Jokes and drugs: Hunter Biden’s ex-business partner negates President Biden’s role in deals

Rob Walker, the ex-business associate of Hunter Biden who cashed in on the family’s lucrative foreign business deals, told House investigators the president’s son was on drugs when he invoked his father in a text message to a Chinese business partner.

Mr. Walker, who testified on Jan. 26 in a private deposition before House lawmakers, discounted other evidence of Mr. Biden’s involvement, including messages from fellow former business associate James Gilliar asking if they should hold on to 10% of profits for “the big guy,” meaning the elder Mr. Biden

“Rob Walker claimed [Mr. Gilliar] was just joking around with business partners,” a GOP source familiar with the deposition told The Washington Times.

Republicans said Mr. Walker offered “excuses” that conflict with evidence provided by documents and other witness testimony in their impeachment inquiry of Mr. Biden over his alleged involvement in family business deals while he was serving as vice president.

In July 2017, Hunter Biden sought to secure a $10 million payment from a Chinese business associate by threatening the wrath of his powerful father, who he warned on WhatsApp, was “sitting here” next to him. The associate soon sent a $5 million payment, but Mr. Biden’s involvement was all a drug-fueled lie, Mr. Walker told investigators.

Mr. Walker acknowledged to lawmakers that Mr. Biden showed up at at least one meeting Hunter Biden held with associates from CEFC, an energy firm associated with the Chinese Communist Party that paid the Biden family and associates millions of dollars.

But he said the then-former vice president showed up because he was “just checking in on his son,” according to GOP sources who interviewed Mr. Walker.

Mr. Walker told IRS and FBI agents investigating Hunter Biden for tax fraud that Hunter Biden introduced his business associates to Mr. Biden while he was vice president. But in the interview with lawmakers, he downplayed the president’s involvement.

“To be clear, President Biden — while in office or as a private citizen — was never involved in any of the business activities we pursued,” Mr. Walker told the House Oversight and House Judiciary committees during his opening statements.

“Any statement to the contrary is simply false,” he said. “Hunter made sure there was always a clear boundary between any business and his father. Always. And as his partner, I always understood and respected that boundary.”

Mr. Walker is among several witnesses that lawmakers have questioned as part of the impeachment inquiry. Witness statements and other documents indicated Mr. Biden called into or stopped by at least 20 of his son’s business meetings that helped the family and associates rake in $22 million.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Mr. Walker “unequivocally stated” that any statements that Mr. Biden was involved in his son’s business deals are false.

He called the investigation “a fishing expedition with no fishing rods or poles or lines or tackle or a map.”

“I hope that they will draw it to a very rapid close,” he said. “It’s just a waste of everyone’s time and resources.”

Both committees consider Mr. Walker to be a “critical witness” because he once said that exposing the financial dealings with the first family would “bury all of us.”