James Biden Refutes Allegations of Brother’s Involvement in Business Ventures

James Biden, in his opening statement to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Wednesday, insisted his brother, President Joe Biden, “never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest” in his business ventures over the past 50 years.

“Because of my intimate knowledge of my brother’s integrity and character, as well as my own strong ethics, I have always kept my personal life separate from our own personal relationship,” the president’s younger brother said, according to the statement obtained by The Washington Post’s Matt Viser and posted on X.

“I never asked my brother to take any official action on behalf of me, my business associates, or anyone else,” James Biden said, adding he has always relied on his own talents and expertise and “never my status as Joe Biden’s brother.”

“Those who have said or thought otherwise were either mistaken, ill-informed, or flat-out lying,” he continued.

James Biden is testifying Wednesday as part of the Oversight Committee’s impeachment inquiry into the president. His attorneys have said the committee’s subpoena was not justified, as bank records and transactions were already reviewed.

The committee has found the records of two loans made during a period of time when Joe Biden was not holding public office or running for president.

In one instance, James Biden said a check he wrote for $200,000 on the same day he was paid that amount by the now-defunct Americore Health, a large hospital operator that has since gone bankrupt, was to repay his brother for money he had borrowed.

In his statement, he said, over the years, he and his wife often borrowed money to meet their financial obligations, including from his brother.

“I have no reason to believe that he had information or even knew about any of the other loans,” James Biden testified about his brother. “The committees have asked me about those loans from my brother. They were short-term loans that I received from Joe when he was a private citizen, and I repaid them within weeks.”

He added his older brother “had no information” about the source of the loan repayment money.

Biden also Wednesday dismissed claims made by Hunter Biden’s business partner Tony Bobulinski that the president had been involved in dealings with China Energy Company Limited (CEFC) and said Bobulinski is “tremendously arrogant; was often disrespectful and a bad listener; acted like a stubborn bully.”

“My brother played no role, was not involved with, and received no benefits from my work with CEFC,” James Biden said, also claiming Bobulinski was angry about not being included in Hudson West III, a joint venture entity formed between CEFC and Owasco, a company owned by Hunter Biden, the president’s son.

“To the extent Mr. Bobulinski suggested that I ever sought to, or did involve my brother in any business dealings with CEFC or anyone else for that matter, those allegations are false,” he said.