Hunter Biden initiated direct monthly payments from his company to President Joe Biden’s personal checking account in September 2018, according to bank records obtained by the House Oversight Committee and shared with the Washington Free Beacon.
The records are the most direct evidence to date that Joe Biden profited from his son’s overseas business dealings. The company, Owasco PC, served a critical role in Hunter Biden’s Chinese ventures, receiving nearly $5 million from the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC in 2017 and 2018. Hunter Biden signed a document in early September 2018 authorizing Owasco to make monthly payments of $1,380 to Joe Biden’s checking account, with the first payment landing in his father’s account on Sept. 17, the records show.
The records disprove the Biden administration’s claim that there were no financial transactions between the president and his son’s business ventures, and are likely to take center stage in House Republicans' impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. It’s unclear what the payment was for, or whether Owasco made any subsequent payments to the president’s checking account. Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, did not return a request for comment.
"Payments from Hunter’s business entity to Joe Biden are now part of a pattern revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family’s influence peddling schemes," House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) said Monday. "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."
The House Oversight Committee’s revelation comes as Hunter Biden challenges a subpoena to appear for a closed-door deposition before the committee on Dec. 13. Lowell said the investigation into Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings was a "fishing expedition" and claimed Republicans could manipulate his testimony. Hunter Biden instead offered to testify during a public hearing.
Comer reiterated the need for Hunter Biden to appear at his deposition in a response to Lowell on Friday.
"The subpoenas Mr. Biden has received compel him to appear before the Committees for a deposition; they are not mere suggestions open to Mr. Biden’s interpretation or preference," Comer said.
Hunter Biden authorized the Owasco payments to his father just months after the firm received $1 million to represent CEFC executive Patrick Ho in March 2018. Ho was later found guilty of bribing African officials to obtain favorable business contracts and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Joe Biden’s involvement with his son’s dealings with CEFC was extensive, according to Hunter Biden’s former business partners and materials found on his abandoned laptop.
Hunter Biden invoked Joe Biden in a threatening text message to a CEFC official on July 30, 2017, saying his father would come down on him with the full weight of his influence if the Chinese energy conglomerate did not fulfill its "commitment."
In the ensuing months, CEFC transferred millions of dollars to Hunter Biden to scout out potential investments for the firm. Hunter Biden and his father also shared office space in Washington, D.C., with executives of the Chinese energy firm, emails from his abandoned laptop show.
At least two Biden family associates testified that Joe Biden attended meetings with CEFC officials. One of the associates, Rob Walker, told the FBI in December 2020 that he was present when Hunter Biden brought his father to meet with CEFC executives at the Four Seasons hotel in Washington, D.C.
Another Biden associate, Tony Bobulinski, said he met with Hunter and Joe Biden in May 2017 to discuss their dealings with CEFC.
The White House did not return a request for comment.