Allegations of $5 Million Bribery Scheme Involving Joe Biden and Burisma Holdings
Photo by AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, and his son Hunter Biden are alleged to have been involved in a $5 million bribery scheme with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, according to a report by Fox News. A confidential human source released an FBI document detailing the involvement of Biden, 80, and his son Hunter in accepting bribes from the firm.
Hunter Biden, 53, served as a board member at Burisma Holdings. This information was provided during a June 2020 interview with the FBI. The contents of the FD-1023 form, produced by the FBI, allege that then-Vice President Biden was involved in a criminal bribery scheme with a foreign national that could have influenced U.S. policy decisions.
As reported by BBC, The form, dated June 30, 2020, detailed multiple meetings with a Burisma executive from 2015 onward. However, it is important to note that the authenticity of these claims has yet to be verified. The confidential source, believed to be a business professional, had been consulted by Burisma on gaining U.S. oil rights and partnering with a U.S. oil company. The Burisma executive reportedly discussed Hunter’s role on the company’s board during conversations in 2015 and 2016.
When the source questioned why their advice was needed despite Hunter’s presence, the executive referred to Hunter as “dumb.” According to the memo, Hunter was hired by Burisma in 2013 to gain support from his father, who was then Vice President. The FBI document alleges that Burisma made two $5 million payments to the Bidens as part of a scheme to remove Viktor Shokin, Ukraine’s prosecutor general at the time.
The Burisma executive purportedly said, “$5 million for one Biden, $5 million for the other Biden.” The payment was described as a “retainer” to handle various issues, including Shokin’s investigation into Burisma. Another source described it as a “pay-to-play” scheme. The FBI source claimed that the Burisma executive paid the Bidens through numerous bank accounts to obscure the money trail, making it difficult for investigators to unravel for at least ten years.
Joe Biden has acknowledged pressuring Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden held a lucrative board position. Biden allegedly withheld financial aid to achieve this. “I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in,’ I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Reflecting on this incident during a 2018 event for the Council on Foreign Relations, Biden remarked, “Well, son of a b***h, he got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.”
