A former FBI official has been linked to a Chinese associate involved in business dealings with the Biden family, according to a report from a Justice Department oversight agency.
Charles McGonigal, who led the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York from 2016 to 2018, received a 50-month federal prison sentence in 2023 for conspiring with Russian oligarchs to sidestep U.S. sanctions. His controversial actions also included leaks concerning an investigation related to the Chinese Energy Fund Commission (CEFC) involving executive Patrick Ho.
During his investigation into the CEFC, McGonigal met with Albanian officials in June 2017, implying that the FBI was looking into their activities.
The report notes, “People B indicated they understood that ‘we’ referred to the FBI, while ‘they’ were China or CEFC NGOs.”
At that time, knowledge of the investigation was limited to a small circle within the government.
The individual known as Person B traveled to Washington, D.C., the day after meeting McGonigal, and informed Ho about the information he had taken from the FBI source, suggesting that an arrest could be imminent.
This leaked information was later shared with Ye Jianming, Chairman of CEFC China.
In November 2017, Person B reached out to McGonigal after receiving an invite from Ho to a CEFC-sponsored event in New York. Although Person B was abroad at the time, there seemed to be potential for attending, considering the ongoing investigation.
“I will stay in Albania,” McGonigal advised Person B, also conveying a readiness to take action.
Person B claimed he didn’t pass this information on to anyone at the CEFC. However, Ho was detained on charges of bribery and money laundering upon arriving in the U.S. from China for the event.
Documents from the House Oversight Committee reveal that Hunter Biden had a business relationship with Ho, who was often referred to as the “China F-King Spy Chief.” Ho had agreed to pay Biden $1 million for legal services related to U.S. law.
Reports on this relationship show Hunter describing the deal as “interesting for me and my family.” He, along with his uncle James Biden, earned approximately $4.8 million from CEFC China Energy between 2017 and 2018.
During the FBI’s investigation into the leaks, it was found that Ho had seemingly received reassurance regarding his return to the U.S. based on information from a private investigator.
According to the inspector’s report, an FBI interview revealed that a retired Secret Service agent had been approached by James Biden for confirmation on any arrest warrants for Ho.
Biden’s email to the private investigator emphasized the urgency of his request: “I’m in Hong Kong” and asked for background on potential issues Ho might face.
Although the investigator couldn’t find any records of arrest warrants, he cautioned James Biden that such information is often sensitive.
It’s worth noting that neither Hunter Biden nor James Biden face any allegations of wrongdoing in this context.
McGonigal, previously imprisoned for his ties to Russian oligarchs, exemplified a breach of the integrity essential for a high-ranking FBI official tasked with sensitive investigations.
The report concluded that McGonigal’s misconduct compromised crucial criminal cases and eroded public trust in law enforcement.
