President Biden’s brother James told House investigators on Wednesday that he didn’t know payments he received had come from a Chinese energy company, though his closed-door testimony appears to conflict with the assertions of a former Biden family business associate.
James Biden said he received several payments from President Biden’s son Hunter Biden in the spring of 2017 via former business associate Rob Walker but did not know the money originated from CEFC, the firm with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
James Biden used some of the money to write a $40,000 check to his brother that he identified as a loan repayment.
“I did not know then — but have learned recently — that the money I received was a portion of Hunter’s share [from CEFC] that he directed Mr. Walker to send to me,” James Biden said in an opening statement entered into the record at the hearing, which was not open to the public or media.
The testimony of Mr. Biden’s brother conflicts with the recollections of Mr. Walker, who answered questions before House lawmakers earlier this month, also in a closed-door setting.
Mr. Walker told lawmakers that he remembered Hunter Biden telling him James Biden needed the money and wanted some of the CEFC money sent to his uncle.
Mr. Walker said James Biden asked him directly for additional money.
“I remember Jim calling me to ask me if I could send him more, and I would clear it with Hunter first. And then Hunter would say yes, and then I would send it to Jim,” Mr. Walker told lawmakers during his deposition.
James Biden, 74, is a central witness in the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into whether President Biden, 81, participated in any lucrative business deals that netted the family and associates at least $20 million. Lawmakers plan to interview Hunter Biden next week.
The Biden family collected millions of dollars in a deal with CEFC, which sought to gain entry into foreign energy markets.
The conflict adds to a growing number of statements that lawmakers say raise doubts about whether the Biden family and associates are concealing the truth about their business deals and Mr. Biden’s role, beginning when he was vice president.
Records and witness testimony show James and Hunter Biden began building their business relationship with CEFC while Mr. Biden was vice president. To avoid the appearance of corruption, they waited for a $3 million payout deemed a “thank you” until six weeks after Mr. Biden left office, according to former business associate Tony Bobulinski.
Republican lawmakers questioned the truthfulness of a statement from Mr. Walker, who told lawmakers he did not know fellow business associates’ reference to “the big guy” in electronic messages discussing how to split the share of profits from business deals.
Lawmakers say the nickname is an obvious reference to Mr. Biden. Mr. Bobulinski confirmed earlier this month that Mr. Biden was “the big guy.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, said Mr. Walker “wasn’t too candid and that “everybody knows who the big guy is.”
Lawmakers have compiled testimony from witnesses and information from bank statements that they say provides proof Mr. Biden was engaged with his family in an influence-peddling scheme mainly involving foreign business deals dating back to his time as vice president. Mr. Biden wielded influence in part by stopping by or phoning into his son’s business meetings, witnesses said.
Lawmakers said James Biden provided conflicting testimony in his daylong session with lawmakers in a building near the Capitol.
In his opening statement, which he did not read but entered into the record, James Biden said his role in CEFC was mischaracterized and his elder brother was falsely maligned.
“My brother played no role, was not involved with, and received no benefit from my work with CEFC,” James Biden said in the written statement.
James Biden said his brother also had nothing to do with his deal with the failed hospital venture Americore Health LLC, but court records conflict with his claim.
Americore sued James Biden in 2022. Court records indicate that Americore partnered with him in 2017 specifically to help expand the business through his political connections.
According to court documents and House investigators, James Biden promised “access to a future Biden administration and the highest levels of government … and that his brother, Joe Biden, had been made aware of the business, which would be made profitable when it could become part of the Biden platform.”
Congressional investigators said a witness in the lawsuit stated that James Biden suggested in phone conversations with Americore executives “that Joe Biden was in the room with him and James had been explaining the deal to him.”
Americore charged in court that James Biden never delivered on his promise to bring in large investments from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where he allegedly developed relationships during his brother’s time as vice president.
James Biden received $600,000 in loans from Americore, including $200,000 wired into the personal bank account he shared with his wife, Sara Biden, on March 1, 2018.
The same day, James Biden wrote a $200,000 check from the same personal bank account to Mr. Biden. Like the $40,000 check, it was labeled a loan repayment.
In his testimony Wednesday, James Biden said he obtained short-term loans from his brother as a private citizen and repaid them within weeks.
“He had no information at all about the source of the funds I used to repay him,” James Biden said in his written statement. “The complete explanation is that Joe lent me money and I repaid him as soon as I had the funds to do so.”
Democrats called on Republicans to abandon their impeachment investigation. They said Republican investigators have failed to uncover evidence that Mr. Biden was involved in any of the family’s business deals.
Criticism increased after the indictment last week of a paid FBI informant. Prosecutors say the informant, Alexander Smirnov, lied to the government about an alleged bribe paid to Vice President Biden and Hunter Biden by a Ukrainian energy company seeking help shaking off a corruption investigation.
Prosecutors say Mr. Smirnov obtained the information about the Bidens from Russian intelligence officials.
Mr. Smirnov has not been included in the House Republicans’ inquiry into Mr. Biden, but Democrats say the arrest of Mr. Smirnov should end the impeachment investigation.
“The whole impeachment inquiry has been built on the foundation of a lie and conspiracy theories, propaganda and disinformation promoted by Russian intelligence agents,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat.