Several members of President Joe Biden’s family reportedly used his political prominence to enhance their business interests, as noted by The Wall Street Journal.
Hunter Biden, the president’s son, along with Joe Biden’s younger siblings, Jim and Frank Biden, allegedly leveraged their familial ties to advance their professional agendas, based on various interviews and public documents.
The report additionally mentioned instances where Joe Biden seemed more involved in his family’s business activities than previously made public.
Nonetheless, the Journal clarified that their investigation did not uncover any proof that the president personally gained from these business endeavors.
House Republicans initiated an official impeachment hearing against Joe Biden on Thursday, vowing to ensure transparency while investigating the financial affairs and business transactions related to his son.
It was revealed that family members of the president would occasionally receive calls from Joe Biden during their business discussions, seemingly to highlight their close association with him, as noted by some former business partners.
A representative for Jim Biden asserted that he had been a business professional for over fifty years and has always maintained ethical standards in his transactions.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, stated that Hunter had no business relations with his father, Joe Biden. Lowell mentioned that any casual conversations between the president and Hunter’s business contacts were merely “chit-chat.”
Frank Biden had secured a role with the Illinois-based firm, Federal Signal Corp., aiming to facilitate communication with Florida officials. On regular occasions, Frank would pause ongoing discussions, mentioning he had to take a call from “the big guy,” referring to his brother.
Matthew Brady, previously affiliated with Federal Signal, recalled, “Whenever Frank would say, ‘I need to pause for a moment; the big guy’s on the line,’ it was apparent that he was referring to his sibling, the then vice-president.”
The Journal emphasized that there aren’t any established regulations that restrict politically affiliated families from leveraging their names for career advancement.
Post Joe Biden’s vice-presidency, Jim and Hunter Biden were reported to be fostering connections with a Chinese enterprise, CEFC China Energy. The family’s reputation reportedly aided Jim and Hunter when they acquired hedge fund Paradigm Global Advisors in 2006.
Upon their request, Wall Street expert Charles Provini became the fund’s president. Reflecting on instances where Joe Biden was part of business discussions, Provini commented, “I might have been somewhat in awe then. Most comments from him seemed to be mere courtesies, perhaps aimed at enhancing trust.”
