A US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has released an 87-page report [PDF] on 23rd September. It has linked Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, of sending money to Russian and Ukrainian women living in the United States. The report details the work Hunter did with a gas company located in Ukraine.
Details about the allegations
In the report, the details of Hunter Biden’s work for Burisma Holding, a gas company in Ukraine, was described when Joe Biden was Vice President in the Obama administration. The report is based on the investigation overseen by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that started in 2019.
Obama Administration was aware of the conflict of interest in Ukraine policy, says report
As per the report, it was found that two administrational officials from the Obama-led government, George Kent and Amos Hochstein, showed concerns in 2015 that the Ukraine policy tabled by Joe Biden will conflict with interest as Hunter was working for the gas company at that time. The Obama administration was well aware of the links between Hunter and Burisma that reportedly prevented the efficient execution fo the Ukraine policy.
The report said, “[The] investigation had illustrated the extent to which officials within the Obama administration ignored the glaring warning signs when the vice president’s son joined the board of a company owned by a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch. And, as will be discussed in later sections, Hunter Biden was not the only Biden who cashed in on Joe Biden’s vice presidency.”
According to the report, Kent and Hochstein tried to convince the higher officials about the consequences of Hunter’s position, but “their concerns appear to have fallen on deaf ears.” They tried to alarm the administration that the position Hunter holds on Burisma’s board will cast a shadow over bringing anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine, but the concerns were ignored.
Hunter’s connection with the ‘human trafficking ring’
According to the report, Hunter sent thousands of dollars to women from Russia and Ukraine living in the United States. A footnote of the report claimed that “[There was a] potential association with prostitution. Some recipients of those funds are Ukrainian and Russian citizens. The records note that it is a documented fact that Hunter Biden has sent funds to non-resident alien women in the United States who are citizens of Russia and Ukraine and who have subsequently wired funds they have received from Hunter Biden to individuals located in Russia and Ukraine. The records also note that some of these transactions are linked to what “appears to be Eastern European prostitution or human trafficking ring.”
Hunter got millions of dollars from Russian oligarchs
The report suggested that Biden formed significant and consistent financial relationships with the corrupt oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky. His firm made millions of dollars from that association while Joe Biden was Vice President of the US. Rosemont Seneca Thornton, an investment firm co-founded by Hunter Biden, received 3.5 million in wire transfer from Elena Baturina. It was alleged in the report that she received illegal construction contracts from her husband, who was then-mayor of Moscow.
The report also notes significant financial transactions from the Ukrainian company and other individuals to Hunter and his business partner Archer. The report says that Hunter Biden and his family members, and Archer have received millions of dollars from foreign nationals with ‘questionable backgrounds’.
Biden camp is yet to respond
There has been no statement from Joe Biden’s camp on the report. However, his camp has accused Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the committee that handled the investigation, of diverting attention from the mismanagement that the Trump administration has caused during the pandemic.
