The Washington Post earlier reported that Hunter Biden and James Biden were paid about $4.8 million over the course of 14 months by Chinese Communist Party-linked businesses with which they were involved.
Former US President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to his siblings and their spouses before leaving office, alleging they were “targeted by politically motivated investigations.”
James Biden, Joe’s Brother, and Sara Jones Biden, James’ Wife
Entrepreneur James Biden faced accusations of capitalizing on the Biden name as he reportedly tried to set up a joint venture with a Chinese energy company in 2017.
House Republicans referred to two checks worth $40,000 and $200,000 from James Biden and his wife to the US president in 2017 and 2018 entitled “loan repayments.”
Seperately, in a June 2024 letter to the Justice Department, House Republicans accused James Biden and Joe Biden’s son Hunter of making false statements to Congress as part of GOP members’ impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden;
James and his wife were reportedly recorded by the FBI in connection with a 1998 bribery probe into a Mississippi trial attorney who was considering a business partnership with James Biden.
Francis Biden, Joe’s ‘Another Brother’
He drew attention for linking himself to Joe Biden in a 2021 ad for a Florida law firm. The White House warned at the time that the president’s name shouldn’t be used in connection with any commercial activities.
Valerie Biden Owens, Joe Biden’s Sister and John Owens, Her Husband
It remains unclear why Joe Biden pardoned the couple given a lack of controversy surrounding their activities. Valerie Owens was the campaign manager for Joe Biden’s 1988 and 2008 presidential campaigns, as well as a senior advisor to his successful 2020 presidential campaign.
Hunter Biden
Joe Biden issued an unconditional pardon for his son in early December. Hunter was scheduled to be sentenced for his conviction for federal gun charges, as well as in a separate criminal case in which he pleaded guilty to tax evasion.