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Hunter Biden’s monthly payments to father raise questions of
influence-peddling as probe intensifies
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resident Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden departs after a court
appearance, in Wilmington, Del, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt
Rourke)
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden departs after a court appearance,
in Wilmington, Del, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) more >
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By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times - Monday, December 4, 2023
A House panel investigating President Biden’s involvement in a suspected
influence-peddling scheme produced new bank records that lawmakers say
tie him to his family’s foreign business deals.

Bank records subpoenaed by the House Oversight and Accountability
Committee show that the president’s son, Hunter Biden, provided monthly
payments to his father from a business account that funneled money from
deals made with China, Ukraine and other countries.

Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the money from Hunter Biden
to his father was repayment for a loan from Mr. Biden to his son to
purchase a truck.

Emails on Hunter Biden’s discarded computer laptop confirm he made a
similar payment in January 2019.

The recurring checks to Mr. Biden were small — each totaling $1,380 —
but House investigators say the deposits clash with President Biden’s
claims that he did not receive money from the lucrative business deals
made by family members and their business associates.

“This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account but an
account for his corporation that received payments from China and other
shady corners of the world,” said James Comer, Kentucky Republican and
chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

An email found on Hunter Biden’s discarded laptop indicates that the
money to his father was repayment for a truck loan.

The Jan. 14, 2019, email from Hunter Biden’s assistant lists a $1,380
payment as “Ford Raptor - Reimbursement to JRB.” The email lists other
payments due, including $4,244.70 for Sidwell Friends, a private school
in Washington, $318 for the Yale Club and $28,600.64 for University of
Pennsylvania tuition for one of his children.

House investigators Monday highlighted three payments of $1,380 that
were sent from the bank account of Hunter Biden’s law firm, Owasco PC,
to his father’s bank account from September 2018 to November 2018, after
Mr. Biden’s second term as vice president ended and before he declared
his presidential candidacy.

Republicans say the money was paid from proceeds from business deals
with China that ended up in the Owasco bank account and stemmed from
transactions with Hunter Biden that originated during Mr. Biden’s time
as vice president.

Some were delayed to avoid the appearance of corruption, former business
associate Tony Bobulinski has testified. Additional money from China
poured into the Owasco bank account after Hunter Biden threatened a
Chinese business associate by evoking his father’s power and influence,
according to a social media message uncovered by IRS agents
investigating the president’s son for tax fraud.

The panel has uncovered additional checks to Mr. Biden, sent from his
younger brother James Biden and totaling $240,000, that appear to be
funded by business deals that Mr. Biden’s powerful name helped secure.

Mr. Comer subpoenaed James and Hunter Biden to testify in closed-door
depositions this month. Mr. Comer rejected a public bid by Hunter Biden
to instead provide his testimony in public, where he likely would be
shielded by Democrats and prolonged partisan bickering.

In a letter to Mr. Lowell, Mr. Comer said his client must appear for the
Dec. 13 deposition. The committee would videotape it and release the
transcript, Mr. Comer said.

“Other Hunter Biden business associates are also cooperating with our
subpoenas and not demanding a public hearing first,” Mr. Comer said.
“Mr. Biden seems to believe that he should be treated differently than
other witnesses before the committees.”

The oversight panel is leading the House impeachment inquiry into Mr. Biden.

It has uncovered 20 shell companies that were used to provide Biden
family members and associates with $24 million from 2015 through 2019
from foreign business deals that former business associates say sold Mr.
Biden as “the brand.”

Hunter Biden’s Owasco law firm collected millions of dollars from energy
companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party and from businesses in
Ukraine, Russia and other countries.

• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.

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