The Washington Post published recordings of President Joe Biden’s brother, James, engaging in deals leveraging his last name in the late 1990s.
The tapes, made by FBI investigators, revealed James Biden’s involvement in business dealings, where his familial connections were used to gain influence.
While not directly involved in bribery, the recordings captured instances of influence peddling. (Trending: Obama Reveals His Fear For Joe Ahead Of 2024)
Listen: James Biden’s dealmaking caught on FBI tapes.
In the article, WAPO is accusing Joe Biden, James Biden, and his wife, Sara Biden, of being involved in influence peddling:
"What emerges is a tale of money, politics and influence, stretching from Mississippi to the… pic.twitter.com/K0466W0LRq
— Eddie (@ICU1010) December 17, 2023
According to The Washington Post, the outlet received permission to review archives at the University of Mississippi compiled by author Curtis Wilkie.
Wilkie wrote a book on attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, who engineered a $248 billion 1998 legal settlement with the tobacco industry over its sales of a product that caused cancer.
“Scruggs reportedly hired James and Sara Biden’s DC consulting firm” to assist in the lawsuit.
“I probably wouldn’t have hired him if he wasn’t the senator’s brother,” Scruggs told the Post.
“Jim was never untoward about his influence,” said Scruggs.
“He didn’t brag about it or talk about it. He didn’t have to,” he continued.
“He was the man’s brother,” explained Scruggs.
To be clear, the conversations where James Biden was recorded by the FBI were taken down as part of an investigation of Scruggs and his associates — not James Biden.
But they did capture a flavor of James Biden’s influence peddling — and that was just when his brother was a senator, not the vice president.
The conversations involved discussions about potential business ventures and opportunities, some of which did not materialize.
Tim Balducci, a lawyer, who was planning to go into business with James Biden, is reportedly on one of the tapes with James Biden.
“I told him about the real Washington presence, that this was not going to be a bulls—, you know, a shingle hung somewhere in the window,” Balducci began.
“That this was a real deal, that Sara was coming on, you know, as a named partner, an equity share in the venture, that we were changing the name of the firm to include her. … Hunter was going to be involved, and you were going to be involved,” explained the potential investor.
The second recording is reportedly of James Biden speaking to someone believed to be Balducci about James Biden’s potential role as a consultant for the chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
The Choctaw Indians had reportedly just applied with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to open a $375 million casino on 100 acres of tribal land, which would require state and federal level.
“You know my hesitancy to be a, you know, an opportunist if everybody is jumping on” the Choctaw’s initiative, said James Biden.
“There’s nothing wrong with opportunist,” added Biden.
“Sara just rolled her eyes at me,” he admitted.
“So, but being a whore about it, OK, you know, like everybody just jumping in, like, ‘Let me do your insurance, let me do your legal,’” heexplained
Balducci ended up becoming an informant against Scruggs after the attempted bribery of a judge.
Scruggs and Balducci were both sentenced to prison.
“Jim Biden’s consulting work has never involved speaking with or providing access to his brother for this or any other client,” said attorney Paul J. Fishman on behalf of James Biden.
Fishman also claimed that James Biden “was discussing a potential opportunity to sell insurance to the Choctaw tribe, but he never pursued that business.”
“More than fifteen years ago, Jim and Sara Biden had serious discussions … about starting a firm that would provide legal and consulting services,” explained the attorney.
“That venture never got off the ground. Jim and Sara were not aware of or involved in any unethical or illegal behavior,” claimed Fishman.
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