James Biden’s tangled web of Chinese business dealings just got messier. A Department of Justice inspector general report reveals he hired a retired Secret Service agent to snoop on a Chinese client’s legal troubles, contradicting his sworn congressional testimony, as the Washington Free Beacon reports. This isn’t just a family affair -- it’s a window into the Biden clan’s questionable foreign ties.
In November 2017, James Biden, brother of then-Vice President Joe Biden, tasked a former Secret Service agent with digging into whether Patrick Ho, a CEFC China Energy official, had an open FBI arrest warrant. James and Hunter Biden, his nephew, pocketed millions from CEFC for “consulting” energy deals. The report exposes James’ claim that the background check was mere “due diligence” as a flimsy cover story.
James told House investigators in February 2024 that he sought the check for his “own edification.” What a convenient excuse for someone neck-deep in a multimillion-dollar contract with a shady Chinese conglomerate. The inspector general’s findings shred that narrative, showing James specifically asked about FBI warrants.
The retired agent, identified as Retired USSS Agent-1, confirmed that James’ request was to check if Ho could safely travel to the U.S. for a CEFC event. James claimed he had “no idea” about any federal probe into Ho. That smells like perjury when you consider he was warned about lying to Congress.
On Nov. 12, 2017, James wrote to the agent, saying he had “info on an individual” needing a background check on “one specific issue.” The agent, who served on Joe Biden’s security detail, told the FBI in 2021 that James relayed concerns from China about Ho’s potential arrest. So much for “edification” -- this was about protecting a business deal.
The agent found no warrant but cautioned James that such information is “sensitive” and hard to verify. Relying on this, James or another associate likely gave Ho the green light to enter the U.S. Days later, on Nov. 16, 2017, the FBI arrested Ho in New York on bribery charges tied to CEFC’s African oil deals.
Ho was convicted and sentenced to three years, but the Biden family’s CEFC ties run deeper. CEFC paid James and Hunter over $5 million in 2017 to scout U.S. energy deals. Hunter even called Ho “the fucking spy chief of China” in private messages, yet pocketed $1 million to “represent” him after the arrest.
Hunter never showed up for Ho’s trial -- some lawyer he is. Meanwhile, CEFC’s chairman, Ye Jianming, gifted Hunter an $80,000 diamond in Miami in May 2017. That’s not exactly the kind of “consulting” fee you declare on your taxes.
The inspector general’s report raises a thorny question: Did James Biden lie to Congress? He dodged accountability, claiming the check was “not to inform or anything else.” House Republicans weren’t buying it, and neither should anyone who values truth over political spin.
The report also spotlights Charles McGonigal, a former FBI counterintelligence official who led the CEFC probe. McGonigal was later convicted of taking bribes from an Albanian CEFC adviser, Dorian Ducka. In a twist, he tipped Ducka about the FBI’s investigation days before the Bidens’ Hong Kong meeting with Ho.
How did James know to ask about Ho’s warrant? The report doesn’t say, but it notes the retired agent mentioned “possibly 3 Chinese and 1 Israeli” on the warrant, referring to Ho, other CEFC nationals, and Israeli-American consultant Gal Luft. Luft later claimed the DOJ indicted him in 2023 to “bury” him and protect the Bidens.
Luft’s 2019 FBI interview revealed someone in the government tipped CEFC about the 2017 probe. Was it McGonigal’s loose lips or another leak? The Biden family’s cozy relationship with CEFC raises red flags about who was really pulling the strings.
James’ congressional testimony might be a moot point now, thanks to Joe Biden’s eleventh-hour pardon of his brother. Joe also pardoned Hunter in early December of last year, just before his scheduled sentencing on gun and tax fraud convictions. Talk about a family that sticks together—especially when dodging accountability.
The inspector general’s report paints a damning picture: James Biden used his Secret Service connections to dig for confidential government dirt to help a corrupt Chinese partner. This isn’t just bad optics; it’s a betrayal of public trust. The progressive mantra of “no one is above the law” rings hollow when pardons flow like water.
The Biden family’s CEFC saga is a masterclass in cronyism, with millions in payouts, a diamond gift, and a suspiciously timed pardon. Americans deserve leaders who prioritize the nation, not foreign cash grabs. This story isn’t just about James -- it’s a warning about unchecked power and privilege.
