Profiles in Corruption

by Peter Schweizer

  2. Phil Helsel, “Beau Biden, Son of Vice President Joe Biden, Dies After Battle with Brain Cancer,” NBC News, May 30, 2015, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vice-president-joe-bidens-son-beau-dies-n367171.

  3. Joe Biden, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (New York: Random House, 2007), p. xix.

  4. Alfred P. Doblin, “Joe Biden will be missed more than he knows,” North Jersey Record, January 16, 2017, https://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/columnists/alfred-doblin/2017/01/16/doblin-joe-biden-missed-more-than-he-knows/96544882/.

  5. Salena Zito, “Joe Biden, Gritty Guy,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, November 30, 2008, https://archive.triblive.com/news/joe-biden-gritty-guy/.

  6. Marc Caputo and Ben Schreckinger, “Biden Pledges ‘Absolute Wall’ to Separate Relatives’ Business Dealings,” Politico, August 28, 2019, https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/28/biden-brother-business-2020–1476815.

  7. Doblin, “Joe Biden Will Be Missed More Than He Knows.”

  8. Sean Higgins, “Joe Biden: ‘Visionary-in-Chief,’ ” Washington Examiner, June 5, 2014, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/joe-biden-visionary-in-chief.

  9. “Timeline of Biden’s Life and Career.”

  10. Jules Witcover, Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption (New York: William Morrow, 2010), p. 58.

  11. “James B. Biden Joins Hill International Subsidiary As Executive Vice President,” Hill International, November 23, 2010, http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2010/11/23/434923/207583/en/James-B-Biden-Joins-Hill-International-Subsidiary-as-Executive-Vice-President.html.

  12. Witcover, Joe Biden, p. 58; Ashley Parker, “Biden Relies on His Closest Adviser, His Sister,” New York Times, October 1, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/us/politics/02valerie.html.

  13. Curtis Wilkie, The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America’s Most Powerful Trial Lawyer (New York: Crown, 2010), p. 195.

  14. Ryan D’Agostino, “Things My Father Taught Me: An Interview with Joe and Hunter Biden,” Popular Mechanics, May 18, 2016, https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a20655/things-my-father-taught-me/.

  15. Katelyn Caralle, “Joe Biden Says He Was Like the ‘Token Black’ When He First Ran for Senate,” Washington Examiner, March 27, 2019, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/joe-biden-says-he-was-like-the-token-black-in-his-youthful-run-for-senate-in-1972.

  16. Ibid.

  17. Ibid.

  18. “James B. Biden Joins Hill International Subsidiary As Executive Vice President.”

  19. “Boggs, James Caleb,” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, n.d., http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000593; Biden, Promises to Keep, pp. 58, 74.

  20. Witcover, Joe Biden, pp. 97–99.

  21. Charlie Spiering, “Joe Biden Reveals He Rode in Amtrak Locomotive Cab as Senator,” Washington Examiner, February 25, 2014, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/joe-biden-reveals-he-rode-in-amtrak-locomotive-cab-as-senator.

  22. News Journal, Joe’s Journey, p. 8.

  23. Witcover, Joe Biden, p. 123.

  24. Ibid., p. 130.

  25. Ibid., pp. 210–11.

  26. Biden, Promises to Keep, p. 117.

  27. News Journal, Joe’s Journey, p. 54.

  28. John A. Tures, “Is Joe Biden Actually Moderate or Is He More Progressive Than We Think?,” Observer, May 2, 2019, https://observer.com/2019/05/joe-biden-moderate-progressive-voting-record/.

  29. Emily Larsen, “ ‘Middle-class Joe’ Cozied Up to Credit Card Companies and Made Filing for Bankruptcy Harder,” Washington Examiner, April 18, 2019, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/middle-class-joe-cozied-up-to-credit-card-companies-and-made-filing-for-bankruptcy-harder.

  30. Walker Bragman, “The Case Against Joe Biden,” Paste, January 10, 2018, https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/01/the-case-against-joe-biden.html.

  31. Christopher Drew and Mike McIntire, “Obama Aides Defend Bank’s Pay to Biden Son,” New York Times, August 24, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/us/politics/25biden.html.

  32. Chuck Neubauer and Tom Hamburger, “Biden Family Ties Pose Questions,” Los Angeles Times, August 28, 2008, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-28-na-biden28-story.html.

  33. Witcover, Joe Biden, p. 418.

  34. Lindsay Renick Mayer, “Biden’s Son a Registered Lobbyist,” Opensecrets.org, August 25, 2008, https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/bidens-son-a-registered-lobbyi/.

  35. “Biden Hires Lobbyist to Advise Senate Run,” ABC News, on Internet Archive, n.d., http://web.archive.org/web/20150927092311/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5819589&page=1 (captured September 27, 2015).

  36. Joseph Menn, Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down the Internet (New York: PublicAffairs, 2010), pp. 58, 93–94; Christopher Drew, “Campaign Says Biden Son Dropped Lobbying Clients,” New York Times, September 13, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/politics/13resign.html.

  37. “About Joe Slade White,” Joe Slade White & Company, accessed August 19, 2019, http://joesladewhite.com/teamjsw/.

  38. FEC data.

  39. “Vice President Joe Biden,” Joe Slade White & Company, accessed May 17, 2019, http://joesladewhite.com/project/joe-biden/.

  40. “Business Extent of Disclosure Index,” World Bank, n.d., https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.BUS.DISC.XQ.

  41. Peter Schweizer, Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends (New York: HarperCollins, 2018), pp. 22–26; “Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC,” OpenCorporates, accessed July 1, 2019, OpenCorporates, https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_de/4703140.

  42. Steve Clemons, “The Geopolitical Therapist,” Atlantic, August 26, 2016, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/08/joe-biden-interview/497633/.

  43. Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 30–33.

  44. Tom Llamas, Lucien Bruggeman, and Matthew Mosk, “Biden Sidesteps Questions About His Son’s Foreign Business Dealings but Promises Ethics Pledge,” ABC, June 20, 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-sidesteps-questions-sons-foreign-business-dealings-promises/story?id=63820806.

  45. Adam Entous, “Will Hunter Biden Jeopardize His Father’s Campaign?,” New Yorker, July 1, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign.

  46. Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 33, 45.

  47. “Team,” BHR Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd., archived, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jlyBL3xgrhcJ:www.bhrpe.com/list.php?catid%3D8%26page%3D1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0 (captured October 5, 2019).

  48. Ibid., pp. 28, 34.

  49. Ibid., p. 29.

  50. Kimberly Kindy and Joe Stephens, “Biden’s Son, Brother Named in Two Suits,” Washington Post, August 24, 2008, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082302200.html.

  51. Lucien Bruggeman and Matthew Mosk, “Hunter Biden Tackles Cocaine Use, Diamonds and Alleged Business Conflicts in Candid Magazine Interview,” ABC News, July 1, 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hunter-biden-tackles-cocaine-diamonds-alleged-business-conflicts/story?id=64064060.

  52. Maggie Haberman, Annie Karni, Kenneth P. Vogel, and Katie Benner, “Trump’s Demands for Investigations of Opponents Draw Intensifying Criticism,” New York Times, May 20, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/us/politics/trump-hunter-biden-china.html.

  53. Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 46–50, 70.

  54. Lee Fang, “Chinese Fund Backed by Hunter Biden Invested in Technology Used to Surveil Muslims,” Intercept, May 3, 2019, https://theintercept.com/2019/05/03/biden-son-china-business/.

  55. Schweizer, p. 38; “Board of Directors,” Burisma, on archive.is, n.d., http://archive.is/Ia4q4 (captured May 13, 2014); Rosemont Realty, LLC, “Gemini Investments and Rosemont Realty Form Joint Venture,” PR Newswire, August 24, 2015, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gemini-investments-and-ros
emont-realty-form-joint-venture-300132117.html.

  56. Bloomberg page, accessed July 22, 2019, https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=31216428&privcapId=145391568.

  57. Schweizer, Secret Empires, p. 38.

  58. Ibid.; “Gemini Investments (Holdings) Limited,” gemini.bmgdemo.com, accessed August 21, 2019, p. 16, http://gemini.bmgdemo.com/function/doclist/LTN201412311037_C.pdf p 25.

  59. United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Form D, Rosemont Real Estate GP, LLC, May 7, 2010, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1489627/000148962710000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml; Heinz Family Foundation Form 990-PF, 2015.

  60. Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 39, 44.

  61. “Gemini Investments (Holdings) Ltd. (0174),” MarketScreener, n.d., https://www.marketscreener.com/GEMINI-INVESTMENTS-HOLDI-6165703/; “Sino-Ocean Group Holding Ltd. (3377),” Market Screener, n.d., https://www.marketscreener.com/SINO-OCEAN-GROUP-HOLDING-1412649/; “Top Real Estate Brands in China,” Global Brands, August 8, 2018, https://globalbrandsmagazine.com/top-real-estate-brands-in-china/; Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 39–40.

  62. “Gemini Investments (Holdings) Limited,” p. 6, http://gemini.bmgdemo.com/function/doclist/LTN201412311037_C.pdf.

  63. “Gemini Investments and Rosemont Realty Form Joint Venture.”

  64. Matthew Goldstein, “Ex-Hong Kong Official Convicted in Bribe Case Involving Chinese Oil Company,” New York Times, December 5, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/business/cefc-china-patrick-ho.html; “Opaque Chinese oil group makes clear gains in former Soviet bloc,” Financial Times, September 13, 2017, https://www.ft.com/content/e3f8cbd2–983f-11e7-a652-cde3f882dd7b; Alexandra Stevenson, David Barboza, Matthew Goldstein, and Paul Mozur, “A Chinese Tycoon Sought Power and Influence. Washington Responded,” New York Times, December 12, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/business/cefc-biden-china-washington-ye-jianming.html.

  65. Entous, “Will Hunter Biden Jeopardize His Father’s Campaign?”

  66. Jenni Marsh, “The rise and fall of a Belt and Road billionaire,” CNN, December 2018, https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018/12/asia/patrick-ho-ye-jianming-cefc-trial-intl/; Brendan Pierson, “Ex-Hong Kong Official Found Guilty of U.S. Corruption Charges,” Reuters, December 5, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-corruption/ex-hong-kong-official-found-guilty-of-u-s-corruption-charges-idUSKBN1O42KE.

  67. Jenni Marsh, “Disgraced former Hong Kong politician jailed for 3 years for bribing African leaders at the UN,” CNN, March 25, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/asia/patrick-ho-sentencing-intl/index.html.

  68. Stevenson, Barboza, Goldstein and Mozur, “A Chinese Tycoon Sought Power and Influence. Washington Responded.”

  69. Ibid.

  70. Alvin Lum, “Former Hong Kong Minister Patrick Ho Accused of Being Illegal Arms Dealer by US Prosecutors as They Turn Up Heat Ahead of New York Bribery Trial,” South China Morning Post, October 3, 2018, https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2166847/former-hong-kong-minister-patrick-ho-accused-being.

  71. Keith B. Richburg, “U.S. pivot to Asia makes China nervous,” Washington Post, November 16, 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/us-pivot-to-asia-makes-china-nervous/2011/11/15/gIQAsQpVRN_story.html; Kenneth Lieberthal, “The American Pivot to Asia,” Foreign Policy, December 21, 2011, https://foreignpolicy.com/2011/12/21/the-american-pivot-to-asia/.

  72. Jonathan Pearlman, “US Will Shift Focus from Middle East to Asia Pacific, Barack Obama Declares,” Telegraph (UK), November 17, 2011, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8895726/US-will-shift-focus-from-Middle-East-to-Asia-Pacific-Barack-Obama-declares.html.

  73. Mark Landler and Martin Fackler, “Biden Walks Fine Line in Japan: He Voices Concern About China’s Air Zone, but No Call for a Reversal,” International New York Times, December 4, 2013.

  74. Michael Barone, “Joe Biden’s China policy is stuck in the last century,” New York Post, May 10, 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/05/10/joe-bidens-china-policy-is-stuck-in-the-last-century/.

  75. Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 55–56; Homepage, Burisma group, accessed August 28, 2019, https://burisma-group.com/eng/.

  76. U.S.A. v. Galanis et al., Case No. 1:16-cr-00371, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rosemont Seneca Bohai account statements from Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Gx301; Schweizer, Secret Empires, pp. 60–61.

  77. U.S.A. v. Galanis et al., Case No. 1:16-cr-00371, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rosemont Seneca Bohai account statements from Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Gx301.

  78. “Fact Sheet: U.S. Crisis Support Package for Ukraine,” White House Office of the Press Secretary, April 21, 2014, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/21/fact-sheet-us-crisis-support-package-ukraine; J. C. Finley, “Vice President Biden arrives in Kiev,” United Press International, April 21, 2014, http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/04/21/Vice-President-Biden-arrives-in-Kiev/4651398098183/.

  79. ACEU Staff, “GPO Seizes Property of Ex-Minister Zlochevsky,” American Center for a European Ukraine, February 5, 2016, http://www.europeanukraine.org/home/2016/02/gpo-seizes-property-of-ex-minister-zlochevsky.

  80. James Stafford, “Bribery, back room dealing, and bullying in Ukraine: The origins of Burisma,” ProKaivos, October 14, 2015, http://www.prokaivos.fi/2015/10/14/bribery-back-room-dealing-and-bullying-in-ukraine-the-origins-of-burisma/.

  81. “The Court Repeatedly Seized Wells the Company Zlochevsky,” NEWS.ru, accessed March 1, 2017, http://en.few-news.ru/the-court-repeatedly-seized-wells-the-company-zlochevsky.html.

  82. Kenneth P. Vogel and IuIiia Mendel, “Biden Faces Conflict of Interest Questions That Are Being Promoted by Trump and Allies,” New York Times, May 1, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/politics/biden-son-ukraine.html.

  83. Burisma Group, “John Buretta: For Us It Was Important to Close All Cases Against Burisma and Nikolay Zlochevskyi in a Legally Sound Manner,” Kyiv Post, February 1, 2017, https://www.kyivpost.com/business-wire/john-buretta-us-important-close-casesagainst-burisma-nikolayzlochevskyiin-legally-sound-manner.html.

  84. Michael Kranish and David L. Stern, “As Vice President, Biden Said Ukraine Should Increase Gas Production. Then His Son Got a Job with a Ukrainian Gas Company,” Washington Post, July 22, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-vice-president-biden-said-ukraine-should-increase-gas-production-then-his-son-got-a-job-with-a-ukrainian-gas-company/2019/07/21/f599f42c-86dd-11e9–98c1-e945ae5db8fb_story.html.

  85. Pavel Polityuk and Alessandra Prentice, “U.S. Vice President Biden to Make Swansong Visit to Ukraine,” Reuters, January 12, 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-biden-idUSKBN14W0QT.

  86. Burisma Group, “All Cases Closed Against Burisma Group and Its President Nikolay Zlochevskyi in Ukraine. The Company Cooperated with Law Enforcement Agencies and Paid in Full All Outstanding Fees,” Kyiv Post, January 12, 2017, https://www.kyivpost.com/business-wire/cases-closed-burisma-group-president-nikolay-zlochevskyi-ukraine-company-cooperated-law-enforcement-agencies-paid-full-outstanding-fees.html.

  87. U.S.A. v. Galanis et al., Case No. 1:16-cr-00371, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rosemont Seneca Bohai account statements from Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Gx301; Novatus Holding PTE. Ltd.—‘3’ for 6/7/13 re: Net Element, Inc., June 10, 2013, File # 1–34887, http://www.secinfo.com/d141Nx.x1165.htm; Nicholas Trickett, “Watch the Throne: Trans-Caspian Pipeline Meets Succession Politics in Kazakhstan,” Diplomat, February 16, 2017, https://thediplomat.com/2017/02/watch-the-throne-trans-caspian-pipeline-meets-succession-politics-in-kazakhstan/.

  88. U.S.A. v. Galanis et al., Case No. 1:16-cr-00371, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rosemont Seneca Bohai account statements from Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Gx301; Shamim Adam and Laurence Arnold, “A Gui
de to the Worldwide Probes of Malaysia’s 1MDB Fund,” Bloomberg, March 7, 2018, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018–03–07/malaysia-s-1mdb-fund-spawns-worldwide-probes-quicktake.

  89. U.S.A. v. Galanis et al., Case No. 1:16-cr-00371, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rosemont Seneca Bohai account statements from Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Gx301.

  90. USA v. Galanis, et al., Case No. 1:16-cr-00371, Gx758; “The Luzkhov Dilemma,” Wikileaks, February 12, 2010, https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/10MOSCOW317_a.html.

  91. Jason Rushin, “State Pulls Plug On Mbloom, But Still Wants to Help Tech Startups,” Honolulu Civil Beat, June 29, 2016, https://www.civilbeat.org/2016/06/state-pulls-plug-on-mbloom-but-still-wants-to-help-tech-startups/.

  92. Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, “HSDC Receives Final Disbursement of $13 Million Federal Investment Program,” on Internet Archive, November 10, 2014, https://web.archive.org/web/20141116100606/https://hsdc.hawaii.gov/news/hsdc-receives-final-disbursement-of-13-million-federal-investment-program/ (the screenshot of the site was captured on November 16, 2014).

  93. “Profile: Don Graves,” CRF USA, accessed August 10, 2019, https://crfusa.com/board/don-graves/; Karie Simmons, “UD’s Biden Institute Will ‘Write and Produce New Policy,’ ” Newark Post, March 13, 2017, https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/ud-s-biden-institute-will-write-and-produce-new-policy/article_86cf024e-8434–5264–91ee-c428e714f175.html; “Members of the Biden Institute Policy Advisory Board,” Bidenschool.udel.edu, n.d., https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/bideninstitute/Documents/Biden%20Institute%20Policy%20Advisory%20Board.pdf; Don Graves, LinkedIn profile, accessed August 28, 2019, https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-graves-8668887/.

  94. Rushin, “State Pulls Plug on Mbloom, But Still Wants to Help Tech Startups”; Jason Ubay, “Maui fund mbloom in conflict-of-interest controversy with first investments,” Pacific Business News, July 17, 2014, https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2014/07/17/maui-fund-mbloom-in-conflict-of-interest.html.