WASHINGTON — President Biden has long flatly denied any interactions with foreign business associates in his family, but newly released photos this week show him showing off his eldest son Hunter Biden's business in China while he was vice president. This claim was further debunked as he was shown to have met with two people involved.
Mr. Biden, 82, was the focus of an unusual House impeachment inquiry into whether he improperly enriched his family in countries he held influence as vice president, an investigation that could potentially lead to Mr. Biden's reelection this summer. It ended shortly after I gave up on the challenge, and the conclusion was reached in the August report. he abused his power.
Following Biden's departure from office on January 20, the question of the extent of Biden's involvement in foreign dealings is now open, as he and his family are no longer expected to play a significant role in U.S. foreign policy. It is mainly academic.
However, the issue is a potential concern for Biden's allies, with the Oversight Committee's head, Democrat Jamie Raskin (Maryland), claiming in February that there was “no meeting with the president.” May cause reliability issues.
A close examination of Biden's public statements shows that mountains of evidence, including photos, emails, and witness testimony, show that Biden was indeed interacting with his family's business partners, indicating a pattern of wrongdoing. It became clear.
A newly released photo shows Biden, as vice president, on an official visit to Beijing in December 2013 with Jonathan Li, the incoming CEO of Chinese government-backed BHR Partners, and BHR Managing Director. The photo shows him shaking hands with Min Xue and posing for the photo. Through at least part of his father's tenure as president, Mr. Hunter held a 10% stake in the company, which was searching for cobalt and other natural resources for China.
The snapshot also shows Biden introducing his son to Chinese President Xi Jinping, less than two weeks before BHR Partners was officially registered as a company.
“I didn't interact with their partners.”
Biden directly denied that he had any interaction with his eldest son Hunter and his eldest son James Biden's business partner on March 1, 2024. Just two days later, Hunter privately acknowledged in his impeachment statement that his father had been involved with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Russian colleagues. Ukraine.
“[House] speaker [Mike] Mr. Johnson accused you of repeatedly lying about your interactions with his son and his brother's business partners. what is your reply to him? ” a Post reporter asked Biden on the White House lawn.
In fact, Biden's first response was, “Tell them to read the transcripts of all the witnesses,” even though many witnesses spoke about interactions between Biden and his associates. “These guys have to stop this.”
“But you interacted with their partners,” the journalist urged.
“I had no interaction with any of their partners,” Biden insisted.
“Didn't you have dinner, lunch, or coffee?'' The Post reported in a follow-up, referring to the testimony of an interrogation witness.
Mr. Biden answered, “No.”
“It's just a bunch of lies.”
Months before this exchange, Biden once again flatly denied having any interactions with his son or brother's colleagues — even though some of those meetings had previously been caught on camera.
“According to an Associated Press poll, nearly 70% of Americans, including 40% of Democrats, believe you have acted illegally or unethically regarding your family's business interests.” “Can you explain to Americans why you had so many interactions with your son's and brother's foreign business associates during this period?” a Post reporter asked.
“I'm not going to comment on that. I didn't and it's just a bunch of lies,” the commander-in-chief insisted.
“You didn't interact with any of their business associates?” the reporter pressed.
“I didn't. Those are lies,” Biden said.
Many of these interactions were well-documented at the time, including photos from a 2015 visit to Washington by a group of Mexican businessmen the uncle-nephew Bidens were courting, and the acquisition of Hunter the same year. It also included a photo of a powwow with a Kazakh businessman who had met him. A $142,000 sports car.
Mr. Hunter eventually admitted that he had arranged two dinners at Café Milano in Washington for the father of the current vice president and officials from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine.
Devon Archer, a former Biden family official, said the eldest son also acknowledged meeting with BHR's Lee, and that Biden later wrote letters of recommendation for colleges for his children, and that Hunter later attended Beijing. During the visit, he said he greeted them via speakerphone.
Joe Biden also allegedly attended a luncheon with the chairman of CEFC China Energy in early 2017, shortly before transferring the first $3 million to a group of Biden family associates, according to a former associate. Rob Walker testified. Ms Hunter claimed she could not remember the meeting. The company then transferred $5.1 million within 10 days of Hunter sending a threatening letter to an employee in China who claimed to be “sitting here with my dad.” Records confirm Hunter was at his father's home in Wilmington, Delaware, that day.
“Russian plants”
On October 22, 2020, during the final debate with then-President Donald Trump, Mr. Biden said that a document showing suspected involvement in overseas business relations left on a laptop left behind by Mr. Hunter was labeled as a “Russian factory.” It was shamelessly dismissed as such.
A few days earlier, the paper shows that Joe Biden, as vice president, dined on April 16, 2015 with Vadim Pozharskyi, an advisor to the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings, at Café Milano in Washington. It was reporting on e-mail.
Hunter Biden received a 100% payday in early 2014 after his father took over control of the Obama-Biden administration's Kiev policy in the aftermath of an anti-Russian uprising that toppled the Russia-aligned country's leader. He joined Burisma's board of directors for $1 million. Burisma's oligarchic owner has come under intense scrutiny over suspicions of self-dealing as a government minister.
Another email shows that in May 2017, when plans for a joint venture with CEFC China Energy were underway, James Gillier, a Biden family associate, used the alias “Big Man” to talk to Joe Biden. It was shown that the 10% share was written in pencil. Another person involved in the deal, Tony Bobulinski, said publicly ahead of the debate that he met with Joe Biden about the business involvement.
“Joe, they call you a corrupt politician,” President Trump mocked his Democratic rival.
“Look, there are 50 former national intelligence people who are saying this is a Russian plant that he's accusing me of. They're saying this has all the hallmarks of – “Four or five former CIA directors, both parties, say what he's saying is a load of garbage. No one believes it except him and his best friend Rudy Giuliani,” Biden said. insisted.
“So this laptop is another Russia, Russia, Russia hoax? It has to be–” Trump interjected.
“That’s exactly what it is – that’s exactly what it is.” [it is]” Biden responded.
“I have never talked to my son about doing business overseas.”
On September 21, 2019, Mr. Biden was asked about his interactions with Mr. Hunter while he was pursuing consulting business overseas, and he similarly denied it completely.
“Mr. Vice President, how many times have you talked with your son about doing business overseas?” Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Biden during a campaign stop.
“I have never talked to my son about any overseas business dealings. I have never talked to him or his brother or anyone else about anything that has to do with their business,” Biden said. spoke.
“And what I'm going to do is the same thing we did when we were in power. There will be an absolute wall between the individual and the private sector and the government.”
Doocy followed up with, “Do you stand by your statement that you never discussed your son's overseas business?''
“Yes, I stand by that statement,” Biden said.
