On Monday, the Washington Examiner posted a letter sent by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in which he blasted the FBI—demanding answers and the release of documents pertaining to the Biden family’s business dealings in China and Ukraine.
Grassley’s sent his letter on Oct. 13 to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Delaware U.S. Attorney David Wise (who is leading the current investigation into Hunter Biden).
Recent revelations from more than a dozen FBI whistleblowers spurred Grassley to press the FBI for answers.
Senator Grassley accuses the FBI of suppressing potentially incriminating evidence pertaining to Hunter Biden and his Uncle, James Biden. Grassley charged that the FBI is in possession of documents that show the Bidens were involved in illegal pay-to-play work when Joe Biden was serving as Vice President.
Reportedly, the pay-to-play favors involved the Chinese government-controlled energy company (CEFC) and the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings.
According to a report in the Washington Examiner, Grassley claims his staff “reviewed the unclassified records” and believes they “support whistleblower claims.” An excerpt from Grassley’s letter reads:
“Based on recent protected disclosures to my office, the FBI has within its possession significant, impactful, and voluminous evidence with respect to potential criminal conduct by Hunter Biden and James Biden.”
Regarding dealings with China, Grassley cited information provided by Tony Bobulinski, a business associate of Hunter Biden. Bobulinski shared his concerns with FBI agents in October 2020. In that lengthy interview, Bobulinski reportedly detailed the Biden family’s inappropriate business dealings with Chinese officials.
Reportedly, the FBI pledged to follow up with Bobulinski, but never did. In his letter, Grassley pressed for an explanation:
“The information provided by Mr. Bobulinski formed a sufficient basis to open a full field investigation on pay-to-play grounds; however, it is unclear whether the FBI did so and whether the information is part of the ongoing criminal investigation by U.S. Attorney Weiss.”
Grassley continued:
“The evidence within the FBI’s possession that I am referencing is included, in part, in a summary of Tony Bobulinski’s Oct. 23, 2020, interview with FBI agents. In that interview, Mr. Bobulinski stated that the arrangement Hunter Biden and James Biden created with foreign nationals connected to the communist Chinese government included assisting them with potential business deals and investments while Joe Biden was Vice President; however, that work remained intentionally uncompensated while Joe Biden was Vice President. After Joe Biden left the Vice Presidency, the summary makes clear that Hunter Biden and James Biden worked with CEFC and affiliated individuals to compensate them for that past work and the benefits they procured for CEFC.”
Pressing for the release of all pertinent information on Hunter Biden’s business dealings with China, Grassley wrote:
“The FBI has within its possession a different document, dated in October 2020, but referencing events that occurred years before. That document indicates that in May 2017 — approximately three months after the joint venture was hatched in Miami and the same month it was officially formed — Hunter Biden yelled at CEFC officials at a meeting for failing to fund the joint venture,” Grassley wrote. “That same document notes that as of July 2017 the money still had not been transferred and James Biden considered calling CEFC officials and threatening to withdraw Biden family support from future deals.”
Grassley previously accused Hunter of questionable business dealings in several speeches on the Senate floor, claiming that CEFC wired $5 million to bank accounts for Hudson West III in August 2017, and those funds were later transferred to Hunter Biden’s firm, Owasco, and James Biden’s firm, Lion Hall Group.
Regarding business dealings in Ukraine, Grassley noted that a whistleblower provided his office with evidence showing potential criminality in Hunter Biden’s work with Burisma. The gas company reportedly paid Hunter, who has no expertise in this field, $50,000 a month to serve on its board when Joe Biden was Vice President.
The Examiner report noted that “Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky is widely seen as corrupt and had $23 million frozen by British authorities” when Hunter served on the board.
Grassley’s letter demands the release of documents pertaining to Burisma, Zlochevsky, and Hunter Biden:
“The FBI has within its possession a series of documents relating to information on Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma, and his business and financial associations with Hunter Biden. The documents in the FBI’s possession include specific details with respect to conversations by non-government individuals relevant to potential criminal conduct by Hunter Biden.”
Grassley’s frustration regarding the FBI’s handling of issues related to Hunter Biden was evident as he wrote:
“It is unclear whether the FBI followed normal investigative procedure to determine the truth and accuracy of the information or shut down investigative activity based on improper disinformation claims in advance of the 2020 election… It is also unclear whether U.S. Attorney Weiss has performed his own due diligence.”
Senator Grassley has requested a “full and unredacted October 2020 document that lists a timeline of events associated with Hunter Biden’s business associates, foreign and domestic.”