Sen. Charles “Chuck” Grassley (R-IA) is pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI to reveal what they know about potential criminal activity by two of Joe Biden’s closest relatives, his son, Hunter Biden, and his brother, Jim. In a letter dated October 13, Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, claims the FBI has in its possession “significant, impactful and voluminous evidence with respect to potential criminal conduct by Hunter Biden and James Biden.” The letter, sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and David Weiss, US attorney for the District of Delaware, also included details of an unsecured, “forgivable” $5 million loan wired to two companies – one owned by Hunter Biden and the other by Jim Biden.
Since at least 2020, rumors and allegations have swirled around the Bidens – with a focus on Hunter – regarding dubious overseas business dealings, specifically with companies out of China and Ukraine. The establishment press, aided by social media platforms and even many former US intelligence officials, claimed the whole story was a hoax – and probably even Russian disinformation. Potentially incriminating emails recovered from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden were dismissed as phony.
The Hunter Biden Saga Just Keeps Getting Worse
In recent months even some left-leaning news outlets have acknowledged that the laptop story was indeed legitimate. Meanwhile, Grassley and other top Republicans have been pursuing their own probe into Biden family business activities. The Iowa senator claims to have gathered a great deal of information from whistleblowers – along with details provided to the FBI by one of Hunter Biden’s former business partners, Tony Bobulinski – that led him to conclude that the Bureau possesses a lot of material that could incriminate Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, and perhaps even Joe Biden.
Grassley notes: “In that [FBI] interview, Mr. Bobulinski stated that the arrangement Hunter Biden and Jim Biden created with foreign nationals connected to the communist Chinese government included assisting them with potential business deals and investments while Joe Biden was Vice President …” At the time, they were not compensated for their efforts, but after Joe Biden left office, “Hunter Biden and James Biden worked with CEFC and affiliated individuals to compensate them for that past work and the benefits they procured for CEFC.” The Grassley letter refers to CEFC China Energy. Declared bankrupt in 2020, CEFC, a conglomerate, was among China’s largest private energy companies. The $5 million loan was wired to the Biden businesses in 2017 by a company with ties to CEFC.
Hunter Biden (Kris Connor/WireImage)
Allegations of influence-peddling, or “pay-to-play,” by the Biden family appear to be supported by another document in the FBI’s possession. Grassley says this document “notes that as of July 2017 the money still had not been transferred and James Biden considered calling CEFC officials and threatening to withdraw Biden family support from future deals.”
One of the emails taken from Hunter Biden’s laptop, dated May 13, 2017, contained details of how “renumeration packages” would be divvied up among the Bidens and their associates. It also mentioned the distribution of “equity,” represented as numbers totaling 100 – so, presumably, percentages. Hunter’s cut was “20,” Jim’s “10,” and “10 held by H for the big guy?” It has long been assumed that “the big guy” was Joe Biden.
Though the elder Biden has repeatedly insisted that he knew nothing of his son’s business ventures and did not discuss those matters with him, Grassley points out: “The FBI also has a document within its possession that notes that then former Vice President Joe Biden met with Hunter Biden and his business associates at a conference in Los Angeles on May 2, 2017, and May 3, 2017.”
The senator concluded his five-page letter with a stinging rebuke of the DOJ and FBI and a demand that they hand over various documents pertaining to the Biden affair for congressional review:
“Notably, the Justice Department and FBI have not disputed the accuracy of the allegations that I have made public since May 31, 2022. The Justice Department’s and FBI’s continued silence on these matters is deafening and further erodes their credibility. Simply put, enough is enough – the Justice Department and FBI must come clean to Congress and the American people with respect to the steps they have taken, or failed to take, relating to the Hunter Biden investigation.”
That Hunter Biden and his uncle, the then-vice president and now commander-in-chief’s brother, profited from the $5 million loan is confirmed by financial records. No charges have been brought against the Bidens, and criminal conduct has not been proven. However, Grassley is not fabricating some conspiracy, here, and how much longer Mr. Biden’s allies and media supporters can continue to pretend this is not a major scandal appears to be in doubt. Unlike in 2020, left-leaning editors and journalists will not be able to cover for him again, should he seek another term in the White House.
