DOJ enforces lobbying rules on Hunter Biden’s associates in investigation.
Hunter Biden’s Foreign Lobbying Raises Questions About FARA Violations
Hunter Biden’s involvement with foreign companies and his lobbying efforts have come under scrutiny, particularly regarding potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Multiple individuals who worked closely with Hunter Biden have disclosed their lobbying activities under FARA, leading to questions about whether he should have registered himself for similar work.
Not only did Hunter Biden engage in lobbying U.S. officials, but emails also reveal that his advocacy work clearly triggered FARA requirements. This focus on his foreign lobbying intensified when a judge in Delaware questioned prosecutors about ongoing investigations into Hunter Biden’s alleged FARA violations.
A recent court hearing, which was expected to resolve Hunter Biden’s legal troubles, may have opened the door to further complications. The judge rejected a plea deal that Hunter Biden believed would protect him from prosecution for his foreign business dealings.
Some individuals at Blue Star Strategies, the firm that worked with Hunter Biden on behalf of Burisma, registered their work under FARA after pressure from the Justice Department. However, it remains unclear why they were allowed to file disclosures years after the fact without facing penalties for their initial failure to do so.
Close Working Relationship with Burisma
Sally Painter and Karen Tramontano, consultants at Blue Star Strategies, registered as foreign lobbyists representing Burisma’s chief, Mykola Zlochevsky, in 2022. They disclosed their involvement in setting up meetings between Zlochevsky’s attorney and State Department officials, which occurred in 2016 while Joe Biden was vice president.
Blue Star Strategies, Hunter Biden, and his business partners collaborated closely to enhance Burisma’s image and navigate legal challenges. They even strategized on how to remove negative press from Burisma’s Wikipedia page and developed proposals for a lobbying campaign.
Despite their extensive involvement, Blue Star Strategies did not register under FARA in real-time. IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley testified that the Justice Department delayed a search warrant for Blue Star Strategies’ emails in 2020, hindering the FARA investigation.
However, the FARA documents eventually filed by Painter and Tramontano suggest that specific meetings and contacts involving Hunter Biden met the Justice Department’s definition of foreign lobbying. For instance, they arranged a meeting between Zlochevsky and an Obama State Department official named Amos Hochstein in 2016.
Hunter Biden’s Attempted Foreign Lobbying
In 2010, Hunter Biden expressed interest in working with a registered foreign lobbyist named Mark Doyle to meet the president of Serbia and other wealthy Serbians. He planned to join his father’s official travel to Spain and then continue to Serbia. These meetings aimed to secure more investments for Hunter Biden’s firm.
Doyle, like Blue Star Strategies, disclosed his work for the Serbian government in FARA filings. Hunter Biden was eager to initiate the Serbian project and sought guidance on whom to establish connections with, such as the IMF, World Bank, and Ambassadors.
Additionally, Hunter Biden attempted to establish a deal with the Saudi Business Council in 2011 through Doyle’s assistance. However, the requested amount of money for Hunter Biden’s involvement was too high, causing the broker to hesitate.
Charges and Connections with Chinese Companies
The Justice Department has brought criminal charges against Gal Luft, a think tank director, for FARA violations related to his unregistered lobbying for CEFC, a Chinese energy company. Luft’s indictment states that CEFC ran an influence campaign in the U.S. during the same period that Hunter Biden worked with them.
Hunter Biden’s income from his ventures with CEFC executives was discussed in court, highlighting the complex financial structures surrounding his foreign lobbying work. Notably, Hunter Biden’s brother, James Biden, was also involved in the CEFC projects.
While Luft and another individual faced charges for their work with CEFC, Hunter Biden has not been charged. However, an IRS whistleblower revealed that Joe Biden attended a meeting with CEFC executives at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., after leaving office.
Other Lobbying Activities
In addition to his involvement with Ukrainian and Chinese companies, Hunter Biden also lobbied for a Romanian businessman without registering under FARA. He met with the U.S. ambassador to Romania, corresponded with him via letter, and collaborated with his partners to shield the businessman from criminal prosecution.
Rob Walker, a close business associate of Hunter Biden, received $3 million from the Romanian businessman and distributed a portion to Hunter Biden and others. Emails demonstrate Hunter Biden’s efforts to leverage his State Department contacts to assist the Romanian businessman.
All of these foreign entanglements potentially expose Hunter Biden to FARA-related charges, as well as more serious allegations of money laundering and bribery. The Justice Department has become increasingly vigilant in cracking down on FARA violations, even implicating some of Donald Trump’s associates.
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