Recent revelations in a Kentucky bankruptcy court shed light on the foreign fundraising activities of Jim Biden, the brother of President Joe Biden, connecting him to Qatari government officials in pursuit of financial support for U.S. healthcare ventures.
According to sworn testimony by fund manager Michael Lewitt, a former business associate of Jim Biden’s, two companies involved in these fundraising efforts were partially owned by “members of the Qatari government.” One of these companies directly partnered with Jim Biden in a multi-year fundraising campaign, while the other provided financial backing for loans arranged by a hospital chain, for which Jim Biden received payments.
These alleged arrangements represent some of the closest financial connections known between a relative of President Joe Biden and a foreign government.
The fundraising efforts reportedly began shortly after Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president ended, during a period when Qatar was under financial strain due to a regional blockade and was actively seeking to strengthen its relationships with Western nations.
Details from public records and obtained emails suggest that Jim Biden leveraged his family ties and sought ways to circumvent restrictions on international financial transactions during these efforts. The transactions related to these fundraising activities were also central to a recently settled Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fraud case and are under scrutiny as part of a federal criminal investigation in South Florida.
While the White House, the Qatari Embassy, and representatives for Jim Biden did not respond to requests for comment, Jim Biden reportedly indicated to congressional investigators that his fundraising initiatives faced challenges due to a lack of viable projects. However, Lewitt’s testimony reveals deeper ties between Jim Biden and the Qatari government through the ownership structure of companies involved in the fundraising.
Lewitt is expected to face further questioning about these activities during an upcoming interview with House impeachment inquiry investigators, although no date has been announced for the interview, and Lewitt declined to provide additional comments on his courtroom testimony.
The evolving details surrounding Jim Biden’s fundraising efforts underscore broader concerns about potential political and financial entanglements involving relatives of public officials and foreign governments. As investigations continue, these developments raise questions about transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations in political and business dealings at the highest levels of government.
SOURCE: POLITICO
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