Tracking the Evidence Republicans Have on Biden

Written by Hudson Crozier

What’s happening: Three years ago, emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop showing how he peddled his last name for profit across the globe were publicly exposed. Since then, Republican lawmakers have tried to uncover President Joe Biden’s possible corruption in connection to these affairs, finally starting an impeachment inquiry this year. Here’s what we know so far.

The “brand”: Foreign businessmen and oligarchs from China, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, and Kazakhstan paid the Biden family at least $20 million during Joe Biden’s vice presidency, mainly through Hunter.

• The product: Hunter arranged meetings or communications with his father, according to emails and sworn statements from Hunter’s business partners. There is little to no evidence Hunter offered legitimate services to anyone.

• The clients: Many of these wealthy foreigners have been accused of corruption or convicted of crimes at some point in their lives. Some have deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

• At home: A U.S. company paid James Biden, the president’s brother, to secure an investment from the Middle East using his political connections. It is well documented how James has profited off of his relationship with his brother for decades.

The profit: In 2017, Hunter saved 10 percent of a Chinese deal for his father, which the family wired directly to Joe through multiple bank accounts, emails and bank records show. The bank accounts were almost empty at the time until the cash was funneled. James also gave Joe Biden $200,000 he earned for his influence peddling.

• The salary: Hunter once said in a text message that “Pop” made him hand over “half” of his income.

An alleged bribe: An informant has told the FBI that a Ukrainian executive talked about paying Joe Biden a $5 million bribe while he was vice president.

• The story: The executive feared a prosecutor investigating his company would expose criminal activity, according to the informant. Hunter, who worked at the company, would “take care” of the situation “through his dad,” the executive allegedly said.

• Worth noting: This informant had been a trusted FBI source for over a decade and would be committing a felony if he or she lied to federal investigators.

Is Joe Biden compromised? Then-Vice President Biden withheld loan money from Ukraine until it fired the prosecutor. Biden claimed the prosecutor himself was corrupt, but other U.S. officials disagreed and were not seeking his removal. Biden is also keeping a Russian oligarch’s name off the sanctions list after they reportedly had dinner and she paid his son.

• Secrecy: Biden sent thousands of emails under pseudonyms while vice president, according to the National Archives. One email shows him informing his son about upcoming meetings with political leaders — including Ukraine’s then-president — and other official business.

• His defenses: Joe Biden has claimed there was an “absolute wall” between himself and Hunter's business affairs, that Hunter never made money in China, and that he never told Hunter “anything having to do with Ukraine” — all of which are false.

• Moving the goalposts: The White House has gone from claiming Biden never “discussed” business with his son to claiming he was never “in business” with him.