In the recently released closed-door impeachment testimony, Hunter Biden, the first son, confirmed several key facts related to the impeachment case against his father. This includes the revelation that Joe Biden, while serving as vice president, attended dinners with his son’s foreign associates.
During his deposition before two House committees on Wednesday, the 54-year-old confirmed that there were two dinners at DC’s Cafe Milano restaurant in 2014 and 2015. These dinners provided an opportunity for Joe Biden to interact with Hunter’s Kazakhstani, Russian, and Ukrainian benefactors.
Hunter acknowledged to the panels investigating his father for alleged corruption that Vadym Pozharskyi, an executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, had attended. Burisma had paid Hunter a $1 million annual salary starting in 2014 while his father was leading US policy towards Kyiv.
“I can confirm that Vadym was indeed present at one of these dinners,” he affirmed, corroborating The Post’s initial October 2020 report based on documents retrieved from Hunter’s abandoned laptop. These documents unveiled a thank-you note from Pozharskyi, sent the day after the gathering on April 16, 2015.”
The Joe Biden presidential campaign challenged the report when it came out, stating that there was no record of such an encounter on Joe Biden’s official schedules.
Hunter confirmed that the dinners also featured the presence of Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina. On February 14, 2014, Baturina transferred $3.5 million to a company co-owned by Hunter and his business partner, Devon Archer. Additionally, Kazakhstani businessman Kenes Rakishev gifted Hunter a sports car worth $142,000.
During one of the Cafe Milano gatherings, Joe Biden’s son mentioned that his dad did not join them for dinner. According to him, he believed that his dad probably had a Coca-Cola and a bowl of spaghetti instead. However, other witnesses have contradicted this claim and described Joe Biden as having a full meal during the event.
According to Hunter, he asserts that the initial oligarch dinner occurred on his birthday, specifically on February 4, 2014. He mentions that his father, Joe Biden, made an appearance because it was his actual birthday. The dinner in 2015, on the other hand, was presented as a fundraiser for an international charity.
The first son, when asked about the attendance of oligarchs at specific dinners, mentioned that he couldn’t recall the exact details as it sometimes gets mixed up in his memory.
The possibility arises that Baturina may have transferred the mysterious $3.5 million just 10 days after socializing with the elder Biden at the 2014 dinner.
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Archer had previously revealed the occurrence of the first oligarch dinner, but he was unaware of the exact date and the purpose behind the transfer.
According to Hunter’s deposition, he stated that he does not believe he ever introduced Joe Biden to Yelena Baturina. However, he mentioned that Baturina was present at a dinner during the period when Devon was engaged with her.
During his testimony, Hunter made it clear that he had never received any financial compensation from Ms. Baturina. It is worth noting that she has managed to avoid the sanctions imposed on Russia’s business elite by Hunter’s father due to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine over the past two years.
House Republicans have not disclosed the exact allocation of the $3.5 million funds. However, they claim that $2.75 million was transferred to Rosemont Seneca Bohai, an entity that Archer asserted was jointly controlled by himself and Hunter Biden in a 50-50 partnership.
Baturina made a separate investment of over $100 million in Archer’s Rosemont Realty, a company briefly associated with Hunter Biden.
Fuzzy Recollection of China, Laptop
However, the first son, who has been embroiled in several scandals, declined to confirm the allegations. He claimed to have no recollection of the events, including any involvement with Chinese companies. Furthermore, he refused to acknowledge that he had left the infamous laptop behind at a Delaware shop in 2019.
Hunter referred to himself as a “high-functioning addict” to alcohol and crack cocaine. He acknowledged that there were instances when he could carry out business tasks, but there were also times when he couldn’t remember them.
“Did you drop off your laptop at a repair shop in 2019?” inquired Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Hunter denied any recollection of the device when asked about it. However, in 2020, he acknowledged that it could potentially be his, suggesting that it might have been stolen, hacked, or even planted by Russian intelligence.
Hunter Biden stated that he could not recall his father’s purported presence at a lunch in early 2017 with Ye Jianming, the chairman of CEFC China Energy, a company linked to the Chinese state.
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Hunter testified that he did not remember introducing his father to Ye Jianming.
Hunter Biden has finally come forward and admitted that his father, Joe Biden, was indeed the “big guy” in the $5 million China deal. This revelation comes after years of denials and speculation surrounding the controversial business dealings of the Biden family. Hunter’s acknowledgment sheds new light on the extent of Joe Biden’s involvement in these financial arrangements and raises further questions about potential conflicts of interest. The admission is a significant development in the ongoing scrutiny of the Biden family’s business dealings and adds another layer of complexity to the political landscape.
According to Rob Walker, a former business associate of the first son, the meeting between Joe Biden and Ye took place before an initial $3 million was transferred to a group of business partners. It is worth noting that Hunter and first brother James Biden received more than a third of this amount.
According to Walker, the funds were transferred weeks after Biden’s departure from office as vice president as a gesture of gratitude for his preliminary work in exploring business opportunities during his time in office.
“I wouldn’t contest or question Rob’s memory. Personally, I don’t recall the specific date of that lunch,” the first son stated, referring to the alleged meeting between his father and Ye, who has recently been implicated in corruption allegations and is currently missing in China.
In May 2017, an email retrieved from Hunter’s laptop outlined a proposition for a 10% reduction in funds allocated to Joe Biden, who was referred to as the “big guy.” This proposal was presented as part of a collaborative endeavor with CEFC. James Gilliar, an associate of the Biden family, who authored the email, has not yet provided testimony in the ongoing impeachment inquiry.
Hunter mentioned that he couldn’t remember the intended portion for his father.
Hunter testified that if he had seen the email, he would have responded by picking up the phone and telling the sender that they were “out of their mind.”
“I honestly had no clue what he was talking about. Firstly, the percentages he mentioned were completely off. I would never enter a business partnership with my uncle where I received 20% and he only got 10%. We would be equal partners in any venture we pursued. That’s my stance on the matter.”
Hunter and his uncle James reportedly received an additional $5.1 million from CEFC within 10 days of a concerning WhatsApp message sent to a Chinese associate in July 2017. The message warned that Hunter was “sitting here with my father.”
The first son admitted that he was under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs when he composed the message. He also mentioned that he unintentionally sent it to Henry Zhao instead of Raymond Zhao from CEFC, with whom he intended to communicate.
The following day, I had a conversation with Raymond Zhao, who mentioned that he never received the same message that Henry Zhao had received.
Hunter disputed Archer’s claim that Joe Biden had a meeting with his business partner, Jonathan Li, in December 2013. Li was set to become the CEO of Chinese state-backed BHR Partners, a company similar to CEFC that aimed to secure foreign resources for China, including cobalt for electric car batteries.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Hunter accompanied his father on Air Force One for the trip. Following the visit, BHR was registered within a span of two weeks.
“I spotted Jonathan Li waiting in the hotel lobby as I approached the rope line,” Hunter recalled. “I took the opportunity to introduce my dad to him and his friend, and they exchanged handshakes and even posed for a photograph. After that, my father headed up to his room while I sat down for a coffee chat with Jonathan Li.”
Hunter claimed to be unaware of the identity of Li’s friend.
According to Archer’s testimony on July 31, Joe Biden wrote college recommendation letters for Li’s children and supposedly greeted him on speakerphone when Hunter Biden visited China.
Hunter vehemently defended the ethical nature of his transactions, even going as far as testifying under oath that he had never received funds from a foreign government. This statement, however, seems contradictory considering his profitable involvement with two Chinese state-controlled entities.
The transcript did not delve into many important business associations, such as Hunter’s involvement in Romania and his pursuit of business opportunities in Mexico while his father was serving as vice president.
Hunter defended his 81-year-old father, asserting that he was not corrupt. He acknowledged that his own struggles with alcohol and drugs may have contributed to the perception of impropriety.
“I always find it amusing how people try to twist every aspect of my business ventures to make them seem corrupt,” he chuckled.
The transcript, which consists of over 200 pages, was made public through an agreement between Hunter’s legal team and both House Democrats and Republicans.
The first son may potentially come back for a public hearing, where experts would once again scrutinize many of his claims.
According to Democrats, Republicans have not succeeded in presenting their argument and should cease the inquiry.
According to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), it is time for the GOP to “fold up the circus tent.”
Republicans affirmed on Thursday that the investigation will persist, even though it is currently uncertain if it will result in articles of impeachment.
Emmer expressed his belief that there is a certain degree of corruption present in the situation at hand. He acknowledged that the ultimate outcome of this corruption remains to be seen.
“We are all aware of the presence of corruption within our society. The pressing concern lies in the act of exerting influence across different nations. It remains uncertain whether these actions warrant impeachment, as it ultimately depends on the ongoing investigation. Our team will diligently navigate through the necessary processes to shed light on the matter.”