The Bidens and their business associates received millions of dollars from oligarchs in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine during Joe Biden’s vice presidency, according to James Comer, Chairman of the Oversight and Accountability Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Comer released a memorandum on Wednesday, August 9th, detailing new information about the Biden family’s suspicious business dealings.
Republicans started looking into President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s affairs after gaining a majority in the House of Representatives in the November 2022 midterm elections. They have launched investigations to reveal how deeply Joe Biden was involved, whether he used his clout as vice president between 2009 and 2017 to further his son’s business dealings, and whether he received bribes from foreign countries while doing so.
The latest revelations, based on bank records obtained by the committee, detail how Hunter Biden and former business partner Devon Archer used the business development and policy advisory firm Rosemont Seneca Entities “to bring in millions from oligarchs in Europe and Asia.” In February 2014, Yelena Baturina, a Russian oligarch, sent $3.5 million to a shell company, Rosemont Seneca Thornton. In Spring 2014, Mykola Zlochevsky, a Ukrainian oligarch, placed Archer and Hunter Biden on the Burisma board of directors and agreed to pay them $1 million each per year. Then-Vice President Joe Biden visited Ukraine soon after their first payments. In April 2014, Kenes Rakishev, a Kazakhstani oligarch, wired $142,300 to Rosemont Seneca. Shortly afterwards, Hunter Biden bought a sports car for the exact same price. Then-Vice President Biden had dinner with all the above-mentioned oligarchs in the spring of 2014 and 2015 in Washington, D.C. The House Committee has so far identified over $20 million in payments from foreign sources to the Biden family and their business associates. According to James Comer:
It’s clear Joe Biden knew about his son’s business dealings and allowed himself to be ‘the brand’ sold to enrich the Biden family while he was Vice President of the United States. The House Oversight Committee will continue to follow the money trail and obtain witness testimony to determine whether foreign actors targeted the Bidens. President Biden is compromised or corrupt, and our national security is threatened.
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy implied a few weeks ago that the House could launch an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden. Republicans believe they have further evidence of Biden’s wrongdoings after Devon Archer testified before the Oversight Committee. The committee has subpoenaed the bank records of many of Hunter Biden’s business partners, but has not yet subpoenaed records for either the president or members of his family. Kevin McCarthy has called on President Biden to “give us his bank statements” to prove he didn’t benefit from his family’s foreign business dealings.
The White House, however, lashed out at Republicans, saying they still have no evidence or even information suggesting wrongdoing. “Today House Republicans on the Oversight Committee released another memo full of years-old ‘news,’ innuendo, and misdirection – but notably missing, yet again, is any connection to President Biden,” said Ian Sams, White House spokesman.
