FACT CHECK: No evidence supports the claim that Joe Biden met Hunter’s foreign business partners

Claim:

President Joe Biden never interacted with his son ⁢Hunter’s foreign business associates.

Who said it:

The Big Guy himself, Joe Biden. At a press‌ conference Wednesday, Biden asserted ⁤ that “it’s​ just a bunch of lies”⁤ that he was involved in his son’s business affairs. And asked directly ⁤whether he ever met Hunter Biden’s partners,⁣ the elder Biden‍ said: “I did not. They’re lies.”

Why ‌it matters:

Biden has long denied any involvement in his ⁢son’s affairs. “First of ⁢all,‌ I have never discussed with my⁢ son, or my brother, or anyone else, anything ‍having ​to do with their businesses, period,” he said in August 2019.

But according to an Associated Press poll in‌ October,⁣ 68 percent of Americans—including ⁤40 percent of Democrats—believe Biden behaved illegally or unethically when ‍it comes to Hunter’s overseas ventures.

Context:

There is insurmountable evidence that⁣ Joe Biden met‍ with several of his son’s business partners.

Rob Walker, a longtime Biden family friend, /biden-administration/report-hunter-biden-phoned-dad-dozens-of-times-during-foreign-business-meetings-associate-will-testify/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>told the FBI in December 2020 that Joe Biden attended meetings with Hunter Biden and officials from CEFC China ⁣Energy, a Chinese energy ⁢conglomerate linked to the Chinese Communist Party. CEFC China Energy paid Hunter Biden more ‌than $5 million in 2017 and 2018 for ‍consulting and legal work.

Tony Bobulinski, a California businessman, has released text messages that⁢ show he met with Hunter and ‍Joe Biden in May 2017 to discuss a business⁤ proposal with​ CEFC China Energy. Bobulinski, who ‍released his correspondence with‍ Hunter in October 2020, has accused Joe Biden of lying when he ⁣claimed to have no knowledge of Hunter’s business affairs.

Hunter Biden said ​in ‍text messages and emails⁤ that his father was involved in his Chinese business ventures. In July 2017, the younger Biden sent ‌a threatening text message‍ to a CEFC China Energy official seeking payment as part of their business agreement.

“I am sitting here with my father and we would like ⁣to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Hunter Biden /biden-administration/photos-place-hunter-biden-at-fathers-house-the-day-he-invoked-dads-name-to-chinese-business-partner/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>texted the Chinese executive on July 30, 2017. “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 direction.”

In August 2017, Hunter Biden suggested in a text message to CEFC China Energy officials that his father wanted‌ to meet​ with​ the chairman of the company in New ‌York City.

Joe Biden met Hunter Biden’s partners during his previous stint at the White House.

In ‌2013, Hunter Biden introduced ‍ one of his Chinese business ‍partners, Jonathan Li,​ to Joe​ Biden during an official trip to China.

And in 2015, ‍Joe and‌ Hunter ​Biden⁤ attended a dinner in Washington,​ D.C., with ⁢Vadym Pozharskyi, a Burisma Holdings executive who was Hunter’s primary point of contact‌ for the company. While​ the Biden campaign in ‍2020 denied ‌that​ Joe Biden ever met Pozharskyi, longtime⁤ Biden family crony Devon Archer ⁢ told Congress earlier this year that the meeting indeed did⁣ occur.

Analysis:

Biden seems determined to deny his involvement with his son’s business dealings until the ‍cows come home—or ⁣at ‍least until the impeachment hearings ‍begin.

Congressional ⁣Republicans are probing Biden’s involvement in his‌ son’s business,​ focusing heavily‍ on Hunter Biden’s work for a Ukrainian energy company. Hunter ⁢Biden worked closely with the firm, Burisma Holdings, while then-vice president Joe Biden was spearheading American policy on Ukraine. An FBI⁤ informant ‌told ​the bureau that Burisma’s owner claimed to have paid $10 million in bribes to the Bidens in ‍exchange for political favors.

Republicans have released a trove of emails, bank records, ‍and other business documents related to Hunter’s ventures in Ukraine, China, Romania, and elsewhere. Republicans are also focused on testimony from ‍two IRS investigators involved in the ⁤Hunter Biden probe who claim ​they were ​prevented from looking into Joe Biden.

Why is it important for the American public‌ to have‍ transparency and accountability regarding Joe Biden’s interactions with his son’s foreign ​business associates

To ‌meet with them. The text message stated,⁤ “My Chairman gave an emphatic NO. I assume ‍you knew that would be the answer[,] let’s hope my Chairman and Miss Gong can work together going forward to make the Chairman [Joe Biden] proud.”[1]

Furthermore, Hunter Biden’s laptop, which was obtained by the FBI in December 2019, contained emails that indicated Joe Biden’s involvement in his son’s business dealings. A series of emails from May 2014 detailed Hunter Biden’s negotiations with Ukrainian energy⁢ company Burisma. In one email, an advisor to Burisma thanked Hunter Biden for introducing him to his⁣ father, then-Vice President Joe Biden. The advisor⁢ wrote, “Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to ‌DC and giving me the opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It’s really ‌an honor and⁤ pleasure.”[2]

The evidence surrounding Joe Biden’s ​interactions with his son’s foreign business associates is overwhelming. Multiple⁢ individuals, including a longtime family friend and a California businessman, ‌have provided testimony and released documents that corroborate the‌ fact that Joe Biden met with these individuals. Additionally, ⁤Hunter Biden’s own text messages and emails explicitly mention his ‌father’s involvement in his business ventures.

The claim that President Joe Biden‍ never interacted with his son Hunter’s foreign‌ business associates is clearly false. The available evidence disproves this assertion and raises serious concerns about⁣ potential conflicts of interest and unethical behavior. It is essential for the American public to⁤ have‌ transparency and‍ accountability ⁤regarding these matters, especially⁤ considering the significant influence ⁢and power held by the President of the United States.

While ⁢Joe Biden may vehemently deny ⁣any involvement,‍ the evidence presented demonstrates otherwise. It⁤ is crucial for further investigation and scrutiny‌ to be undertaken ‌to ensure the integrity and ethical conduct of those in positions of power. As the President of the United States,⁢ Joe Biden ⁤must be held ‍accountable for his actions and the potential impact they may have on national interests‍ and public ‌trust.

Footnotes:

1. ‍Free Beacon. (2021).⁤ Report: Hunter Biden Phoned Dad ‘Dozens of Times’ During Foreign Business​ Meetings, Associate ‌Will Testify. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/report-hunter-biden-phoned-dad-dozens-of-times-during-foreign-business-meetings-associate-will-testify/

2. Free Beacon. (2021). Photos‍ Place Hunter Biden at Father’s House the Day⁤ He Invoked Dad’s Name to‍ Chinese Business Partner. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/photos-place-hunter-biden-at-fathers-house-the-day-he-invoked-dads-name-to-chinese-business-partner/