WASHINGTON — Newly surfaced documents purportedly help prove that Hunter Biden actually worked with China’s state-owned CEFC China Energy when his father was still vice president. This has long been suspected by the Republican Party, which is leading the impeachment investigation into corruption by the president.
President Biden has repeatedly maintained that his family has not received any funds from China, even though he has claimed to be directly involved in two different projects supported by the Chinese government.
“We look forward to many opportunities to cooperate within the United States and abroad,” says the potentially damning letter, dated March 22, 2016, that surfaced on Tuesday. The letter was written on Hunter’s letterhead to CEFC Managing Director Jianjun Zhang about 10 months before his father Joe left. He became vice president.
“We believe we have presented a range of projects that are in line with the interests of you and your team and we look forward to discussing them in detail,” said Hunter and his partners Rob Walker and James. -The following is written in the draft letter to Xan that was distributed among Gilia. As an email attachment.
“As I await your next visit to the United States, I ask that you continue to coordinate all matters with my confidant and trusted advisor, Mr. James Gillier,” the letter reads.
Walker submitted documents to the House impeachment inquiry ahead of his own impeachment inquiry. January 26th Private deposition — which also supports some of what the letter suggests with other dubious evidence.
The email was released as part of his interview transcript on Tuesday.
It is unclear whether the letter, presumably signed by Hunter, actually reached Zahn, or if the letter was revised.
Hunter’s assistants planned to send a letter to the Chinese once approved, according to the email.
Joe Biden and Hunter Biden have not specifically confirmed or denied the start date of their CEFC relationship, but Hunter is expected to be grilled about the details in his own deposition later this month.
Another former Biden family official, Tony Bobulinski, was in the spotlight during Tuesday’s closed session of the impeachment inquiry.
He is one of the Republicans’ top hopes for confirming damning details about the president’s relatives’ ties to the Chinese government.
President Biden has said that his family has never received money from China, that he has no contact with any of his relatives’ business associates, and that the laptop that Hunter threw away was a source of Russian disinformation. The claim was disproven.
Biden, who was vice president at the time, interacted with supporters of his eldest son Hunter and his eldest son James Biden from Russia, Mexico and Kazakhstan, and in 2013 had coffee with the CEO of Hunter Biden’s Chinese government-backed business. I drank
In his testimony to Congress, Walker broadly defended the president against allegations of wrongdoing while corroborating key details of the Republican impeachment case, including saying that Hunter Biden’s relationship with CEFC dates back to 2015.
“I think it’s safe to say that by February 2016, you, James Gillier, and Hunter Biden began pursuing business with CEFC,” investigators told Walker, referring to separate documents. Isn’t there?” he asked.
“That’s right,” Walker replied.
“I remember Xan being in D.C.,” Walker added. “He’s probably been to Washington, D.C. three times or four times.”
Walker also told investigators that just weeks after Joe Biden left office as vice president, he met with his son’s CEFC partners, including Chairman Ye Jianming, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Walker said Joe Biden stopped by the meeting just before the Biden family received the first tranche of more than $1 million from CEFC.
According to bank records, the $1 million in income to the Biden family was divided between Hunter Biden, his uncle James Biden and his sister-in-law Harry Biden, but about 3 million dollars in transfers from corporate subsidiaries. It was 1/1. Walker kept about a third and sent a third to Gillier.
Gillier claimed the $3 million payday had “nothing to do with” Joe Biden’s stop at a D.C. hotel and was actually a payment for services Biden provided while vice president. he claimed.
“So the $3 million payment was a payment for the success you showed them earlier. Am I entitled to that?” the investigator asked.
“From the opportunities we showed them, yes,” Walker said.
“Belt and Road” and Biden
CEFC’s operations fueled one of the most explosive corruption allegations against Joe Biden in 2020. At the time, communications showed that Democratic candidates were taking a cut from partnerships tied to the Chinese government that seek to source resources overseas for China.
A May 2017 email from Mr. Gillier recovered from Mr. Hunter’s laptop states that Joe Biden’s 10% share, known as “The Great Man,” is “held by Mr. H.” Although written in pencil, there is no evidence that the president was ever supposed to be held by “Mr. H.” I received that slice.
An October 2017 email also listed Joe Biden as a participant in a conference call regarding CEFC’s efforts to buy U.S. natural gas.
Republicans claim the president was a key figure in the lucrative relationship.
A threatening WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to China-based CEF employee Raymond Chao in July 2017 specifically targeted his father, according to language provided to Congress by an IRS whistleblower last year. and warned of retaliation if the agreed deal was not carried out.
“I sit here with my father and we want to understand why that promise was not fulfilled,” Hunter wrote. “Please tell the director.” [Zang] I want to resolve it now before it gets out of hand, and that means tonight. And Z, if I receive a call or a text message from anyone involved in this matter other than you, Mr. Zhang, and the Chairman, I will forever be in the dark between the man sitting next to me and everyone he knows. See if you can hold it. You will regret not following my instructions.”
Within 10 days of that message, CEFC transferred $5.1 million to bank accounts associated with Hunter and James Biden, according to a 2020 report from a Republican-led Senate committee.
President Biden’s memory has come under scrutiny since a scathing Justice Department report was released last week. Follow The Post’s coverage here.
IRS whistleblowers claim they were prevented by the Justice Department from obtaining cell phone location data that could prove Hunter and Joe Biden were actually together. Photos on Hunter’s laptop show that he was indeed at his father’s house at the time.
Walker’s testimony filled out part of the broader CEFC chronology, including the origins of the relationship.
Additional email records created by Walker showed Hunter Biden was copied in preparation for the February 2016 CEFC board meeting in Beijing, which Gillier was scheduled to attend.
In an email dated February 23, 2016, Gillier said: “It has become clear that CEFC would like to enter into further business relationships with our group and we intend to present them with a number of projects. ” he wrote.
Hunter Biden and his eldest son James Biden ultimately received more than $7 million from CEFC in 2017 and 2018.
Bobulinski, the American partner in the proposed CEFC joint venture, claimed in 2020 that he had discussed the plan twice with Joe Biden in May 2017.
The Chinese thought Hunter’s name might open the door: Walker
Walker told investigators that Chinese people seemed impressed by Hunter’s last name.
“Why would they send a letter using Hunter Biden instead of Rob Walker or James Gillier? Especially if they had an original relationship with James Gillier,” House investigators asked.
“Hunter in our relationship, everyone had a different role. He was the one that Xan expected it to be,” Walker responded.
“Is it because he’s the son of the vice president at the time?” the congressman asked.
“Well, in Xan’s eyes, I worked for the Hunters and James worked for us or for the Hunters, and that’s how it is, but Xan calls him the headmaster of this organization. “I was looking at it,” Walker said.
“Is it because of his last name?” the questioner pressed.
“I can’t answer that about Zan, but certainly he had an interesting last name that probably would have attracted people,” Walker replied, noting that his own relationship with Hunter later soured. he said. The eldest son who was not repaid.
The White House press secretary and Hunter Biden’s legal team did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on Tuesday.
