Hunter Biden is set to testify before Congress on February 28 to advance the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden centered around the Biden family’s foreign business dealings. Not a moment too soon as a recent closed-door congressional testimony from one of Hunter’s business associates, Rob Walker unearthed that Joe Biden met with the Chinese energy firm chairman conveniently around the time he received a $3 million payment.
Walker testified before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on January 26 about his role in Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings with Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC.
Of that $3 million payment, National Review reports the testimony explained: “Walker wired approximately $1 million of the State Energy HK funds to Biden family accounts and a little more than $1 million to a company linked to James Gilliar” another business associate of Hunter’s.
“Hunter Biden instructed Walker to wire some of the State Energy HK money to his uncle James Biden and his then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter’s late brother Beau Biden, Walker told lawmakers.”
Walker recalled a meeting between Joe Biden and CEFC officials in spring 2017, around the time of the State Energy HK payment:
“Did Joe Biden ever attend any location or meeting or place where CEFC officials were also there?” a staffer asked Walker, according to a transcript of the interview released Tuesday morning.
“Yes,” Walker replied. He recalled the meeting took place in Washington, D.C., and Joe Biden, who had just left office as vice president, stopped by for lunch.
“I don’t know the exact — it was 20- probably -17 at some point, but I don’t know exactly when,” Walker said.
The meeting took place at a Four Seasons hotel in a private room. CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming and other associates were present at the meeting.
“I don’t know if Zang was there, but I believe that Ye was there. I’m certain of it,” Walker testified.
He did not know who the other CEFC associates were at the meeting. Walker firmly recalled Jianming and his translator, Hunter Biden, business associate James Gilliar, and Joe Biden attending the meeting.
“We were still discussing ways we could work together. I don’t think we had structured a deal on how to work together at this point,” Walker said of the meeting.
The meeting went for an hour-and-a-half and Joe Biden was there for ten minutes or so. He exchanged pleasantries and addressed a group of about ten people from CEFC who attended the meeting.
Walker said Joe Biden did not discuss business with the CEFC representatives at the meeting. He gave similar information to FBI agents in a December 2020 interview, according to a transcriptprovided to the House Ways and Means Committee by IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler.
The CEFC meeting came up again later in Walker’s testimony and he hesitated to say whether Joe Biden’s presence was helpful for the CEFC relationship.
“I am not saying it was foreshadowed. Were the Chinese impressed? It’s quite possible,” Walker said. He vaguely recalled the possibility of Joe Biden stopping by without going into detail.
Hunter Biden and his associates began their relationship with CEFC during Joe Biden’s vice presidency, but they did not receive any payments until the State Energy HK wire shortly after Joe Biden left office.
In 2015 and 2016, Walker testified that he along with Hunter Biden and Gilliar introduced CEFC to potential business deals.
In March 2016, Hunter Biden’s letterhead was used for a letter to CEFC Director Zang. Walker explained why they decided to use Hunter Biden’s letterhead for the document.
“I think what is common with U.S. companies working with individuals abroad, those individuals tend to — they don’t — they aren’t taken seriously unless they have a calling card like this or something that says that they represent. So if — you wouldn’t — this is just normal, customary business practice,” Walker testified.
“Well, I think in Zang’s eyes — that I worked for Hunter and that James worked for us or for Hunter, and so that would be — he was viewed as the principal of this organization by Zang,” he added in response to follow up questions.