A White House aide who has held multiple positions in the Biden administration, including White House deputy staff secretary, previously spent nearly two decades at a Delaware law firm that was heavily involved with corporate entities tied to Hunter Biden, his business associates, and other Biden family members.
Michael Hochman, a top lawyer for more than 17 years at Monzack Mersky McLaughlin and Browder, originally co-founded by Biden in 1970 before he started his Senate career, is currently serving in his third Biden White House position, his LinkedIn profile shows.
Between January 2021 and June 2022, Hochman served as the White House deputy staff secretary before joining the White House’s recently created Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), which advises Biden on cybersecurity policy and strategy. Hochman started out as the deputy general counsel and deputy chief of staff before being promoted to chief of staff last November.
In a recent profile piece, Hochman described his role as having “an enterprise-wide view of the work of the office” and said it’s “like working for a start-up” with the “long hours and all the challenges that come from building something new.”
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President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, step off Air Force One, Feb. 4, 2023, in Syracuse, New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Hochman’s jump to the Biden White House will likely raise questions from Republicans as the House Oversight Committee dives into his past work at the law firm and communications with Hunter Biden as they continue investigating his foreign business dealings. A Fox News Digital review found several emails between Hochman and Hunter during the Obama-Biden administration, in addition to nearly a dozen Biden-linked corporate entities that were registered through the law firm where Hochman spent most of his career.
The review found that Monzack Mersky McLaughlin and Browder has served as the registered agent for Owasco LLC, Rosemont Seneca Advisors, and Robinson Walker LLC, which is owned by Hunter’s former business partner Rob Walker. Fox News Digital previously reported that members of the Biden family received more than $1 million in payments from accounts related to Walker’s LLC and their Chinese business ventures involving CEFC affiliate State Energy HK in 2017.
Multiple Biden family accounts, including those belonging to Hunter, Hallie Biden and an unnamed Biden, also received approximately $1.038 million from the same Walker LLC account after Bladon Enterprises, which reportedly belonged to Gabriel “Puiu” Popoviciu, a Romanian tycoon, deposited over $3 million between November 2015 to May 2017. According to a 2017 email from Walker, which was obtained by the Senate Finance Committee, Walker viewed himself as a “surrogate” for Hunter and his uncle, Jim Biden, when “gauging [business] opportunities.”
Owasco LLC and Rosemont Seneca Advisors are directly tied to Hunter and were also incorporated by Hochman’s former firm. A 2016 email from Hunter’s longtime business partner, Eric Schwerin, reveals that Owasco was set up to “hold Hunter’s investment interests in a variety of work related entities. Owasco, LLC owns a 100% interest in Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners (RSTP) I, RSTP II Alpha and RSTP II Bravo. Owasco, LLC also owns 75% of Skaneateles, LLC and via Skaneateles, LLC and its subsidiaries…”
In 2017, Joe and Jill Biden used Monzack Mersky and Browder as the registered agent to set up two S-corporations, Celticcapri Corp. and Giacoppa Corp., the business entities used “to receive [millions of dollars in] royalties from their writing and speaking engagements.”
President Joe Biden listens as first lady Jill Biden speaks at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, N.C., Friday, June 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The law firm was also a registered agent for multiple Biden campaign committees, the Beau Biden Foundation, Livelihood, an apparel company founded by Hunter’s sister, Ashley Biden, and JBB SR., INC., which is associated with Biden’s brother, James Biden. JBB is one of the entities that the House Oversight Committee is investigating after they discovered that it received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Walker’s LLC.
“I have said for months that the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling scheme will go down as the greatest political scandal of our lifetime, and likely in the history of the country,” House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York told Fox News Digital. “Joe Biden is compromised. House Republicans are committed to delivering the transparency and accountability that the American people demand and deserve from their elected officials and public servants.”
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House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York told Fox News Digital that she has “said for months that the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling scheme will go down as the greatest political scandal of our lifetime.” (The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Stefanik’s comment comes as House Republicans appear primed to officially move forward with an impeachment inquiry against Biden for alleged corruption charges as early as this week, which could spark an impeachment vote in the House early next year.
Hunter’s ties to Hochman extend to email communications throughout the Obama administration, in addition to Hochman visiting Biden’s vice presidential residence multiple times for holiday parties.
In May 2014, Hochman emailed Hunter and said he was running with Beau Biden, Hunter’s now-deceased brother and a college roommate, longtime friend of Hochman’s, and that Burisma was “briefly” discussed.
In a May 2014 email, Michael Hochman informed Hunter Biden that he “went running with Beau” and said Burisma was “briefly” discussed before offering up his father-in-law as someone who was “knowledgeable and well-connected” on the issue. (Fox News)
“Went running with Beau yesterday and we were talking briefly about Burisma. Good news. I’m pretty familiar with this industry (at least domestically) – my father-in-law is heavily involved in the Marcellus shale gas play in Pennsylvania – the largest source of natural gas in the United States,” Hochman said. “He is extremely knowledgeable and well-connected in those parts. He’d love to discuss with you; would you be willing to talk with him? Also, a good excuse for me to come down and see you guys in DC. Let me know.”
It is unclear whether Hunter took Hochman up on the offer to chat with Hochman’s father-in-law. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochman’s father-in-law for comment but did not receive a response.
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First lady Jill Biden, with Hunter and Ashley Biden, attends her granddaughter Maisy Biden’s graduation from the University of Pennsylvania on May 15, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Another email from early 2014 shows Hochman pitching Hunter a new client, whom he describes as a “good friend of the family’s, and a client of MMMB,” referring to his law firm.
“Eugene Amobi is the principal member of Tech International Corp., a good friend of the family’s, and a client of MMMB. He is a retired DuPont engineer with two sons who attended Tower Hill (Chux) and Friends (E.J.), both of whom live in Delaware,” Hochman wrote.
“He is looking for assistance navigating the federal, local, and international systems for growth opportunities in the company’s engineering, IT, and project/construction management areas of expertise,” he continued. “I believe Tech International also qualifies for certification as a minority-owned business, which may be an incentive for certain projects. If you think your firm can help, I would be happy to introduce you to Eugene.”
Michael Hochman pitched Hunter a new client in a 2014 email, describing him as a “good friend of the family’s, and a client of MMMB,” referring to his law firm at the time. (Fox News)
Hunter forwarded the email and asked Schwerin to “take a look and lets get back to him.” Schwerin said he “talked to Michael on Friday and he’s arranging a meeting/call between us and the CEO.” Hunter’s calendar in April 2014 shows he and Schwerin were meeting with Hochman and Amobi at the Rosemont Seneca Partners office on April 7.
At one point, Schwerin had a role in handling then-Vice President Biden’s finances as a “bookkeeper” and a person familiar with their relationship told Fox News Digital that Schwerin previously worked on Biden’s personal budget and helped coordinate with his tax preparers.
Another email chain shows Hochman provided legal services in 2015 to Hunter and Schwerin for Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners and RSTP II LLC, which was owned by Owasco LLC at the time.
JOE BIDEN NOMINATES FORMER HUNTER BIDEN LAW FIRM COLLEAGUE AS SPECIAL COUNSEL
Hochman’s law firm was intimately involved in setting up RSTP II LLC and in a 2014 email chain he discussed the inner workings with Schwerin.
“Per Devon’s instructions I made one edit to the document,” Hochman wrote to Schwerin, referring to former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer. “It now divides his 40% of RSTP II up to 20% Archer, 15% Rob and 5% Heinz.”
“In addition, we are going to ask for the payment to be $250,000 with $50K payable now and the rest in $50,000 quarterly installments due beginning on January 1, 2016. I made those changes and had Hunter sign for RSP and Skaneateles. We also sent the attached to Devon for his signature so we could send to those guys showing that 45% of the partnership is in agreement with this.”
Eric Schwerin (L), Hunter Biden (C) and President Joe Biden (R). (Fox News)
The two go back and forth via email discussing payments and ownership of that LLC.
Emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2015 also show Hochman directly involved in establishing the Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III Children’s Educational Trust Fund and discussing financial commitments to the fund.
Hochman wasn’t the only partner at the law firm with close ties to the Bidens. Melvyn Monzack, who co-founded the firm and has been a longtime friend of the Biden family, has been a confidante and personal attorney for Biden dating back decades.
A Fox News Digital review found that Monzack has donated thousands of dollars to Biden’s presidential campaigns, served as Biden’s treasurer during his 2002 Senate reelection and failed 2008 presidential run, which led to Biden for President, Inc. and Monzack, in his official capacity as treasurer, to be fined $50K for failing to keep records to show that over $1M in campaign donations that exceeded federal limits was returned to donors.
Monzack was also instrumental in facilitating the agreement between the Bidens and the University of Delaware for Biden’s “Senate papers,” which Biden has refused to release, despite previously touting the importance of the papers during remarks.
A 2010 email chain from Hunter’s laptop shows that Monzack and another partner at his firm were also involved in behind-the-scenes discussions regarding Paradigm Global Advisors, a hedge fund acquisition led by James and Hunter Biden, which ultimately fell through, leading to litigation. According to a 2019 Politico profile piece that quoted an anonymous executive at Paradigm, Biden’s brother said, “Don’t worry about investors…We’ve got people all around the world who want to invest in Joe Biden.”
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President Biden arrives for a memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at Emory University on Nov. 28, 2023 in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson-Pool/Getty Images)
The revelation that Congress may soon consider the impeachment of the president comes shortly after House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., released subpoenaed bank records showing an entity owned by Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, had made “direct monthly payments to Joe Biden.”
“This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world,” Comer said in a video message last week.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer, R-Ky., left, and President Biden, right. (Getty Images)
President Biden has been widely criticized for issuing inconsistent and inaccurate defenses of his son’s business dealings over the last few years and recently dismissed a question of why he conversed with several of Hunter’s business partners as “just a bunch of lies.”
“They’re lies. I did not. They’re lies.”
Recent polling from The Associated Press found that nearly 70% of Americans, including 40% of Democrats, believe Biden acted unethically or illegally when it came to his family’s business interests.
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Hunter faced another indictment late last week in California, which includes nine charges alleging a “four-year scheme” when he did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports. The charges break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors centered around $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Hochman, Monzack, and Hunter’s attorney, but did not receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci, Houston Keene, Jessica Chasmar, Chad Pergram, and Brooke Singman contributed reporting.
