During his testimony in the impeachment inquiry, James Biden, the brother of President Joe Biden, confirmed that a $40,000 check issued to the former Vice President in 2017 was funded by money he received from a Chinese government-linked company. Additionally, James disclosed that he had received overseas income as recently as last year.
James, 74, maintained that he did not believe the company, CEFC China Energy, was controlled by Beijing, clarifying that he misspoke when he previously indicated otherwise. He admitted that the source of the money going into Hunter Biden’s company, Owasco, before reaching him, was from CEFC.
In a detailed interview, James acknowledged receiving $840,000 over four transfers from Argentinian businessman Jose Luis Manzano, which he stated stemmed from selling half of his stake in Manzano’s holding of Argentinian natural gas company Metrogas. He explained that his dealings with Manzano primarily involved assisting him in various ventures, including attempting to attract investment from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim for infrastructure projects in Argentina.
Furthermore, James confirmed that Manzano had discussions about collaborating with CEFC at one point. He also discussed his unsuccessful efforts to secure investments from Qatar for infrastructure projects, particularly in Miami.
While Democrats have defended these transactions as evidence of familial support, Republicans argue that they demonstrate President Biden’s direct involvement with his relatives’ business associates, including those involved in the CEFC venture.
