A prominent member of the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian oil and gas conglomerate at the center of the impeachment inquiry, admitted on Friday that Hunter Biden was tapped to join the company because of his father’s political influence.
Aleksander Kwasniewski, a former president of Poland who joined Burisma’s board around the same time as the younger Biden, told the Associated Press it was normal for corporations to seek out well-connected figures for advisory positions. The former president admitted that both he and Hunter Biden secured their posts with Burisma, which at times paid as much as $83,000 per month, due to the influence afforded by their names.
“I understand that if someone asks me to be part of some project it’s not only because I’m so good, it’s also because I am Kwasniewski and I am a former president of Poland,” Kwasniewski said. “And this is all inter-connected. No-names are a nobody. Being Biden is not bad. It’s a good name.”
The former president proceeded to claim that Hunter Biden was an integral part of the board, despite having no background in the energy sector and never once visiting Ukraine during his five-year tenure with Burisma.
“He collected information,” Kwasniewski said, claiming Hunter Biden helped the company with corporate governance. “He was useful for us because he knew something that we didn’t know.”
Kwasniewski’s comments come as Burisma and it ties to Hunter Biden have taken center stage in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The company became central to the proceedings when Trump suggested the Ukrainian government investigate how Hunter Biden was able to secure a seat on its board of directors in the first place.
Democrats claim the president’s suggestion amounted to asking a foreign power for dirt on a political opponent, which they argue is an impeachable offense. Trump and his allies, on the other hand, have countered that Hunter Biden’s appointment, coming around the same time former Vice President Joe Biden was tapped to lead Obama-era policy towards Ukraine, and his relative inexperience in the energy industry warrant investigation.
As Peter Schweizer, senior contributor at Breitbart News, detailed in his book Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends, Hunter Biden’s background in investment banking, lobbying, and hedge fund management paled in comparison to that of current and past members of Burisma’s board.
Adding to concerns is the fact that at the time Hunter Biden joined Burisma, the company was seen as actively courting leaders in the West to prevent further scrutiny of its business practices. The same month Hunter Biden and Kwasniewski were tapped to join the group’s board, the government of Great Britain froze accounts belonging to Burisma’s founder, Mykola Zlochevsky, under suspicion of money laundering.
A Ukrainian official with strong ties to Zlochevsky admitted in October the only reason that Hunter Biden secured the appointment was to “protect” the company from foreign scrutiny. The claim has credence given that at the time, Joe Biden, as the sitting vice president, was tasked with leading the Obama administration’s policy towards Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea.
It is in the context of Burisma and Zlochevsky’s legal troubles that Joe Biden’s political influence has raised the most red flags. The former vice president has particularly drawn questions over his conduct in demanding the Ukrainian government fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, in 2016.
Joe Biden, who has publicly bragged about the firing, reportedly threatened to withhold more than one billion dollars in U.S. aid if the Ukrainian government did not remove Shokin. He has claimed the demand came from then-President Barack Obama, who had allegedly lost faith in the prosecutor’s ability to tackle corruption.
Unofficially, though, it was known that Shokin was investigating both Burisma and Zlochevsky for public corruption. It is uncertain if the probe extended to Hunter Biden, although Shokin has recently admitted that prior to his ouster, he was warned to back off the matter. Regardless of what occurred, Shokin’s successor, who is now himself being investigated for public corruption, dropped the investigation into Burisma and Zlochevsky.
A weird kind of “me too”, but we knew Hunter has been Waterskiing on Daddys wake.
Perhaps this “confession” is to throw mud over somethings he himself did.
Poland or Interpol should look into this guy and his dealings.
“He collected information,” Kwasniewski said, claiming Hunter Biden helped the company with corporate governance. “He was useful for us because he knew something that we didn’t know.”
Hunter Biden was spying for an oligarch???!!!
Do we want to possibly elect an old Dotard that seems clueless about his own sons activities, how could he possibly ever handle US activities?
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/03/…
The press tries to cover for looselips Joe by saying he didnt use their actual names.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=joe+outs+seal+team+6&view=detail&mid=AEC78369A93F5420848FAEC78369A93F5420848F&FORM=VIRE
May 3, 2011: then Vice-President Joe Biden says, “Admiral James Stavridis… can tell you more about… the incredible, the phenomenal, the just almost unbelievable capacity of his Navy SEALs and what they did last Sunday…” Shortly thereafter the media identified SEAL Team 6 (call sign Extortion 17) and their home base in Virginia.
Does it come as a surprise that corporations frequently hire public figures with name recognition in hopes of increasing their visibility, enhancing their reputations, or gaining a measure of influence? Do you think there’s something improper about that?
If so, have you forgotten that Donald Trump and family take in millions of dollars per year by licensing otherwise unrelated corporations to use their name?
I have yet to hear a single specific detail about what Hunter Biden is supposed to have done that was illegal.
@Greg:
And exactly who has said what Hunter Biden did was illegal?
What logical people are saying is that if a reference to corruption in Ukraine where Hunter Biden was involved is a quid pro quo, then Joe Biden’s actual threat to withhold funding to Ukraine unless the prosecutor was fired is definitely a quid pro quo so old Sleepy Joe is the one who violated U.S. law, not Hunter.
@Greg: Hunter Biden was spying for an oligarch???!!! Per comments made from the former Polish President.
Meetings with Department of state to scurry off and advise the Oligarch of US plans. hmmmmm
@kitt: Of course, having Hunter on the Burisma board wasn’t just a one-way street. It should be investigated in Papa provided Burisma any information that Hunter could have passed along to Burisma. Money exchanges hands for that sort of product, as well.
@Greg:
So you are actually admitting Biden was peddling US government influence by “trademarking” his name? Wow, that’s bold.
@retire05:
If Biden has done nothing illegal, what’s your problem with him? Did his dad get him a top secret security clearance, overriding the objections of those who do background checks? Did his dad send him on missions to secretly negotiate with the representatives of foreign governments, as Trump did his son-in-law? Has there been anything like the following, concerning Hunter Biden?
Jared Kushner advised Saudi prince on how to ‘weather’ Khashoggi slaying, report says
That’s not the worst rumor that’s making the rounds.
Seven Whistleblowers
@Greg:
Mc Donalds, Hardees, and others rent the name but are franchises, they make money too with a name.
Every Starbucks in a business or Airport same deal. Perfectly legal so do you have any other insane analogies?
China Bank and the gas company needed other things, access to insider information, aka a spy and big political influence.
@Greg:
*sigh*
You’re not even good at damage control, and your posts are increasingly irrational and just pre-fed news feeds you get from your boss.
Dems lose. I’d get off that ship while you still can.
@Nathan Blue:
.@JoeBiden’s “No Malarkey!” Iowa bus tour starts in Council Bluffs with laughs: An excited @DrBiden gestures and almost hits Joe in the head…and then he bit her finger: pic.twitter.com/CIhHS9buJQ
— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) November 30, 2019
@Greg:
Hunter is not the disease, he is the symptom. Hunter was hired by Burisma in order to keep investigations off their back and Joe stepped in to make that happen, via extortion. Hunter received money from Burisma that was stolen from the Ukrainian government and if he was aware of the corruption, that is HIS crime. That will be up to Ukraine to figure out. However, Joe BRAGGED about committing his crime.
Nah, Joe just took Sonny along on Air Force One, introduced him to prominent people and helped him seal a huge business deal.
http://www.norcalblogs.com/postscripts/2018/03/15/sons-biden-kerry-1-5-billion-deal-biden-visited-china/
AND…
Hunter, at 21, a paid consultant for MBNA while Joe pushed a credit card bill
A pattern of behavior shows Biden promoting his son’s business activities
https://thefederalist.com/2019/10/30/joe-biden-repeatedly-asked-federal-agencies-to-do-what-his-sons-lobbying-clients-wanted/
Biden, as Senator, kept sending business his son’s way
https://www.infowars.com/busted-joe-biden-intervened-to-help-hunters-lobbying-efforts-on-multiple-occasions/
Well, when you are just making shit up, the sewer’s the limit, isn’t it?