House Republicans on Wednesday presented a dossier of 22 instances they argue demonstrate President Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s alleged “influence peddling schemes.”
The move came in direct response to claims from Democrats and their allies in the liberal media that there is no evidence supporting the impeachment of Biden.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the impeachment inquiry into the president, saying investigators had found a “culture of corruption” surrounding Biden and his family related to son Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
Coverage of the move by left-wing outlets suggested GOP lawmakers had no basis for the action. The Associated Press, for example, declared in a social media post that House Republicans claimed “without evidence” that Biden and his son had engaged in influence peddling.
Since gaining the House majority, House Republicans have aggressively investigated Biden and his son, claiming without evidence that they engaged in an influence peddling scheme.
Here’s what comes next: https://t.co/4Qxz6C2IXY
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 12, 2023
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee issued a news release showing otherwise.
“There is mounting evidence that Joe Biden was involved in his family’s influence peddling schemes, including while he served as Vice President,” the panel said. “However, Democrats and their corporate media allies continue to ignore this overwhelming evidence as they seek to distract the American people from the Biden family’s corruption. Below are over 20 examples of Joe Biden’s involvement.”
Democrats say there is “no evidence.”
Wrong.
Here it is: https://t.co/exDd8iFAL2
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) September 13, 2023
One of the examples in the memo is the testimony of former Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer, who detailed at least 20 instances during Joe Biden’s vice presidency when he conversed with his son’s foreign business associates, raising questions about the nature and purpose of these interactions.
Archer directly implicated the president as “The Brand,” citing his role in transmitting “signals of power, access, and influence” that enriched the Biden family from foreign players, the release said.
In February 2014, Joe Biden was reported to have dined with oligarchs from Russia and Kazakhstan who were connected to substantial financial transactions involving Hunter Biden and his associates, according to the memo.
This suggests a direct link between Biden’s official duties and his family’s business interests.
Another example occurred in April 2015 when he dined with his son’s foreign business associates, including Vadym Pozharsky, an executive at Ukrainian company Burisma, which was under investigation for corruption at the time.
“Then-Vice President Biden had coffee with Hunter Biden’s Chinese business associate, Jonathan Li of BHR, in Beijing and wrote a college letter of recommendation for his daughter,” the release said.
These revelations contradict Joe Biden’s repeated denials of ever speaking with Hunter Biden about his business interests, as reported by the New York Post.
The committee’s release highlighted a gathering at the official residence of the vice president in 2015. This gathering, attended by Hunter Biden, Archer and other business associates, raised questions about the influence they aimed to wield in filling a United Nations position, further revealing their connections within government circles.
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It also revealed that Joe Biden used the pseudonym “Robert L. Peters” and was aware of a call with the president of Ukraine in 2016 that included Hunter, who was a member of the board of Burisma.
One notable incident cited in the release occurred on Dec. 4, 2015, when Biden business associate Eric Schwerin corresponded with Kate Bedingfield in the Office of the Vice President. They discussed media responses concerning Hunter Biden’s role in Burisma, with Bedingfield noting that the “VP signed off on this.”
The release also included an email from May 2017 in which James Gilliar, a Biden family associate, outlined how profits from a deal with CEFC, a Chinese Communist Party-linked energy company, would be divided, with Joe Biden allegedly set to receive 10 percent.
Furthermore, it highlighted a pattern of concealment, with Gilliar advising another Biden associate, Tony Bobulinksi, not to mention Joe Biden’s involvement except when in person.
A Sept. 21, 2017, email from Hunter identified Joe Biden “as his business partner and provided Joe Biden’s personal cell phone” number for verification, indicating a level of collaboration, according to the release.
Other emails suggest Hunter Biden’s attempts to leverage his father’s position for personal gain, including a 2017 message in which he demanded money from Chinese business associates while claiming Joe Biden was nearby.
According to the committee, his threat read: “if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you….I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direct.”
The release also raised questions about Hunter’s dealings with Chinese investors, with one email from September 2011 emphasizing that his value to them was tied to his “last name.”
Other pieces of evidence the House GOP listed in the release include:
- Hunter’s statement in 2017 suggested the Bidens’ effectiveness in fulfilling Chinese Chairman Ye Jianming‘s desires and CEFC China’s vision.
- Rob Walker’s FBI interview in 2020 indicated Joe Biden’s attendance at a CEFC meeting.
- Joe Biden’s decision to have Hunter accompany him on Air Force Two during international trips that potentially benefited the Biden family.
- More than 80 visits by Hunter’s associates to the White House during Joe Biden’s vice presidency.
- Joe Biden’s meeting with Hunter’s Mexican business associates at the White House in 2014.
- Hunter’s video call with his father and Mexican partners in 2015, followed by a visit to the vice president’s residence.
- Hunter and an associate’s travel to Mexico on Air Force Two for business in 2016.
- The FBI’s 2020 FD-1023 form containing allegations of Joe Biden’s involvement in an extortion scheme.
- Hunter’s 2019 text suggesting different financial expectations within the family compared with his father.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the Oversight Committee, said in a statement Thursday that the panel “is working to follow the facts and hold President Biden accountable.”
WATCH @GOPoversight Chairman @RepJamesComer highlights several of the mainstream media narratives regarding the Biden’s family’s influence peddling scheme that our investigations have proven to be false. pic.twitter.com/QdZ9YNpUoH
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) September 13, 2023
“I want to go back to where we were in January when we started this investigation,” Comer said.
“This was the narrative: the President’s son’s laptop was Russian disinformation; Hunter Biden was a legitimate business guy, just like Jared Kushner; No Biden ever took money from China — that’s what Joe Biden said; No money ever changed hands while Joe Biden was Vice President; Joe knew nothing about his son’s dealings; And Joe never met with or spoke with any of the foreign nationals who had wired the family money,” the congressman said.
“All of those things have been proven wrong because of the Republican majority and our investigation,” he said.
