Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden declined to answer questions on the campaign trail this week about his son's overseas business dealings in countries where the then-vice president was conducting diplomatic work, an issue his political opponents have already begun to wield against him as he wades into the 2020 presidential campaign.
The ethics pledge follows renewed questions about a pair of overseas business opportunities involving Hunter Biden – one in Ukraine, another in China – that already have begun to generate political attacks from Joe Biden's conservative critics. Ethics experts interviewed by ABC News said these are legitimate questions about possible past and future conflicts of interest.
Just months before, in December of 2013, there was a similar episode when the then-vice president led an Obama administration effort to tamp down tensions in the Far East. Hunter Biden disembarked from Air Force Two in Beijing alongside his father, ahead of a series of meetings between the vice president and several high-ranking members of China's ruling party. Upon his departure, Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping a"good friend.
An attorney for Hunter Biden told ABC News the vice president's son merely accompanied his daughter, Finnegan Biden, on the Air Force Two trip to Beijing and conducted no business during the visit. Hunter Biden and his associate at a business entity called Rosemont Seneca Partners -- where Hunter Biden was a managing partner -- both obtained board seats, and according to banking records reviewed by ABC News, the firm began collecting $166,666 payments each month.
Both Zlochevsky and the company have denied wrongdoing and neither have faced charges, but in an interview with ABC News, Shokin maintained his suspicions about the vice president's motives, accusing Biden of promoting his dismissal for personal reasons. He insisted he had"no doubt" Biden wanted him gone in an effort to protect his son's new employer.
"Explain to me why Biden shouldn't be investigated," Giuliani tweeted in May, before canceling the trip after facing criticism for appearing to engage a foreign government for political help. Daria Kaleniuk, a Ukrainian anti-corruption advocate, did not see fault in Joe Biden's conduct, saying she thought he"did what he had to do" in pursuing Shokin's removal, but decried his son's decision as"a very bad thing."
U conveniently left out the most important part of the Burisma scandal. Biden insisted the prosecutor investigating Burisma be fired & and he was. Investigation was closed. Biden is a corrupt hack
Stop.
It is definitely a conflict of interest, but money talks and bullshit walks..wrong person for the White House!!
You're just NOW reporting this? Bravo!
Does Donnie & the Trump family feel this is wrong?
DA. Look who just woke up!
Is it wrong to call the Biden family rich white trash?
Blah blah blah, how is Jared Kushner doing any different. Stop already trying to make comparisons.
How many years ago was this? ABC out there journalisming e’ery day.
Oh, who cares at this point? No consequences for an entire government and WH awash in conflicts of interest! If there are no consequences...
Big Deal! Biden would never appoint his son to his cabinet, if President like TRUMP did. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!
It was his son doing the business and not Biden. Trump directly has done business with overseas counties and continues to profit and so does his family. What has been done? Republicans say that for Trump, it isn't a conflict of interest. So what's the difference?
FBI should investigate Hunter for payoffs by foreign governments like China while his did was VP.
There are SO MANY conflict of interest stories you could cover re: the current president and his grifter family but you decided this was more important?
Oh boy the DEM/MSM cabal has decided they don’t want Biden so they will report HIS democrat corruption.
Media is now going to take out Biden in favor of a more socialist leaning Democrat candidate
A bunch of bunk. Trump has conflicts of interests everywhere.
Joe Biden was on the thedilleyshow the other day and essentially admitted wrongdoing, but didn’t realize it was potentially illegal back then. He said something like: “I tink I did a bad ting....I’m Joe Bindn!”
This is one hour in the day of Trumps administration . Who freaking cares?
No can do. Trump says he and his family can so wtf?
Holy cow- it doesn’t matter!!! Nothing will ever be ss bad as Trump unless we defeat him in 2020!!!
Based on the record of the current administration, any claim of conflict of interest would have to include a train load of gold bars being shipped to a Swiss bank account belonging to Joe Biden himself...
Looks like it’s tear Joe Biden down so he doesn’t become President time. Good job ABC.
Dam Joe how stupid.
Ya think
Trump family does it. Why shouldn't Biden family. Seems to be the norm these days.
And we have Trump family members profiting from foreign countries that he deals with. Is there some preferential treatment given to Ivanka, Don jr and Eric for the millions they take in? Ivanka’s numerous trademarks in China?
I bet this is Russian propaganda and, as usual, ABC News picks it up and runs with it.
Why did it take so many years to cover this. I guess Sleepy Joe isn’t the media’s choice for 2020
Didn’t Biden get 1.5 million dollars from Chana as hush money for his sons dealings?
Focus on current business dealings by Trump, McConnel and his wife, all of Trump kids and when you’ve exhausted yourself and have results to share then focus on Biden.
Trying to catch up to all the Trump Children and Kushner
OK, trump
Good god... What are these worth to a taxpayer funded WH advisor whose president* daddy in is in a trade war with China? And what’s said advisor’s interest in voting machines?
🤣🤣🤣🤣 rudy
If this is true, it ought to garner support from Republicans. They like this sort of thing.
I love the new website from GetDeepOnion, shows massive potential and capability of their team! Buy Buy Buy $ONION
Really then start highlighting Jared and Ivanka and what they do.
'questions' 😂😂 Ffs...they go to China together and 10 days after Biden's 'diplomatic visit', his son get $1.5 BILLION investment from the government controlled bank of China? In Ukraine, his son PERSONALLY gets how many millions funneled to him
Seems the DNC has changed their minds on the candidate they are coronating
Uh Oh! Looks like the higher ups in the Elite Media have another candidate in mind. Sorry Uncle Joe.
Are you serious.. we literally have Trump children going state visit and they talking about conflicts of interest... give me a break
OMG, KUSHNER HAS THE SAUDI'S ARMY LINED UP AT QATAR BORDER, AND GOT A FRICKEN BILLION DOLLAR LEASE AGREEMENT, THROUGH EXTORTION, HAD HIS SECURITY CLEARANCE OVERRULED BY TRUMP BECAUSE IT WAS DENIED IVANKA GOT TON'S OF TRADEMARKS IN CHINA, THEY ARE ALL MAKING BILLIONS! CRIME FAMILY
And Jimmy Carter's brother was a lush. Relevance?
Compared to what Trump and his entire family/cabinet do and his base literally ignores, unless Joe’s kids have slaughtered pods of baby dolphins while shooting heroin, I don’t want to hear it.
lol, like this even matters anymore. Seriously, dont bring this shit up unless you're willing to hammer the person with massive conflicts of interest than dwarf anything else like this.
Catching up are you? Old news.
oh it's ok he is the son of a Politician You and I cant do it but a Son of a can do it
Conflicts of interest? Go talk to trump, he's the king of conflict of interest.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko: We have evidence of the Biden family stealing millions from Ukraine and request a meeting with AG Barr immediately LockHimUp
🤦🏽♂️ Ohhh... NOW we are worried about “conflicts of interest”? 🤣 Idiots!
If the media is going to go there, they need to scrutinize Don Jr and Eric and Ivanka
We now have the most corrupt president and administration in history. And republicans do nothing or say a thing. I'm not concerned about Hunter Biden.
decent reporting. restoring some faith in journalism! keep it up! SteveHiltonx
When did Hunter Biden announce his run for president?
Report on Trump and family conflicts of interest first.
When ABC is reporting it, you know the powers that be have already decided its not going to be him.
Yeah, but who cares about conflicts of interest anymore? Trump is a walking conflict of interest. Republicans tell us poor character, corruption, lies, cheating, stealing, bribery, blackmail, murder & dismemberment, concentration camps ... none of it matters!
Jared. Ivanka. This is not an issue in this Administration—SO SHUT THE FUCK UP! Unless Biden’s kid was a Saudi prince who killed an American resident—Oh forgot that too.
And the media continues to go after the Democratic 'old, white man' because they want a woman or a POC to be Prez. Joe is your only chance, fools, so please, go ahead and ruin him so he won't get the nomination. That just means four more years of Prez Trump!
Well, when you don't have a good answer, it is best not to answer at all. I am sure he will be compelled to answer in the near future, if he hasn't taken up residence in New Zealand.
Ah! Just like Trump. How about that?
ABC reporting actual news, great job keep it up.
Abc guess its time for you to start picking off candidates. WHO you going for spike your polls keep the people blind like last time.
JBaker31826004 If you think the GOP will investigate or do something then you're fooling yourselves. Maybe,just maybe they'll show some interest right before elections to show they care,but till then I expect total silence. Sad....
Possible? Bull-💩!
It's a Trump plot to discredit him
The Clintons (HillaryClinton and BillClinton) did the same. He received money from Russia while she was SoS.
The Republicans had 8-years to bring this up. Why now? Why not investigate the adult Trump kids too?
Really? And you let the trump scum off the hook? And McConnell/Chao? Give me a damn break.
Wayament I thought Obama and Biden told us there wasn’t a hint of scandal the entire 8years of there administration!!!
They have some explaining to do
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