made aware of the possible conflict of interest that arose when Hunter Biden sat on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. According to the report, Kerry was briefed about the younger Biden, Burisma and his stepson Chris Heinz – who was a business partner of Hunter Biden – a day after the gas company announced Hunter's new role. Kerry's senior adviser even sent him press clips and articles relating to the younger Biden's new position.
Despite being briefed about Hunter Biden’s conflict of interest, Kerry denied that he had any knowledge of the younger Biden’s involvement in Ukraine in December 2019. During a Nashua, New Hampshire town hall that month, Kerry said “I had no knowledge about any of that” when asked if he knew about Hunter Biden's Ukraine connection.
Even former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch has denied acting on Hunter Biden’s Ukraine involvement despite being informed about it. Breitbart reported back in November 2019 that she eventually admitted doing nothing about Hunter Biden when she assumed the post of U.S. ambassador, following questions by Republican counsel Stephen Castor during a House Committee on Intelligence public hearing. (Related: Obama administration was informed by State Dept. official about Hunter Biden’s sweetheart deal in Ukraine but ignored it.)
Rep. Elaine Stefanik (R-NY) remarked during the House hearing: “President Obama’s own State Department was so concerned about potential conflicts of interest from Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma.”
If Joe Biden wins the presidential elections this November, Hunter Biden will be back in business and State Department officials will again do nothing about it.
Sources include:
HSGAC.Senate.gov [PDF]
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