The chairman of the House Oversight Committee alleged in a letter sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the panel’s ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden that his son, Hunter, invoked his then-vice presidential father’s name in a likely attempt to ward off an investigation in 2016.
In their letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) want more information about the SEC’s securities investigation involving Hunter Biden’s business associates and inter-connected entities.
“In 2016, attorneys within the SEC’s Enforcement Division were investigating a tribal bond scheme in which several individuals were charged with violating federal securities laws. As part of this investigation, several of Hunter Biden’s business associates and inter-connected entities were implicated by the alleged conduct. As a result, the SEC subpoenaed individuals and entities for documents, communications, and testimony, including Devon Archer—a former business partner of Hunter Biden—on March 14, 2016 and, on March 11, Rosemont Seneca Bohai (RSB), an entity utilized by Hunter Biden and Mr. Archer,” wrote the Chairmen.
“On March 16, two days after the SEC issued the Archer Subpoena, the SEC issued a subpoena to Hunter Biden, requiring Hunter Biden to produce documents regarding, among other items, all documents and communications ‘concerning Rosemont Seneca Bohai, LLC,'” they added.
According to documents obtained during the impeachment inquiry, Hunter Biden represented himself as the corporate secretary of Rosemont Seneca Bohai, which was directly implicated in the tribal bond scheme. During his deposition, Hunter Biden falsely stated that he did not hold a position at Rosemont Seneca Bohai, a company that received millions of dollars from foreign individuals and entities who met with then-Vice President Biden before and after transferring money to the RSB account, noted a press release regarding the case.
These funds were then transferred to Hunter Biden. Earlier this month, Chairmen Comer and Jordan, along with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, referred Hunter Biden to the Justice Department for making false statements about his affiliation with RSB and other false statements implicating his father in the Bidens’ influence-peddling schemes, a press release added.
“The Committees have obtained Hunter Biden’s response, dated April 20, 2016, to the SEC subpoena. Mr. Biden’s attorneys provided 1,749 responsive documents to the SEC. Concerningly, however, Mr. Biden’s counsel wrote: ‘As a threshold matter, we request that you treat this matter with the highest degree of confidentiality, consistent with Commission policy and applicable law. The confidential nature of this investigation is very important to our client and it would be unfair, not just to our client, but also to his father, the Vice President of the United States, if his involvement in an SEC investigation and parallel criminal probe were to become the subject of any media attention,'” the lawmakers said.
“Mr. Biden’s response gratuitously invoked his father’s position as the Vice President in what could be interpreted as an effort to discourage further SEC scrutiny. And on May 11, 2016, the SEC published a press release—announcing the charging of seven individuals—with no mention or charging of Hunter Biden,” they added.
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