Hunter Biden could face prison time for not registering as foreign agent in overseas ventures

by Chris Lange

Chris Lange, FISM News

 

Hunter Biden could face time behind bars for failing to properly register as a foreign agent while engaging in business endeavors abroad.

Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the first son was required to register as a foreign lobbyist for his business dealings in countries like China and Ukraine. Instead, he only registered as a lobbyist for domestic interests, according to a New York Post report.

The 1938 law requires individuals acting as “an agent, representative, employee, or servant … at the order, request, or under the direction or control of a ‘foreign principal,’” to register with the U.S. government. Failing to do so is a crime punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

“The recent disclosures of additional foreign contacts have only strengthened what was already a strong case. Indeed, in the last few weeks, the compelling basis for a FARA charge has become unassailable and undeniable,” George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley told the Post.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked the FBI to investigate whether Biden violated FARA requirements back in 2020.

“Since then, I’ve only seen and gathered more records and information that confirm that [Hunter Biden and his uncle James Biden] are closely linked to foreign interests,” Grassley told The Post.

According to the report, the president’s son is currently the subject of a Justice Department probe into his taxes, possible foreign lobbying, and lucrative business ventures overseas as part of an ongoing investigation that may have been opened as early as 2018. The probe reportedly has since been expanded amid ongoing revelations from the laptop.

During the course of Joe Biden’s term as U.S. vice president, Hunter was paid $83,333 per month for serving on the board of Ukraine energy giant Burisma, despite having no previous experience in the energy sector, nor any other related qualifications. Contents recovered from his laptop revealed that the younger Biden introduced his father to a top Burisma executive, despite Joe Biden’s repeated claims that he knew nothing of his son’s foreign business dealings. Less than a year later, Joe Biden bragged about pressuring Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating the company.

Hunter Biden discussed his relationship with Patrick Ho, the vice president of Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC whom Biden referred to as “the f****** spy chief of China” in a phone call buried in the laptop’s hard drive. Ho paid Hunter Biden a $1 million retainer fee to serve as his legal advisor on charges he faced in the U.S.

The contents of the laptop also revealed several meetings that took place between Hunter Biden and foreign officials. Yugoslavia’s Crown Prince Alexander Karadordevic and his wife told the Post they had asked Biden to put in a good word with his father as they sought funding for their palatial residence in Belgrade.

“If Hunter relayed the request for US government assistance, then that would be a FARA registrable event,” FARA expert Craig Engle told the Post.

GOP lawmakers point to examples like these as evidence of Hunter Biden’s lucrative influence peddling that could influence President Biden’s foreign policy decisions and compromise U.S. security interests abroad.

“The influence peddling schemes directly reference the President and [Joe Biden] is repeatedly cited as a possible recipient of funds,” Turley said.

Multiple reports suggest that federal investigators are close to completing the investigation into Hunter Biden and that the Justice Department is currently working on a plea deal arrangement for the president’s son.

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