Quick Hit:

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, testified in a congressional hearing that he was "high or drunk" when he wrote a text message in 2017 to a Chinese businessman, stating he was "sitting here with my father". This message was sent shortly before a transfer of $5.1 million into Biden-linked accounts.

Key Details:

• Hunter Biden claimed in his testimony that President Biden had no involvement in the shakedown of Chinese state-linked CEFC China Energy.
• The text message implicating Joe Biden was provided to Congress last year by IRS case agent Joseph Ziegler, who alleged a Justice Department coverup to protect Joe and Hunter Biden.
• The CEFC deal was one of the most lucrative for the Biden family, with funds flowing to them shortly after Joe Biden met CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming at DC’s Four Seasons hotel.

Diving Deeper:

In a closed-door impeachment inquiry deposition, Hunter Biden admitted to being under the influence when he sent the controversial message. He also claimed that he sent the message to the wrong recipient and expressed embarrassment over the incident. Despite these claims, photos from Hunter's abandoned laptop show he was at his father's home in Wilmington, Delaware, on the day of the threat.

Despite Hunter's claims of his father's non-involvement, the IRS agents who provided the text message to Congress stated they were not allowed by the Justice Department to get cellphone geolocation data that could have established whether Hunter was indeed sitting with his father. They also claimed they were repeatedly blocked from pursuing evidence related to Joe Biden.

The CEFC deal was a significant one for the Biden family. Former Biden family business partner Rob Walker testified last month that $3 million in funds from CEFC flowed to him in March 2017, with about a third going to the Bidens. This occurred shortly after Joe Biden met CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming at DC’s Four Seasons hotel. Walker stated that the money was a "thank you" for preliminary services sourcing business opportunities in a relationship that began in 2015.

Despite the controversy surrounding the text message and the subsequent money transfer, Hunter Biden maintains that his father had no involvement in his business dealings. This claim is contradicted by substantial evidence, including emails, witness testimony, and photos showing Joe Biden encountered his son and brother’s associates from two different Chinese government-linked business deals and others from Mexico, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine.