Biden family accused of bribes, critics claim double standard with Hunter's pardon.

Question

The Biden family is accused of taking foreign bribes, with Hunter allegedly pardoned to cover it up, while critics claim there would be outrage if his last name were Trump.

Answer 1

This claim is assumingly referring to accusations made by former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov that Hunter Biden and President Biden (at the time Vice-President Biden) received 5 million dollars in bribes from the owner of a Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings. The evidence held against the Bidens included an unclassified memo made by the FBI outlining claims made by the foreign informant. Audio recordings, messages and online billing information were all mentioned in the memo, however none of this evidence was brought before the court to verify the claims made in the memo. In 2024 Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI regarding the fabricated bribery. Hunter Biden was pardoned by his father for gun and tax charges which Biden believes “raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice”. There is no way to address the claim there would hypothetically be a difference in public reaction to if Hunter was Trumps son instead of Biden’s.

Does Newly Released 'FD-1023' Document Prove Burisma CEO Gave Two $5M Bribes to Bidens? | Snopes.com

Former FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about phony bribery scheme involving the Bidens | AP News

Answer 2

To date, the Biden family and its associates have received over $20 million USD in payments from foreign entities, according to the US Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Evidence of bribery exists in the foreign entities themselves (e.g. Mykola Zlochevsky of the energy firm Burisma). It does not, however, reasonably exist with regards to Hunter Biden. An ex-FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, was charged in February 2024 by the Justice Department for creating a fictitious record in an attempt to incriminate Hunter Biden of taking bribes. The assumption that if Biden's name was Trump, major media sources would have a volatile reaction is hypothetical and cannot be objectively proven nor disproven.

Comments

Great fact check! You critically analyzed every part of the claim and accurately explained how this statement is exaggerated and misleading. It is important to fully understand what certain words mean before making claims like these, and you demonstrated that clearly with the allegation of "foreign bribes."

Answer 3

True. There is evidence to support the claim that the Biden family took bribes from foreigners and that Hunter Biden's alleged pardon was used to hide these activities. However, the comparison to the media response is still just a guess.

Accusations of Bribery: Hunter Biden got payments from foreign companies, such as Burisma Holdings, and a $3.5 million payment from Elena Baturina. This has led to concerns of influence peddling. https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/burisma-board-hunter-biden-pardon-ukraine-ndlz8p53t

Pardon and Cover-Up Claims: In December 2024, President Biden gave Hunter Biden a broad pardon covering all possible federal crimes between 2014 and 2024. Critics say this was done to avoid more scrutiny of his business deals in other countries. https://nypost.com/2024/12/02/us-news/why-hunter-bidens-pardon-is-one-of-the-most-controversial-in-history-and-how-it-compares-to-other-notorious-reprieves

Media Bias Claims: People who disagree with this point of view say that similar acts involving the Trump family would have gotten more attention from the media, pointing to how investigations into Trump have been covered. https://nypost.com/2024/12/02/us-news/congressional-republicans-rip-biden-for-about-face-pardon-of-son-hunter-so-corrupt

To sum up, there is evidence to back the bribery claims and doubts about the pardon, but the comparisons made by the media are biased.

Comments

Do you think the NY Post and The Times are reputable media outlets to use as sources?

Answer 4

It is still an ongoing debate and investigation of the presence of bribery directly linked to Hunter through foreign business organizations. A press release by Chairmen Jordan and Comer in the House Judiciary Committee accused Hunter Biden's alleged bribery charges with CEFC China Energy. However, in the same month of the press release by the House Judiciary Committee, Special Counsel David Weiss, who was in charge of the Biden bribery investigation accused an ex FBI informant for making false statements linking Hunter Biden with an Ukrainian firm. The statement mentioning the entire Biden family being linked with taking foreign bribes is inaccurate since credible sources only mentioned Hunter Biden and the reason Biden pardoned his son has not been released through public records or addressed. 

Answer 5

The claim about the Biden family taking foreign bribes has been discredited, as a key informant who alleged the bribery admitted to fabricating the story for political reasons. However, President Joe Biden's recent blanket pardon for Hunter Biden, covering potential offenses from 2014 to 2024, has sparked widespread criticism, with many arguing it undermines the justice system and reflects double standards. Public opinion polls show that only 22% of Americans approve of the pardon.

https://nypost.com/2024/12/12/us-news/smug-hunter-biden-ducks-into-malibu-sushi-joint-dodges-questions-about-controversial-pardon-from-his-dad/?utm_source=chatgpt.com