The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Biden sent 54 emails to son’s business ally
Correspondence came as Hunter Biden attempted to join board of Ukrainian natural gas company
JOE BIDEN repeatedly emailed a business associate of his son, Hunter, before he made trips to the Ukraine, according to records released by Republican politicians.
The correspondence with Eric Schwerin also coincided with Hunter Biden ‘s attempts to serve on the board of Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas company.
In all, Mr Biden exchanged 54 emails with Mr Schwerin while serving as Barak Obama’s vice-president.
Earlier this month, House Republicans approved an impeachment inquiry into the president for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanours”.
The move has been dismissed by the Democrats as a political stunt and, as they hold a majority in the Senate, the chances of Mr Biden being removed from office are extremely remote.
Donald Trump has repeatedly accused the Biden family of using high office to enrich itself.
Since taking control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans have launched a series of inquiries into the President and Hunter Biden, whom they have identified as a political liability to the president.
Republicans have claimed that the president benefited from his son’s business dealings in China, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia and Ukraine between 2014 and 2019.
But so far they have failed to provide any proof and the president has repeatedly denied being involved in his son’s business affairs.
Nevertheless, the latest disclosures will heap further pressure on Mr Biden as, according to the latest polls, he faces an uphill struggle in the November 2024 presidential election.
His approval rating, which stands at 39 per cent, is the worst of any modern-day president at this stage of the electoral cycle. Donald Trump’s was 45 per cent as the US entered the election year of 2020.
Other polls also have Mr Trump leading in a match-up, especially in volatile swing states that could decide the result of the election.
The existence – but not the contents – of the trove of emails was contained in law enforcement documents released by House Republicans after the congressional testimony of US Internal Revenue Service whistleblower Joseph Ziegler. According to the records, the bulk of the emails were sent around the time Mr Biden made two trips to Ukraine as vice-president in 2014.
Hunter Biden, 53, was appointed to the Burisma board in May 2014 before his father’s first trip to Ukraine in June.
He earned $1.2million from Burisma in 2014 and, according to federal prosecutors, more than $1.4million from the company between 2016 and 2019, when his involvement ended.
In his memoir, Hunter Biden described the money he received from Burisma as “helpful”, but insisted he was not desperate for cash at the time.
However, in addition to working with Hunter Biden, Mr Schwerin was Joe Biden’s financial adviser from 2009 to 2017.
The White House has not commented on the allegations.
Jamie Raskin, a Democrat congressman, said Mr Schwerin was not aware of any involvement by Mr Biden in his relatives’ business dealings.
Earlier this month, Hunter Biden, who is facing charges relating to tax offences and illegal gun possession, insisted his father had never been involved in his business dealings.
Speaking outside the US Capitol, he rounded on what he called the “MAGA right”, which he said had “impugned my character, invaded my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family and my friends”.
has approached the White House and Mr Schwerin for comment. ‘MAGA right has invaded my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family and my friends’