The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday charged a key witness in the investigation into alleged Biden family corruption for taking money from the same Chinese firm that paid Hunter Biden’s businesses and associates millions, according to DOJ records.
Gal Luft, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, allegedly “willfully” failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) while working to “advance the interests of China” in the U.S. by brokering the illegal sale of Chinese weapons and Iranian oil to China, according to the DOJ.
The DOJ alleges that Luft’s think tank, the Institute for the Analysis for Global Security, accepted at least $700,000 from CEFC China Energy beginning in 2015, which happens to be the same Chinese firm that allegedly sent millions to accounts linked to Hunter Biden and his associates, in 2017, according to a Senate committee report and a Washington Post review of Biden documents.
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“For years, Gal Luft, the defendant, a dual U.S.- Israeli citizen, and others known and unknown, engaged in multiple international criminal schemes, including a scheme to act within the United States to advance the interests of the People’s Republic of China (“China”) as agents of China-based principals, without registering as foreign agents as required under U.S. law,” the DOJ indictment states.
A CEFC subsidiary sent $100,000 to Owasco P.C., a firm controlled by Hunter Biden, on Aug. 4, 2017, just days after Hunter sent a text to CEFC associate Raymond Zhao in which he cited his “ability to forever hold a grudge” if certain business was not conducted. That text message mentioned that Hunter’s “father” was nearby at the time, referring to President Joe Biden; pictures from Hunter Biden’s laptop show that Joe was with Hunter on the day the text message was sent.
Additionally, that CEFC subsidiary sent payments totaling over $5 million to Hudson West III, a business linked to Hunter, on Aug. 8, 2017, according to a Senate report. Hudson West III then paid Owasco, Hunter’s personal corporation, nearly $5 million.
The DOJ’s indictment cites as evidence against Luft behavior also allegedly exhibited by Hunter Biden.
The DOJ claims that Luft knowingly violated FARA by seeking to influence U.S. foreign policy toward China and “concealed these efforts by creating the false appearance that they were simply the sharing of sincere opinions of an independent expert on national security and international relations,” according to the DOJ indictment.
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Meanwhile, Republicans lawmakers, like Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, have previously called on the DOJ to assess whether or not Hunter Biden may have willfully failed to register under FARA.
In May 2017, Hunter Biden sent a message to his business associate Tony Bobulinski about setting up a shell company apparently in order to avoid registering as a foreign agent.
“We don’t want to have to register as foreign agents under the FCPA which is much more expansive than people who should know choose not to know,” Hunter’s message to Bobulinski stated. “No matter what it will need to be a U.S. company at some level in order for us to make bids on federal and state-funded projects.”
Hunter Biden’s message seemingly referred to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and FARA. Legal experts say Hunter almost certainly violated FARA.
The DOJ indictment alleges that Luft agreed to “covertly recruit and pay” a former “high-ranking U.S. government official” to “publicly support” certain policies on behalf of Chinese handlers.
For example, in 2015, Luft allegedly promoted China’s Belt and Road Initiative to an individual who he also invited to a “private meeting” in Washington, D.C., with the “then-chairman of CEFC China.”
Luft allegedly told the individual he’d invited to the private meeting that CEFC’s chairman had “very close relations with President Xi Jinping.”
At the same time, the House Oversight Committee has recently alleged that CEFC and its chairman, Ye Jianming, sought to cultivate a relationship with the Biden family between 2015 and 2018. The Biden family allegedly received over $10 million from companies controlled by foreign nationals through a complex money-laundering scheme, the committee claims.
Luft, the White House and the DOJ did not respond immediately to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Hunter Biden could not be reached for comment.
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