Hunter Biden’s statements in court about a $1 million payment sent to one of his companies from a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked entity neglects key details that call the stated reason for the transaction into question, The Federalist first reported.
During Wednesday’s hearing on his plea deal, Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned Hunter Biden on a $1 million payment distributed to Owasco, LLC, attributed in the plea deal’s statement of facts to “legal fees for Patrick Ho”— an executive of the CCP-linked CEFC China Energy. Both Hunter Biden and the Department of Justice omit information that make the reason behind the payment a bit murkier, such as the fact that Owasco, LLC isn’t a law firm and the payment wasn’t initially made to Owasco, LLC, The Federalist first reported.
Ho’s $1 million payment was initially made on Nov. 2, 2017 to Hudson West III LLC, a shell company co-owned by Hunter Biden, according to a U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs report. It was then wired to Owasco LLC —not the law firm, Owasco PC — on March 22, 2018, according to the transaction.
Hunter Biden mixed up Owasco PC and Owasco LLC during the hearing, claiming the money went to the former, according to the transcript. He initially said Owasco PC operated as a “law firm entity” and then told the judge “I don’t know that for a fact.”
He also claimed it was his “own law firm” providing the services to Ho, not himself “as counsel,” according to the transcript. Yet a September 2017 Attorney Engagement Letter uncovered from Hunter Biden’s laptop included a $1 million retainer agreement for legal representation between Hunter Biden and Ho, according to the New York Post.
Ho was indicted in December 2017 on charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international money laundering and conspiracy to commit both shortly after sending the $1 million to Hunter Biden’s company, according to court documents. He reportedly first called Joe Biden’s brother James Biden, per the Senate report.
Records in the Senate report tell other stories about the transaction, claiming it was for “the purpose of conducting a market investigation of [a] natural gas project” that was later deemed unnecessary and refunded. In email from April 2, 2018, Hunter Biden “stated that the incoming wire amounting to $1MM on 11/2/2017 from CEFC Limited foundation should have gone to Owasco LLC, however, he provided the wrong wire instructions, and due to the large amount the transactions was not corrected until 3/22/2018, which consisted of an outgoing wire for the same amount benefiting Owasco LLC,” according to the Senate report.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
