WASHINGTON — President Biden has for years flatly refused to negotiate with his relatives’ foreign business associates — a contention that was further debunked this week. newly released photos Show him meeting with two business associates of first son Hunter Biden in China while he was vice president.
Biden, 82, was the focus of a rare House impeachment investigation into whether he improperly enriched his family in countries where he wielded influence as vice president — a probe that could derail his re-election bid this summer. Ended soon after leaving. august report Concluded that he abused his power.
The question of Biden’s degree of involvement in foreign deals is now largely academic, as he and his family are no longer expected to play a significant role in US foreign policy following his retirement on January 20.
However, the case could present future credibility issues for Biden allies, such as top Oversight Committee Democrat Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who stressed in february That “no meeting took place with the President.”
A review of Biden’s public statements demonstrates a pattern of dishonesty as a mountain of evidence — including photos, emails and witness statements — shows that he did, in fact, interact with his family’s business partners. .
Recently released photos show Biden as vice president shaking hands and posing with Jonathan Lee, the incoming CEO of Chinese state-backed BHR partner, and Ming Xue, managing director of BHR, during a December 2013 official visit to Beijing Has gone. Hunter owned a 10% stake in a firm that sought natural resources such as cobalt for China during at least part of his father’s presidency.
The snapshot also showed the elder Biden introducing his son to Chinese President Xi Jinping, less than two weeks before BHR Partners was officially registered as a business.
‘I did not talk to their partners’
biden flatly refused Just two days later, on March 1, 2024, he spoke with business partners of first son Hunter and first brother James Biden. Hunter admitted privately Said in his impeachment inquiry statement that his father had engaged with his associates in China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.
“(House) Speaker (Mike) Johnson has accused you of repeatedly lying about your interactions with your son and brother’s business partners. What is your reaction to that?” a reporter from The Post asked Biden on the White House lawn.
Biden at first responded, “Ask him to read the record of every single witness,” even though several witnesses had actually described their interactions with those aides. “These people have got to stop all this.”
“But you interacted with his associates,” the journalist pointed out.
“I did not have conversations with his aides,” Biden insisted.
“You didn’t have dinner or lunch or coffee?” The Post followed up by citing the testimony of an interrogated witness.
“No,” Biden said.
‘It’s just a pack of lies’
A few months before that exchange, Biden clearly refused to talk again Despite some of those meetings being on camera before – with his son’s and brother’s associates.
“An Associated Press poll shows that nearly 70% of Americans, including 40% of Democrats, believe you have acted illegally or unethically in connection with your family’s business interests. Can you explain to Americans in the midst of this impeachment inquiry why you interacted with so many foreign business associates of your son and brother? a Post reporter asked.
“I am not going to comment on that. I did not do this and it is just a pack of lies,” claimed the Commander in Chief.
“You didn’t talk to any of his business associates?” The journalist applied pressure.
“I didn’t. They’re lies,” Biden said.
At the time, many of those interactions were well documented, including photos from the 2015 trip to Washington. group of mexican businessmen With whom the uncle-nephew Biden duo were courting and also had a powwow in the same year kazakhstan businessman Who bought Hunter a $142,000 sports car.
Ultimately, Hunter confirmed that he had arranged two dinners for his current vice-presidential father and Kazakhstani aides at Washington’s Café Milo, Russia And Ukraine.
The first son also confirmed the meeting with BHR’s Lee, for whom the elder Biden later wrote college recommendation letters for his children and congratulated on speaker phone during Hunter’s visit to Beijing, according to former Biden family aide Devon Archer. Gave.
Joe Biden also reportedly attended Lunch at the beginning of 2017 Former aide Rob Walker testified, along with the chairman of CEFC China Energy, shortly before the initial $3 million transfer to a group of Biden family associates. Hunter claimed that he did not remember that meeting. The firm later transferred $5.1 million to a China-based affiliate within 10 days of Hunter’s threatening message, which claimed he “Sitting here with my father.” – Records confirm Hunter was at his father’s Wilmington, Del., home that day.
‘A Russian Plant’
During his final debate with then-President Donald Trump on October 22, 2020, Biden shamelessly dismissed documents from Hunter’s discarded laptop as a “Russian plant” showing his alleged involvement in foreign business ties.
The Post reported a few days ago on emails indicating that Joe Biden, as vice president, had the meal on April 16, 2015. with vadim pozharskyBoard advisor to Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings at Café Milano in Washington.
Hunter Biden joined Burisma’s board in early 2014 — with a salary of $1 million — as his father took control of the Obama-Biden administration’s policy toward Kiev following the anti-Russian uprising that rocked the country. The Moscow-aligned leader was ousted. Putting the aristocratic owner of Burisma under greater scrutiny for alleged self-dealing as a government minister.
Another email revealed that Biden family aide, James Gillier, using the nickname “big guy”, planned a 10% cut for Joe Biden in May 2017 while discussing a proposed joint venture with CEFC China Energy. The enterprise was being developed. Another partner in that deal, Tony Bobulinski, said publicly before the debate that he met with Joe Biden about that business association.
“Joe, they’re calling you a corrupt politician,” Trump said, taunting his Democratic rival.
“Look, there are 50 former national intelligence people Who said that what he is accusing me of is a Russian plant. He has said that it has all the characteristics of – four or five former heads of the CIA, on both sides, say that what he is saying is a load of garbage. “No one believes it except him and his good friend Rudy Giuliani,” Biden claimed.
“You mean, the laptop is now another Russia, Russia, Russia hoax? You have to be—” Trump interjected.
Biden replied, “That’s exactly what it is – that’s exactly what (it is).”
‘I never talked to my son about his foreign dealings’
Biden issued a similar broad denial on September 21, 2019, when asked about his conversation with Hunter as he sought consulting business abroad.
“Mr. Vice President, how many times have you talked to your son about his foreign business deals?” Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Biden at a campaign stop.
“I never talked to my son about his foreign dealings. I have never discussed anything with my son or my brother or anyone else related to their businesses,” Biden said.
“And I will do the same thing we did in my administration. There will be a complete wall between the individual and the private and the government.”
Doocy continued, “Do you stand by your statement that you did not discuss anything about your son’s overseas business?”
“Yes, I stand by that statement,” Biden said.
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